Of Loaches and Pearls

You may know what a loach is? Already heard of, certainly, somewhere and somehow, no idea... All of a sudden it appears in a Schubert men's choir: ,,loaches glide along..." so the writer, and he completes the picture by a nontheless strange verse: ,,. and pearls bubble". A certain feeling that the solution may be found under water is confirmed when looking into a dictionary: Loach (Schmerle), also groundling, long extended fish on the ground, revolving round body. Barb around his mouth...,"- in the bubbling water of the brook winding in the text through the ,,little village" praised in the Lied. So, this has been cleared. Any further secrets possibly hidden in the Lied text shall not be examined. Forrns and contents are too ambivalent, since Schubert made an extremely pragmatic use of his favorites or currently circulating almanacs. After all, the subjects are all of minor importance: when wine is consumed, praise nature for riping the grapes, then a longing develops followed by love mingled with new images of nature, the moon shines on the romantic ensemble of the wine spirited company, the night falls, and so the love and longing start all over again. In order to avoid any misunderstanding: there are good texts, even some really excellent ones included - but also some of minor quality. Schmerlen and Perlen (loaches and pearls). And even in the Vienna society around Schubert drinking-songs did not pretend to be more than drinking-songs. Remember, we are talking of men's choirs...

Schubert did not compose men's choirs. This statement which seems to be absurd can, however, be clearly proven in performing practice. First of all, regular men's choirs did not yet exist at the time: only in 1843 the Men's Singing Association was founded. Official male gatherings of this kind were up to then not imaginable under Metternich's censoring policy. As far as Schubert is concerned, there were four friends who met regularly on Thursdays at the place of the hospitable Mozatti. The eager composer Schubert, also a member of the quartet, had to deliver an ,,occasional little piece" each time, which was premièred by the four. If he had not brought a quartet for men's voices, he had to compose it right away at location (he is reported to have been shut up in a little room for this purpose). If more song-loving gentlemen were present, they were, of course, welcome to join in; had someone brought his guitar, he hit the strings with high spirit (also Schubert himself!); in case a piano stood in the room, this was also played. In brief: everybody who could sing or accompany on an adequate instrument was welcome and formed the background for the performance of Schubert's songs for male voices with accompaniment (as we shall call them). Walther Dürr, the Schubert expert, even goes so far as to allow an accordantly supporting or colla-parte accompaniment for a capella handed down pieces for a free improvisation of present interpreters. This would be confirmed by the fact that some of the piano parts came only into existence for the printed edition and often originate from the editor. The interpreters of this recording desisted for understandable reasons from an accompaniment in the form of rhythmic knocking on tables, as reported of the Berlin Liedertafel.

Easy voices, little vibrato, precise interpretation, best possible homogeneity of voices - even if actually rather seldom realized also in those days - were considered the sound ideal and a matter of course for ensemble singing in Schubert's time. Extreme heights were not reached with a full chest voice but approached by means of a clear mixed sound. The interpreters participating in this recording who call themselves rather cheekily ,,Die Meistersinger" (the master singers) can do it either way, some of them may be more of a dimber or a flyer, none of them absolutely perfect; this would, on the other hand, be against each elementary performing practice. let's stick to the subject: the formerly accompanying grand piano with its percussive stopped sound did not disturb the bass voices through an exaggerated fundamental sound: this resulted in a sound picture accordant to the cast of soloists. Again the comparison: the microphone-linked grand piano of the recording is played by a Meistersinger in direct neighborhood of the flat basses. He knows what he plays and what he may give in order to avoid a drowning of the vocal fundament. On the other hand, he can play brightly when the piano has its turn without having to burn his fingers awestruck on precious historic original instruments. And the man who is not be heard on the CD can present Schubert's music to his Meistersinger in words, gestures, and mimic as they all consider it appropriate. Or, he may meditate on whether Franz (Schuhert) himself would have enjoyed this. The Meistersinger and (not to forget!) the masterly soloists with the (pardon!) male-heart-frequency-accelerating female interpreter of the "Ständchen" (Serenade): they all can sing, this goes undoubtedly without saying. However, they do not only sing, because they can do it but because they want to do it. If this has not to do with performing practice...*

The present CD inchides practicallv all of Schubert's songs for male voices which are available with a piano accompaniment in a printed edition; as a special ,,supplement" the master singers associated with four brave horn players when recording the ,,Nightly Song in the Foresf'. The succession lacks any chronological or other musical subtelty too uncertain are the sources, and the difficult classification depending on the original motive for creation was not obvious. This is why the succession of the songs was decided from Ihe (male) belly in tliejustified hope that it will, nevertheless, find the consent offemale listeners. The scope of this heoklet would have heen exceeded by far had each individual song been examined into the details of animals mentioned; thus, a not really representative selection follows below.

From 1812 to 1816 appr. Schubert was a student ofAntonio Saliert's. Salieri had a strange dislike agaist Ihe Goethe and Schiller texts preferred by his students and is even said to have not allowed Schubert to set these barbaric words to music. Unimportant Italian stanze would be more adequate for students' works. Schubert, however, cherished his composition teacher regardiess of his fancies and was neither afraid ofcourageous rhymes nor of an artistic bravery in the musical setting when, in 1816, he composed a ,,Cantatä" ofseveral movements as a respectable ,,contribution to the SOth anniversaiy of Mr. von Saliert". The result is a composition medley on Ihe pcculiarities of his teacher, one ifwhich may have been the fancy for a melting belcanto as in the accompanying trio ,,Gütigster! Bester! Weisester!" (most indulgent! best! wisest!). This version, which was not performed on occasion of the anniversaiy, was later-on adapted in an altered version as Adagio molto in the Cantata culminating in a canon for three voices with the twinkling end-~rhyme ,,May the grandfather of us all remain with us for rather a long time". Likewise, ,,La Pastorella", dated 1817, might have been a delayed result of his harmless compositoric skirmishing between respectfül student and capricious teacher.

