As Schubert gradually became known, his success with the song proved a mighty stimulus to other composers, though the perfection along his chosen lines made the opening of new styles almost imperative. He certainly drew the bonds between music and poetry closer than they had ever been before. Some of his piano works deserve special note because they antedated many of the same general character that have been more influential. They were among the earliest examples of the true 'song without words.' His accompaniments and much of his dramatic and symphonic work mark him as one of the first masters of instrumental effect. His kinship with Beethoven is obvious, amounting often to direct imitation, as well as with Mozart, though from the latter he differs in the richness and poignancy of his emotional content. The knowledge of his works in detail was so long delayed that their historic significance was obscured and, even now, is likely to be underrated.
The 'discovery' of Schubert was largely due to the researches of
Schumann before 1840 and the cordial interest of Mendelssohn not long
afterward.
Among those who at this time were either song-composers of note or useful in furthering the cause of artistic singing, were the following:—
Karl Friedrich Zelter (d. 1832), born in 1758 at Berlin and educated in the trade of a mason, but always eager for music, was a pupil of Fasch and from 1791 his helper in the Singakademie. In 1800 he succeeded him as conductor. During his régime the society began regular public concerts in 1801, dedicated a building of its own in 1827, and reached a membership of over 400 singers. Zelter was a passionate admirer of Goethe (correspondence, 1833-4) and set many of his poems. In 1809 he started the first 'Liedertafel,' the germ of the great 'Sängerbund,' and was educationally a leader. He was one of the first to redirect attention to Bach, thus awakening Mendelssohn's enthusiasm. Besides considerable church music, he wrote many songs and almost 100 cantatas and part-songs for male voices, in some of which he approached the rich style of Schubert and Löwe. To his circle belonged Luise Reichardt (d. 1826), the gifted daughter of J. F. Reichardt (see sec. 157), who from 1814 was a teacher at Hamburg, with beautiful sacred and secular songs (from 1800); the lawyer Friedrich Wollanck (d. 1831), whose many songs were so much admired by Weber that he urged him to undertake dramatic works (from 1811); Karl Friedrich Rungenhagen (d. 1851), who assisted Zelter from 1815 and succeeded him in 1833 and wrote an enormous number of agreeable songs and part-songs, besides many other works. (Concerning this entire group, see secs. 218-219.)
Georg Friedrich Bischoff (d. 1841), choirmaster at Frankenhausen (Thuringia), conceived the idea of organizing large music-festivals, and after experi-
