Franz Peter Schubert (1797–1828) was an Austrian
composer. In his short lifespan of less than 32 years,
he was a prolific composer, writing some 600 Lieder,
nine symphonies (including the famous "Unfinished
Symphony"), liturgical music, operas, some incidental
music and a large body of chamber and solo piano music.
Appreciation of Schubert's music during his lifetime
was limited, but interest in his work increased
significantly in the decades following his death. Franz
Liszt, Robert Schumann, ...(+)
Franz Peter Schubert (1797–1828) was an Austrian
composer. In his short lifespan of less than 32 years,
he was a prolific composer, writing some 600 Lieder,
nine symphonies (including the famous "Unfinished
Symphony"), liturgical music, operas, some incidental
music and a large body of chamber and solo piano music.
Appreciation of Schubert's music during his lifetime
was limited, but interest in his work increased
significantly in the decades following his death. Franz
Liszt, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms and Felix
Mendelssohn, among others, discovered and championed
his works in the 19th century. Today, Schubert is seen
as one of the leading exponents of the early Romantic
era in music and he remains one of the most frequently
performed composers.
It is impossible to say exactly how Schubert achieved
the spiritual depth and the emotional profundity of his
setting of Johann Jacobi's Am Tage aller Seelen
(Litanei) (On All Soul's Day [Litany]) (D. 343) from
August 1816. A single page of exquisitely wrought
melody setting the three verses of Jacobi's poem as a
strophic song, there is little about Am Tage aller
Seelen which requires comment. The vocal melody is a
seemingly effortless fusion of Italian bel canto and
German innigkeit. The harmonies are for the most part
simple but with a few suspensions and secondary
dominants all articulated over smoothly moving
arpeggiated triplets in the piano accompaniment. On
paper, it looks like nothing special: but in
performance Am Tage aller Seelen is one of the handful
of the very greatest Schubert songs of quiet
consolation and rapturous repose.
I transcribed this piece for Viola & Concert (Pedal)
Harp.
PARTITION