During the latter part of Beethoven's life, i.e., the first quarter of the 19th century, there were going on two most important movements in Gerinan music, the creation of a distinctly German opera, and the establishment of the German Lied. The former is chiefly due to the genius of von Weber (q.v.) (1786-1826), the latter to that of Franz Schubert (q.v.) (1797-1828). Both these achievements had their birth in the war of liberation waged in art and literature against the long domination of French and Italian standards. Weber did not create the German romantic opera de novo. Its origin was in the Singspiel, a light piece with plot and characters drawn from native sources, copiously supplied with incidental music often based on folk-songs. Fairy tales and local legends were also much used. Closely con nected with this operatic movement was the Romantic school of poetry founded about 1800. Breaking away from classic themes the Roman ticists found their inspiration in the German world about them, the mystery of the forest, the charm of out-of-door peasant life, etc., and upon such themes and other fantastic subjects suggested by his glowing imagination Weber built his dramatic works. His first success was gained during the Napoleonic invasion by some spirited settings of Kiirner's war songs 'Lyer and Schwert.' His great operatic triumphs began with 'Der in 1821, that most German of operas, the mere name of which affords a clue to the wealth of color and fancy displayed in the descriptive music.
Weber's wonderful power of characteriza tion was unique at the time, and has by no means lost its telling force to-day. He was completely saturated with the romantic spirit and entered in his works all the realms of fancy thrown open by the poets. Thus in
Spohr (q.v.) deserves passing notice as an associate with Weber in the romantic movement in opera, and as one of the great violinists of his day. Although essentially a classicist, Spohr often gave titles to his instrumental works. They are lacking, however, in real poetic vitality, and so are seldom heard to-day.
Schubert (q.v.), the inheritor of Mozart and Beethoven, the last of the purely classic school, notwithstanding the many interesting phases of his genius, must be treated here as the founder of the German Lied (see Lim), the first of the great group of song composers which in cludes Schumann, Franz, Brahms, and Richard Strauss. Schubert, whose highest gift was that of expressive melody, with an imagination keenly susceptible to poetic suggestion, lived at just the right epoch to take full advantage of the wealth of German lyric poetry which was one of the results of the romantic movement. The difference between the Lied and other earlier forms of solo song, aria, etc., is that no longer the music itself is the chief element, but the word-text. Instead of setting several stanzas to the same simple tune the composer endeavors by continuous musical development to suggest every sentiment and mood of the poem. Imagination is made submissive to the
suggestiveness of the poet. The music exists not Independently, but as a means of carrying the essence of the poem to the soul of the hearer. Words and music are blended in a composite form of art, which is always en hanced by suggestive pianoforte accompani ment. In the union of these three factors Schubert was supreme. With few exceptions he always selected poems of intrinsic merit, e.g., by Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare, Klopstocic, Muller, and Heine; of unsurpassed power as a melodist, he followed each varying sentiment of the words in the most subtle manner, and although recent composers have enlarged the scope of the piano accompaniment, he first re vealed its possibilities. In illustration of the last point we may cite the accompaniment to 'Der Erlkonig) and (Aufdem Wasser zu singer.' Schubert's genius for instrumental music was continually growing; indeed it was his intention to devote himself to orchestral music. His early tragic death cut short these fair prospects, but we have a priceless legacy in the great symphonies — the and the one in C major — and in the Chamber music—notably the Quartet in D minor. These are inferior to the best works of Beethoven only in a certain lack of organic concentrated treatment; in warmth of melody, in wealth of tonal effect and in boldness of modulation they have seldom been surpassed. Schubert's short characteristic pieces for pianoforte, such as the (Impromptus,) Musicaux,) waltzes, etc., are unique in style and of great interest in that they opened the way for the short lyric forms in modern literature. Witness the pianoforte compositions of Schumann, Men delssohn, Grieg, and Brahms.
In 1830, two years after the death of Schu bert, began the career of Schumann (born in 1810), the most prominent — together with his great contemporary, Berlioz (q.v.) —of the romantic composers in the realm of instrumen tal music. In Schumann we have a unique per sonality, intensely subjective and of deep poetic feeling—uthe greatest musical thinker since according to Liszt. Manifesting very early a strong love for the imaginative poets of the period, notably Jean Paul Richter (q.v.), Schumann definitely molded his music in accord with poetic ideas, and with his great literary gifts became the formulator of the romantic idea in the entire musical thought of the time. Up to 1840 Schumann's chief work was his pianoforte compositions. These al though in small form, from the novelty of their style, and their exquisite fancy, began a new epoch in pianoforte music. These pieces all have titles, 'Fan tasiestiicke,) etc., and indicate with delicate touches of romanticism the moods which the music is to symbolize. In his larger piano forte works the two sonatas, the Fantasie in C and the Etudes Symphoniques, the defects as well as the merits of the school are apparent. Together with a wealth of invention there is often a lack of balance and unity. The ro manticist always teems with emotion; whether he succeeds in impressing this on the hearer by means of music is quite another question.