Schubert and the Aesthetic of Inwardness: A Comprehensive Guide

The Post-Beethoven Landscape and the Aesthetic of Inwardness

In the wake of the Classical period, Ludwig van Beethoven is regarded as a monumental figure, a giant whose musical achievements are often viewed as a peak that cannot be matched by successive generations. This perception shifts the focus of musical expression toward a new romantic ideal where music begins to transcend the limitations of language and the human voice.

The Nature of Musical Expression

According to Samson (p. 152), music in the post-Beethoven era functions as a language that develops its own specific expression without the necessity of words. This language is characterized by its general imprecision, which paradoxically grants it a greater impact on listeners who possess imagination. By moving away from vocal constraints, the composer gains the freedom to:

• Produce melodies that are more active, varied, and original.

• Utilize phrases that may be perceived as "bizarre."

• Explore compositions without the fear of them being unplayable or limited by vocal ranges.

This shift displays a "new world" where the listener is raised toward a "higher ideal region," and the sublime life previously only dreamed of by poets becomes a tangible reality through sound.

Domestic Music-Making and the Rise of the Lied

With the transition into the Romantic era, there was a significant shift toward domesticity in music, which gave rise to specific genres designed for intimate settings rather than grand concert halls.

Key Genres of Domestic Music

• Lieder (Art Song): Settings of lyric poetry for voice and piano.

• Piano Character Pieces: Short, expressive works for solo piano.

• Small, Intimate Works: These pieces emphasized personal expression over technical display. They were characterized by "manageable" piano parts and did not require the extreme vocal virtuosity associated with opera.

The Role of Poetry

A new emphasis on lyric poetry served as a primary catalyst for composers. The depth and emotional nuance found in the poetry of the time inspired composers to create music that reflected the poem's internal emotional landscape.

Franz Schubert (1797–1828)

Franz Schubert is the central figure in the development of the "inward" style. In 1822, Schubert stated, "The inner life is the only life," a sentiment that defines his approach to composition.

The Concept of Shared Solitude

In the Romantic context, Schubert epitomized self-expression by making the private public. Richard Taruskin describes this phenomenon as "shared solitude," where the most personal, internal emotions of the composer are communicated to an audience through an intimate musical medium.

Schubert’s Multi-Genre Output

• Lieder: Schubert was incredibly prolific in this genre, writing approximately $630$ lieder.

• Symphonic Works: There are $10$ numbered symphonies, though several remain in various states of completion:

  • Symphony No. 8 ("Unfinished"): Contains only two complete movements; it is noted for its pathetic, dark, and grimmest mode in $B$ minor.

  • Symphony No. 7: Exists only in a sketch form across four movements.

  • Symphony No. 10: Seems complete in terms of its musical structure but exists only as a piano reduction; Schubert did not orchestrate it.

Analysis of Vocal Masterpieces: Gretchen am Spinnrade (1814)

Setting a poem by the famous Romantic poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Gretchen am Spinnrade is a landmark in the development of the Lied.

Structure and Form

Schubert arranged the eight stanzas of the poem into a sort of Rondo form by utilizing the first stanza as a recurring Refrain. The piano carries the majority of the dramatic weight, simulating the constant motion of the spinning wheel and the internal agitation of Gretchen.

Harmonic Narrative and Inwardness

The work journeys through an extensive range of keys:

• $D$ min — $C$ major — $A$ min — $E$ min — $F$ maj — $G$ min — $A\flat$ maj — $B\flat$ maj — $E$ maj.

According to Taruskin (p. 562), Schubert used an expanded harmonic language—specifically modulations to the flattened submediant and the parallel minor—to "express the idea of inwardness."

Analysis of Erlkönig (Elf King) (1815)

Erlkönig is a dramatic ballad where a single singer must portray four distinct characters: the Narrator, the Father, the Son, and the Erlking. Schubert achieves this through specific musical signifiers for each persona.

Characterization through Music

• The Son: Set in a high tessitura. As the piece progresses and the boy's fear increases, his pitch rises further. Traditionally set in a minor key.

