The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-11-28

are the songs Of youth. Schubert
like Beethoven belonged TO that
modest rank Of society and al
ways remained Of Il. We have 70
look outside Of muxic-to Robert
Burns. for instance. to find other
artists IN comparable situation.
The known musicians down To his
time took their tone from their
social superiors. His station was
the humblest Of any. Schubert II
always near TO the peasant. and
one might say his feelings are
rather for his friends than his
relations.
Schubert set 10 music the best
poetry that came his way. He did
not perhaps 20 far out Of his way
for II. but the old saying that he
could set q bill OF fare TO music
In beside the mark. He lived In q
group Of poets and painters whose
passion for music he returned with
q passion for their arts less intense
only because there was not another
such N Schubert among them.
schubert's poets. then. for what
they were worth. helped To make
him. We see him quivering with
responsiveness and filled with
song when they touch even weakly
on . theme that IL dear to him
the stars. the hills. moving waters.
etc. The verses Of his poets are
something more than an excuse
for his melodies. He paid them q
regard that resulted in a demand
for . new style Of singing. A
more literary turn Of mind Ia re-
quired than for the adequate sing
ing Of Bach. Handel. Haydn. or
Mozart. Schubert had a simple
but clear view OF the poetry he
wanted for his music.
The text OF seventy-three of
Schubert'r songs IL by Goethe
Goethe the over-powering poet OF
German literature. There are not
nearly 20 many settings OF any
other poets work. schubert's
texts are by more than ninety diff
ferent writer's. These include all
but q very few Of the noteworthy
German poets he could have
known. It was by accident that
he luckily alighted. only n little
before his death. on half a dozen
Of young Hiere's lyrics. TO the
great enrichment Of music. Franz
Schubert was the one native COM
poser of Vienna. He was the most
pathetic. and at the same time
the most unusual figure In music
history. Possessed of sponta-
neous gift Of melody. which prob
ably has never been equalled. he
wrote his compositions As though
directed by an invisible force and
the greatest Of his works he never
heard produced.
Schubert wrote In al forms Of
music. leaving over 600 songs. part
songs. masses. eighteen dramatic
works. twenty-four piano sonatas.
many overturcs. twenty string
quartets. and ten symphonies. be-
sides vast quantity Of smaller
works for piano and other instru-
ments.
On the stone which marks his
last resting place there Is in
scribed: ''Music hath buried here
. rich treasure. but still richer
hopes." How rich these hopes
were was not realized until ls40.
when Robert schumann discovered
in Ferdinand Schubert's home an
old pile Of manuscripts Of Franz
Schubert. which. at the time of the
composers death, had been valued
At less than fifty dollars. Among
these papers Schumann found all
the compositions which are con-
sidered Schubert's greatest works.
including the Unfinished SYM
phony." the Symphony In &C Ma
jor." No. 10. and many other
works.
His chief contributions 70 mu-
sical literature are. Of course, his
marvellous songs. which occupy =
unique place in the development
Of music. He brought the song to
= state Of perfection. and stands
In the same relation to the devel-
opment Of song that Beethoven &C.
cupies toward the symphony.
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Cuuj.v Ca~,,;ro. IA