A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Schubert, Ferdinand
SCHUBERT, Ferdinand, one of the elder brothers of Franz Schubert, second son of his father (see p. 319), born at Vienna Oct. 19, 1794. After passing the two-years course at the Normal School of S. Anna in 1807–8, he became his father's assistant at the school in the Lichtenthal. In Nov. 1810 he was installed as assistant (Gehilfe), and in 1816 teacher, at the Imperial Orphan House (Waisenhaus) in Vienna, where he continued till March 1820, devoting himself specially to the Bell-Lancastrian method. He was then appointed principal teacher and choirmaster to the school at Altlerchenfeld, Vienna, till 1824, when he was nominated to be head teacher of the Normal School of S. Anna, which he held from Jan. 22, 1824, till his appointment as director of the same establishment on March 15, 1854. This position he retained till his death on Feb. 28, 1859. His merits were recognised by the bestowal of the Gold Cross of Merit (Verdienstkreuze), with the Crown. During this long period of useful and efficient service he was twice married, and had in all 17 children, of whom Ferdinand, Rudolf, and Hermann are still (1882) living in Vienna. His daughter Elise married Linus Geisler, and their daughter, Caroline Geisler-Schubert, is now (1882) an esteemed player and teacher of the pianoforte in Vienna. Between 1819 and 1853 Ferdinand published 12 school-books on various branches of learning, which came into general use. Music he learnt from his father and from Holzer, and left more than 40 works, of which the following were published:—Regina Cœli, à 4 and orch. (op. 1); German Requiem, à 4 with organ (op. 2); 4 Waisenlieder (op. 3); Cadences for PF. in all keys (op. 4); Requiem, à 4 and orch. (op. 9); Mass in F, à 4 and orch. (op. 10); Salve Regina in F, à 4 and orch. (op. 11); Salve Regina, à 4 and wind (op. 12); original March and Trio. The MS. works contain various other pieces of church music. Of the two Requiems the first is mentioned in his brother's letter of Aug. 24, 1818 (see p. 330); the second was performed a few days before Franz's death, and was possibly the last music he heard. The library of the Musikverein at Vienna contains the autograph of Franz Schubert's Mass in G, with oboes (or clarinets) and bassoons, added by Ferdinand, July 23, 1847.
Ferdinand's love for his brother and care of his memory have been often referred to in the preceding article (pp. 354, 356, 357). An interesting evidence of their attachment is afforded by a letter of [1]his to Franz, dated Vienna, July 3, 1824, and containing the following passage in regard to a clock at the Ungarische Krone in Vienna, which played his brother's music:—'This clock delighted me not a little, when one day at dinner for the first time I heard it play some of your waltzes. I felt so strange at the moment that I really did not know where I was; it was not only that it pleased me, it went regularly through my heart and soul with a fearful pang and longing, which at last turned into settled melancholy.' This may be fanciful, but it is the language of passionate affection, which evidently animated Ferdinand's whole intercourse with his great brother. Franz's reply (July 16–18, 1824) is quite in the same strain. (The above article is indebted to Wurzbach's Biographisches Lexicon.)
- ↑ I owe this letter to Miss Geisler.