Durham E-Theses Schubert's mature operas: an analytical study Bruce, Richard Douglas How to cite: Bruce, Richard Douglas (2003) Schubert's mature operas: an analytical study, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4050/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk Schubert's Mature Operas: An Analytical Study Richard Douglas Bruce Submitted for the Degree of PhD October 2003 University of Durham Department of Music A copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without their prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. 2 3 JUN 2004 Richard Bruce - Schubert's Mature Operas: An Analytical Study Submitted for the degree of Ph.D (2003) (Abstract) This thesis examines four of Franz Schubert's complete operas: Die Zwillingsbruder D.647, Alfonso und Estrella D.732, Die Verschworenen D.787, and Fierrabras D.796. These works date from the period of 1818-1823, sometimes referred to as Schubert's 'years of crisis'. While this period saw many changes in the composer's personal situation, it is commonly thought that he underwent a process of creative re- evaluation during these years. This was also the period of Schubert's life during which he was most seriously engaged in writing music for the stage. Thus, I argue in this thesis that it is possible to understand these operas as key works within Schubert's stylistic development. Chapter 2 of this thesis studies Adorao's 1928 critique of Schubert and draws out common themes in critical writings about the composer to do with coherence, temporality and tone. These themes are then grounded in various different types of analytical observations about Schubert's emergent style. Chapter 3 examines selected numbers from the four mature operas. Through analysing these works, we find that Schubert's developing approach to form, rhythm, musical 'signs' and other structural devices is evident. Innovations in each of these fields are understood as responses to the various dramatic challenges offered by each of the libretti. Chapter 4 summarises the conclusions of our study of the operas and suggests some possibilities for interpretation of other works which are raised by these analyses. ii Acknowledgements I am grateful to a number of people for the help and support they have provided during the course of my studies. All of the Academic and Administrative staff of Durham University Music Department have been continually helpful and supportive. In particular I would like to thank my supervisor Dr Michael Spitzer for his valuable comments and his sense of humour. I would also like to thank Clive Brown, Christopher Gibbs, Robert Hatten, Suzanne Kogler, Brian Newbould and John Suydam for sending me copies of their work and providing me with copies of scores and recordings which had otherwise proved elusive. Finally I would like to thank both my partner Megan and my parents for their love and support. iii Contents Page Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Contents iv 1 Introduction 1 2 Analysing Schubert 2.1 Schubert - Beethoven - Adorno 12 2.2 Schubert and Form 37 2.3 Schubert and Rhythm 70 2.4 Schubert's Musical Signs 94 2.5 Musical Meaning in Schubert 109 3 Analysing Schubert's Operas 133 3.1 The Twinned Arias of Die Zwillingsbruder 137 3.2 Harmony - Magic - Marchen: Alfonso und Estrella 147 3.4 O welch Entzucken: Die Verschworenen 183 3.5 The Search for Fierrabras 202 4 Conclusion 240 Bibliography 247 Appendices 1 Synopses of the Operas 262 2 Schubert's Dream and the Connection with Novalis 269 3 Piano Scores/Reductions of Works Discussed 287 3.1 At Moment Musical D.780/6 288 3.2 Das Echo 290 iv 3.3 Mag es sturmen 292 3.4 Liebe Theure Muttererde 298 3.5 Der Jager Ruhte 304 3.6 Sie ist's, Er ist's 318 3.7 Ich Muss sie finden 332 3.8 Am Rand der Ebne 341 3.9 0 Teures Vaterland 344 3.10 Weit uber Glanz 345 V 1. Introduction It is now fairly widely known that throughout his life Franz Schubert devoted much of his time to composing music for the theatre. The past forty years have seen performances and recordings of all the complete works and several of these have already been published as part of the Neue Schubert Ausgabe. Writing as recently as 1959, Maurice Brown lamented the inaccessibility of the music: In spite of their being printed, in full score, in the Schubert Gesamtausgabe of Breitkopf & Hartel, they might as well have remained in manuscript on the shelves of some latter-day heir of Schubert's brother Ferdinand.1 Not only were these works hard to come by, but the faithfulness of this early edition to the clef-conventions of the early nineteenth century also made them fairly taxing for the would-be producer to read. In this respect at least, the situation today certainly looks far more promising. It now seems incredible that such a large portion of Schubert's oeuvre could have remained relatively unknown for so long. A cursory examination of his output for the stage (see Table 1) shows us the extent of this activity. Even aged 14 he was engaged in composing a magical play of Kotzebue (Der Spiegelritter) and although he failed to complete this work, he went on to compose a three act opera by the same librettist {Des Teufels Lustschloss). A revised version of acts I and III of this opera also exists in full score, revisions having been suggested by Salieri from whom Schubert was receiving lessons. Over the course of 1815, he produced four complete Singspiels in addition to two symphonies and around 150 songs. Of these, Fernando, the libretto for which was written by his school friend Albert Stadler, is perhaps the most forgettable. The music to Goethe's three-act Singspiel Claudine von Villa Bella is perhaps the most promising, but only the first act survives, the second and third having reputedly been accidentally destroyed in a fire. All of the five works composed up to this point might best be regarded as experiments or works of apprenticeship. Indeed the latter three Singspiels of 1815 all bear the inscription 'Franz Schubert. .. Schiiler des Hr. Salieri' which suggests that this is how Schubert 1 Brown, M.J.E., 'Schubert's two Major Operas: A consideration of the possibility of actual stage production', The Musical Review 20 (1959), 104-18; 104. ygSH 1 a <o < 00 o Xw x o I -*-» OO u "3 o u 03 bD E 00 £ < "o3 o ro c o3 mw C oo • f—« u -*-o» u O 00 03 O <U < •c m 03 <o > *o -*-> 00 i> u o CD bO| I 03 " w x Ui O O 2 o < E •*-» on C 03 O >s Tu3 O c a o i4 u Eu o oo o3 6 -Si oo T3 < IU X oo O bD o u G •B u u <u E CM X < 3 o 03 bD XI o N 6 O -2 t3 2 s X 'oS 13 o • 1—< X oo T3 x X o o 00 •a m c <U 6 u o bol, -*-» E x <L) 3 03 oo X C T3 1 o 43 § '£ 00 e CD -*-» o w o c o I OH c 00 E CcdO X) § u 03 • *-* •-c XI p. O .g o oo O X o o O l-i o — s o u 00 p. oo g o 00 M| P!S o U X oo IS o < 00 8 -4-CJ* o U P. o. 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