• The Father: Characterized by a low register and a major key initially to sound calm and reassuring. However, as the situation becomes dire, his entries rise in pitch and switch between major and minor modes.

• The Erlking: His music is lyrical and set in a major key with a dance-style accompaniment. This fun, attractive style remains until the very end, when he forcibly takes the boy and no longer needs to maintain the pretense of friendliness.

• The Narrator: Provides the framing for the story.

Tonal Progression and Tension

As the tension in the poem rises, the key relationships become more distant. Schubert frequently modulates by thirds to increase the sense of unease.

• Bar 25: Uses $G\flat$, which is the flattened submediant ($6^{th}$ scale degree) of $B\flat$, marking an entry into the realm of the "inner."

• Bar 47: Uses $D\flat$, the flattened submediant of $F$, coinciding with the first mention of the Erlking.

• Bar 72: A sudden shift back to $G$ minor (introduction of $E\flat$) occurs as the Son cries out.

• Final Entry: The Erlking’s final entry is in $E\flat$ (the Neapolitan).

Winterreise (Winter’s Journey) (1827)

This song cycle consists of $24$ poems by Wilhelm Müller. A prominent example is the fifth song, Der Lindenbaum (The Linden Tree).

Formal Structure of Der Lindenbaum

The song consists of six stanzas grouped into a large-scale form of $A\,A'\,B\,A$. Within the first section, there is a "micro" form of $aaba$.

Large Section Key Structure

• Section A: $E$ major.

• Section A': $E$ minor.

• Section B: $C$ major (the flattened submediant).

• Section A: returns to $E$ major.

Stylistic Influences: Rossini vs. Beethoven

Schubert’s instrumental and orchestrational style was influenced by both the Italian opera tradition (Rossini) and the Germanic symphonic tradition (Beethoven).

Traits Adopted from Rossini

Schubert composed two overtures in the "Italian style" in 1818, displaying Rossini’s lack of interest in organic transitions and thematic development:

• Orchestration: Extensive use of woodwinds.

• Thematic Treatment: The theme is stated at the outset with little to no development.

• Overture Form:

  1. Slow introduction (often $ABA$).

  2. Two-theme Exposition; the second theme is usually a wind solo.

  3. A brief and noisy transition.

  4. No Development section of note.

  5. A concluding Crescendo Coda.

Rossini wrote lots of operas, but never wrote a symphony.

Sublime Style Traits from Beethoven

• Motivic Development: Focus on the motivic aspects of melody and rhythm.

• Dynamics and Silence: Expanding dynamic ranges and the use of "loud, disruptive silences" as dramatic gestures.

• Tonal Innovation: Second subjects starting in the "wrong" key, requiring a "struggle" to reach the correct key as a sign of victory. Preference for keys separated by thirds.

• Orchestral Color: Greater use of winds, orchestral unisons, and exploring both mid-range and extreme registers.

• Formal Expansion: Forms are "stretched but not broken," featuring longer introductions, developments, and codas (the sections of least stability).

The "Inward" in Instrumental Music

Richard Taruskin notes that looking at Schubert’s public works (like symphonies) confirms the influence of the private, intimate genres in which he excelled. Schubert's Symphony No. 8 is a prime example of lyricism infused into symphonic form.

Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished)

• Atmosphere: Ranked as his darkest and most "pathetic" work.

• Opening: The opening theme is "ill-defined," beginning with a phrase from $I$ to $V$ (reminiscent of the opening of the Eroica symphony).

• Orchestration: The main theme is presented by the winds accompanied by strings.

• Structure:

  • The first theme cadences in the tonic without a modulatory bridge to the second subject.

  • The second subject is twice as long as the first.

  • Standard practice for a minor-key symphony second subject is the relative major ($III$), but Schubert places it in the submediant ($VI$).

  • The second subject possesses its own internal $ABA$ form.

Conclusion on Style

Roger Norrington succinctly distinguishes the two masters by stating: "As Beethoven dramatized classical form, so Schubert lyricized it."