No better apology can be offered for the appearance of this little book-since it is the custom of book-writers to apologise than that the English biographies are now mostly out of print; and those which are not out of print are out of date. For example, the English translation of Kreissle's "Schubert "1-the chief life-and Wilberforce's "Franz Schubert," not to speak of some of the popular German biographies, such as Reissmann's, being out of print, are difficult to obtain ; and, in the event of a reprint, to be of any use they would need to be largely re-written. The reason of this is to be attributed to the publication by Messrs Breitkopf & Haertel of the complete works of Schubert. For with the completion of that great undertaking, all conjecture and speculation regarding the composer's MSS. were finally disposed of. Instead of the mere mention of the names of his works-though that was valuable enough when, in 1874, Nottebohm issued the famous catalogue-the public has now before it the full and complete life-work of FRANZ SCHUBERT. By the publication referred to, Messrs Breitkopf & Haertel augmented the printed works of our composer by some one hundred and fifty songs, six symphonies, a dozen scores of operas, operettas and dramatic works, many quartets, sonatas, and a vast number of pieces of every possible 1 By Mr A. D. Coleridge. 215502 Author's Preface variety and combination, beautifully set up, and edited with notable care and attention. Writing in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik for 1840, Robert Schumann remarked that "if fruitfulness is recognised as the principal sign of genius, then Schubert was of the greatest. Though he lived little more than thirty. years, he has written an enormous quantity, of which only half is yet printed, while another part is now awaiting publication; and a still larger portion will probably not be published for a long time to come, if indeed ever." About fifty years after these remarks were penned, Schubert's complete works appeared-thus offering the highest possible tribute to the memory of their illustrious author. The wonderful vitality of his music is brought home to us the more we study it. With Schumann we may truly exclaim : "IT CARRIES WITH IT THE GERMS OF May 1, 1905. E. D. |