Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-05
NJ u SIC
BY HELEN FETTER.

i among other things, that the per-
/ Sonnel Of the new Curtis Quartet
will include: Lea Luboshutz, first
| violin; Edwin Bachmann, second
violin; Louis Bailly, viola, and
Feliz Salmond, violoncello. OF
these, only the last two were
members of the original Curtis
String Quartet. Carl FleSch. the
. original first violin, resigned as
head Of the violin department Of
this school to return to Germany,
where he expects to be located for
some time. both teaching and
concertising. Emanuel Zetlin,
former second violin, has come to
Washington, where he is to be in
charge of the violin department.,
the Washington College of Music,
THE Schubert centennial plans
l. and programs are bubbling
and seething for the coming sea-
son. 1t is interesting in this con-
nection to quote Deems Taylor
eminent American music critic
and writer Of the latest American
opera to see the footlightS, who
says, in a recent issue of McCall'S:
IF news Of these goingS on
should reach the ElySian Fields,
Schubert would undoubtedly be
delighted. He would, likewise, I
fancy, be more than a little be-
wIldered and even a trif1e dis
treSSed, for he was one of the
most modest composers who ever
lived, and would be overwhelmed
if he knew that he was heing
ranked with Beethoven. who was
his lifelong admiration and deS-
pair, His mOdesty was no pose.
He took great pleasure in his owr
work, true enough-any artist
worthy Of the name generally
does But he was keenly distrust-
full of his technical mastery of his
art, and was forever planning to
repair the ShortcomingS-as he
considered them-of his musical
education. A good natural contra
puntalist. he was arranging to
take lessons in counterpart just
as death cut short his career.
The fact that that career end
ed in his thirty-Second year has
inevitably caused Schubert to be
placed in the tragic company Of
the masters who died before their
work was done. But it is difficult
TO make Schubert a really tragic
figure. No composer who, in Is
years of creative life, can turn out
two symphonies, an opera, mass
Of piano pieces and chamber
music. and more than 500 songs, !
is exactly thwarted genius. He
was undoubtedly moderated by
his contemporary listeners, but he
was none the less popular among
them. and seems to have had a
reasonably happy time.
He undoubtedly lived and died
poor tthe contents of his writing
desk. which included. among other
masterpieces. the manuscript Of
the C Major Symphony was Of
ficiallv appraised at about So |
On. the other hand. he never
actually starved-as Mozart often
did-and seems not to have mind
ed his poverty He was. as a mat
ter of fact. the first 'bohemian
composer: for he was first among
the great musicians to break away
from the patronage system that
had supported Haydn. Mozart and
in part-Weber and Beethoven.
For all the admiration that has
been showered upon the string
ouartets and the two symphonies,
it is by his songs, I think, that |
will live longest. For
the so-called art song is virtually
his invention. Until his advent, |
about the only vocal music heard
with any frequency consisted OF |
aTieS and excerntS from operas |
and oratorios. The public song
recital was unknown The Ger |
man lyric song. or Lied existed |
only in comparatively crude
form.
1T was a form. however, that |
exactly suited Schubert's genius. |
IT demanded concentration. sub
tlety Of mood and melodic inven-
ton. three gifts that Schubert
possessed TO a superlative decree |
The 600 songs that he left behind
have been the inspiration and in
centive Of a long line If song
composers who followed him.
from Schumann and Franz and
Wolf 10 Brahms and Strauss. ]
These have upon occasion eoualedp
him None has ever surpassed
him"