der Lieder'), were, on Mr. Nottebohm's authority, written in August. The last is by Seidl; it is dated 'Oct. 1828,' and is probably Schubert's last song.
But it is time to return to the chronicle of his life during its last ten months. Of his doings in January we know little more than can be gathered from the following letter to Anselm Hüttenbrenner, the original of which is in the British Museum.
My dear old Hüttenbrenner. You will wonder at my writing now? So do I. But if I write it is because I am to get something by it. Now just listen; a drawing-master's place near you at Grätz is vacant, and competition is invited. My brother Karl, whom you probably know, wishes to get the place. He is very clever, both as a landscape-painter and a draughtsman. If you could do anything for him in the matter I should be eternally obliged to you. You are a great man in Grätz, and probably know some one in authority, or some one else who has a vote. My brother is married, and has a family, and would therefore be very glad to obtain a permanent appointment. I hope that things are all right with you, as well as with your dear family, and your brothers. A Trio of mine, for Pianoforte, Violin, and Violoncello, has been lately performed by Schuppanzigh, and was much liked. It was splendidly executed by Boklet, Schuppanzigh, and Link. Have you done nothing new? A propos, why doesn't [1]Greiner, or whatever his name is, publish the two songs? What's the reason? Sapperment!
I repeat my request: recollect, what you do for my brother, you do for me. Hoping for a favorable answer, I remain your true friend, till death,
The expression 'till death,' which appears here for the first time in his letters, and the words 'of Vienna,' added to his name, are both singular.
On the 24th, at an evening concert at the Musik-Verein, the serenade for contralto solo and female chorus just mentioned was performed, and is spoken of by the correspondent of the Leipzig A.M.Z. as 'one of the most charming works of this favourite writer.' In February we find three letters from North Germany, one from Probst of Leipzig, and two from Schott. They show how deep an impression Schubert was making outside Austria. Both firms express warm appreciation of his music, both leave the terms to be named by him, and Schott orders a list of 9 important pieces.
On March 26 Schubert gave, what we wonder he never gave before, an evening concert on his own account in the Hall of the Musik-Verein. The following is the programme exactly reprinted from the original.
Einladung
zu dem Privat Concerte, welches Franz Schubert am
26. März, Abends 7 Uhr im Locale des oesterreichischen Musikvereins
unter den Tuchlauben No. 558 zu geben die Ehre haben wird.
Vorkommende Stücke.
| 1. | Erster Satz eines neuen Streich Quartetts vorgetragen von den Herren Böhm, Holz, Weiss, und Linke. | ||||
| 2. | a. | Der Kreutzzug, | von Leitner | Gesänge mit Begleitung des Piano Forte, vorgetragen von Herrn Vogl, k. k. pensionirten Hofopernsänger. | |
| b. | Die Sterne, | von demselben | |||
| c. | Fischerweise, | von Bar. Schlechta | |||
| d. | Fragment aus dem Aeschylus | ||||
| 3. | Ständchen von Grillparzer, Sopran-Solo und Chor, vorgetragen von Fräulein Josephine Fröhlich und den Schülerinnen des Con- servatoriums. | ||||
| 4. | Neues Trio für das Piano Forte, Violin und Violoncelle, vorgetragen von den Herren Carl Maria von Boklet, Böhm und Linke. | ||||
| 5. | Auf dem Strome von Rellstab. Gesang mit Begleitung des Horns und Piano Forte, vorgetragen von den Herren Tietze, und Lewy dem Jüngeren. | ||||
| 6. | Die Allmacht, von Ladislaus Pyrker, Gesang mit Begleitung des Piano Forte, vorgetragen von Herren Vogl. | ||||
| 7. | Schlachtgesang von Klopfstock, Doppelchor für Männerstimmen. | ||||
Sammtliche Musikstücke sind von der Composition des Concertgebers.
Eintrittskarten zu fl. 3. W. W. sind in den Kunsthandlungen
der Herren Haslinger, Diabelli und Leidesdorf zu haben.
This programme attracted 'more people than the hall had ever before been known to hold,' and the applause was very great. The net result to Schubert was 800 gulden, Vienna currency, equal to about £32. This put him in funds for the moment, and the money flowed freely. Thus, when, three days later, Paganini gave his first concert in Vienna, Schubert was there, undeterred, in his wealth, by a charge of 5 gulden. Nay, he went a second time, not that he cared to go again, but that he wished to treat Bauernfeld, who had not 5 farthings, while with him 'money was as plenty as blackberries.'[2]
This month he wrote, or began to write, his last and greatest Symphony, in C. He is said to have offered it to the Society for performance, and in so doing to have expressed himself to the effect that henceforth he wished to have nothing more to do with songs, as he was now planted firmly in Opera and Symphony. This rests on the authority of Kreissle;[3] the silence of Herr Pohl in his history of the Society shows that its minutebooks contain no express mention of the reception of the work, as they do that of the Symphony in Oct. 1826. There is no doubt, however, that it was adopted by the Society, and is entered in the Catalogue, under the year 1828, as xiii. 8024.[4] But this prodigious work was far beyond the then powers of the chief musical institution of
