Weekend Concert 10: Death and the Maiden -- The Completed Unfinished!
2006/9/23 15:21:40
As the King of Art Songs, Schubert very naturally incorporated melodies from his art songs into instrumental works. However, this somewhat clever approach -- this marriage of vocal and instrumental music -- basically occurred in his mid-period works around age 25. In the final years of his life, his understanding of instrumental music rose another level, and the effort to break free from the vocalization of instrumental music and strengthen instrumental character and dramatic power ran consistently through his late works around age 30.
The "Death and the Maiden" Quartet is a classic example of Schubert's vocal-instrumental marriage. The melody of the art song "Death and the Maiden" is used as a variation theme in the second movement Andante -- this was Schubert's typical path for such marriages. Schubert's genius lay in the fact that these marriages were not simple repetitions or arrangements of vocal melodies, but catalyzed an entirely new realm. Particularly in this great work -- one of the most distinctive in all classical music -- this genius was pushed to the extreme.
The true limit of genius can only be life. In that famous Unfinished Symphony, Schubert opened up a new musical world with a completely new sound that even Beethoven hadn't touched. What is played here, however, is a completed version of the Unfinished Symphony. After the usual two movements, Schubert's sketched third movement has been re-orchestrated, and the fourth movement uses his "Rosamunde" Overture. At least in terms of key, this usage is acceptable, but musically, we can only face a major challenge to our listening habits. Still, from another angle, through this experiment one can imagine a possible state of the completed Unfinished -- though such imagination can only remain imagination. Unfinished is unfinished; there is never any possibility or necessity to complete it.
A side note: I just converted this ID's three-movement First Piano Sonata from high school into a file. I'll upload it when I have time. For now, please turn off all other background music and listen to Schubert!
Comments
Chán Zhōng Shuō Chán 2006/9/23 21:52:26
Please refrain from replies unrelated to this post. Comments about Kong Qingdong and the like should go to the relevant posts.
Chán Zhōng Shuō Chán 2006/9/23 21:38:25
Your ears are good. To save space, I used the lowest upload format, but it shouldn't affect the music.