A capella performances are pointed out for the gondola passenger under dancing nightly stars, same as for the spirit of love awakening in the eve under the star of the queen of love, and for the nightingale timidly hidden in the bushy passage. They originated in the first half of the twenties, when Schubert could already rely on his success with such vocal quartets. Also the mentioned ,,Little Village" was highly approved; on occasion of the first public performance of Schubert's songs for several voices at a ,,Great Musical Academy with dedamation and exhibition ofpaintings" at the Vienna Kärntuertor Theatre on March 7, 1821, - which was organized by the Society of Noble Ladies for the Promotion of the Good and Useful" - the performance of the ,,Little Village" was an enomious success - it had to be repeated - while the ,,Song of Spirits above Waters" for 4 tenors, 4 basses and fiat strings (D 174) was listened to with increasing ind~inctness. In his essay ,,Embarrassment regarding the Little Village or the ,average' Schubert", which is worth reading, Peter Gülke deals with great refinement with possible reasons for the amazing success ofthis piece ~ith the Vienna audience. The early drinking songs (1813/1815) were performed probably more rich in tone than in art for social entertainment of male assembues where the gentlemen were more or less able to stand alcohol, in students' circles, narrow-minded iodges, and middle-class male circles. Contrary hereto, the songs of 1826: in the delieately sounding ,,Cleamess of the Night" as weil as in the powerfül ,,Objection" voices and piano meet in a new way, and the instrument emaneipates with jts own colors and tensions.

Under the Schubert tradition also genuine choruses are known. Researchers found out that in the ,,Boat Song" the passage dealing with ,,rough roaring voices" allows with some certainty the conclusion of the context of a non-sobist interpretation. Schubert's composition of a poem from Sir Walter Scott's ,,The Lady of the Lake", where Scottish warriors cross a lake trying to sing together dates from 1825 and was exceptionally not premiered in Vienna, but in the Austrian town of Linz. A firrther genuine chorus and another contrast: when listening to the ,,Serenade" this one word (tacet) penetrates head and heart, disregarding its bad reputation and its unaptness as aesthetic category: beautifül. in fact, this is beautifül. Moreover, it is linked to a nice little story described in short by Ihe commissioner of the composition, a certain Anna Fröhlich: ,,Weil, dear Griliparzer, 1 cannot help you. You sbould write me a poem for Mrs. Gosmar's birthday." He replied: ,,All right, if 1 get an idea" and 1 objected:
,,See to it that you get an idea." After a few days he handed me the ,,Serenade": ,Silently 1 knock with bended finger...', and when Schubert visited 1 told him: ,,Weil, Schubert, you must set this into music for me." He: ,,Let me see.." Leaning on the piano, reading it repeatedly, he cried once and again ,,But, how nice this is - it's beautiful!" Looking down on the sheet he finally said: ,,Weil, it's already done, I'm through." And really, the third day he brought it to me completed, i.e. for one mezzo soprano (meaning Pepi's sister) and four men's voices. 1 told hirn then: ,,No, Schubert, like this, it is useless for me, because it is intended as an ovation ofGosmar's gin friends only. You must transform the choir for female voices only." ( ). And soon he brought is to me for Pepi's voice and a female choir as it is now." (According to a description of Gerhard von Breuning.) The anniversary celebration ofMile Gosmar on August 11, 1827, and the first public performance in the Vienna Musical Association in January 1928 with the voice talented women of Anna Fröhlich presented the version for women's choir. Schubert, himself, performed the ,,Serenade" in his private concert on March 26, 1928. lt should be mentioned that the text alone requires the preference of the present first men's choir variant.

The obvious assumption that also the wondertul ,,Nightly Song in the Forest" accompanied by a horn quartet was cast for several men's voices was not confirmed by the first performance:
composed in the Musical Association Hall at lunchtime on Aril 22,1827, for the ,,private concert ofjosefRudolfLewy, the younger, a French horn player at the Karntnertor Theatre, the salute to the night was interpreted by 4 male singers and 4 horn players (two ofthem the Lewy brothers>. This brings up the question of a singer with a certain indination to sensibilitv in connection with problems ofperforming practice: Had the today's master singers gathered in Schubert's Vienna, would he not have engaged them? For him, they would even have sung free ofcharge! Be that as it may: the young horn quartet ofthis recording with its men's choir experienced primarius is ideally balanced and defends the liberty of its own playing. Quite conform with Schubert's understanding one is inclined to add: ,,This sound picture, in an adequate iocation, open-air, performed during a nightly concert, should be of a charming effect." - Words ofthe reviewer of the ,,Vienna General Theatre Journal" which, as a summary, may be co~idered as a final recommendation to make a frequent and comprehensive use of this recording (it is an ideal present!). Johann Herbeck, choral conductor of tile Vienna Men' s Singing Association from 1856 to 1866 and initiator of a first edition of Schubert's songs for several voices at Spina in Vienna in 1866 mentioned in the introduction of his edition that ,,each men's choir who disposes oftolerably sufficient capacity should deal extensively with Schubert's choruses" He concluded his deserving request with the appeal ,,sing Schubert! Schubert! And once again Franz Schubert!"
- That's what we do, Mr. Herbeck!

Holger Schneider