Die Taubenpost, D965

Song was Schubert’s faithful companion, receiving all the feelings and experiences of his brief lifetime: from student essays in the genre, marked with a precocious command of poetry and an inspiring sense of his own talent (e.g., the famed “Erlkönig” of 1815), all the way through the innovative cycles, Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise, to the final song he ever wrote: “Die Taubenpost,” which we hear tonight. To know even a small portion of Schubert’s 600+ lieder is to count one’s self fortunate, to have a clear glimpse into the essence of his art, to begin taking the measure of the man.
Schubert’s last song, “Die Taubenpost” (Pigeon Messages), was written only weeks before his death. It was first performed, fittingly enough, at a memorial Schubertiad on December 23, 1828. The work’s publisher placed it at the conclusion of the posthumous collection, Schwanengesang, though no evidence suggests Schubert himself envisioned such a position. Absent is all world-weariness. Instead the music flows with heartfelt goodwill, elevating the simplistic text to higher art. The slightest detail, such as the tripping high piano figuration, becomes infectious and winning. “Bei dir allein” (With You Alone) proceeds from an even more extroverted stance and is one of Schubert’s most operatic songs, replete with large leaps and clear ABA aria structure. The shift from A-flat (for the outer sections) to a distant E major helps set the second stanza apart, though the urgent musical texture overflows as a paean to utter devotion from start to finish. The pianist has little role to play in the action—except to keep up!

(c) Jason Stell