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Gustav Nottebohm:
Thematisches Verzeichnis der im Druck erscheinenen Werke
von Franz Schubert,
1st edition Friedrich Schreiber, Vienna:1874
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We are now all very
familiar with D numbers, but Otto Erich Deutsch was not the first to
publish a Schubert
catalogue. The first list of works appeared in Schubert’s
lifetime, in Diabelli’s first edition of Die Rose,
D745, Op. 73 in 1827 (Die Rose had first appeared in
the Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst, Literatur, Theater und
Mode on 7 May 1822). This list contained all published works
up to Op. 74, including those published by other firms: later
printings took the list up to Op 87, and then to Op. 131 plus books
1-12 of the Nachlass. Similar lists were also produced by Weigl in
1828 and Czerny in 1829. These lists, and those produced by
Bauernfeld, Ferdinand Schubert, Rocca, Fritzsch and others were all
lists without themes - the first thematic catalogue was produced by
Diabelli in 1851. This 49 page catalogue gave single stave themes of
Op. 1-160, Schwanengesang and the 50 books of the
Nachlass.
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Nottebohm’s catalogue was
published in 1874 by Friedrich Schreiber (successor to C. A. Spina
who, in turn, had succeeded Diabelli). Nottebohm, who was a
musicologist, teacher and composer, was a close friend of Johannes
Brahms and is best known for his research on Beethoven, for whom he
also produced a thematic catalogue in 1851. His Schubert catalogue
was the authoritative source until superseded by
Deutsch, more
than 75 years later.
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The catalogue is rather
nondescript: 7" x 10½" in green boards with marbled
page edges and 288 pages.
- It is organised in sections:
I. Works with Opus Number - II. The Nachlass: 50 Lieferungen
- III. (Published) Works without Opus Numbers (in sections
A-G by genre)
- IV. Appendices
- 3 spurious and doubtful works,
including Adieu;
- Collections by other
publishers;
- Unpublished works simply listed
without themes, and including 4 symphonies, most of the stage
works, several string quartets, much piano music, choral works
and about 150 songs;
- A list of Portraits and busts,
which consists of 14 entries, including a photograph of Schubert’s
skull taken during his exhumation in 1863;
- A bibliography which consists
of just 11 books, 3 of which are catalogues;
- Additions and corrections
- V. Indices.
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In the body of the
catalogue, each work is given a title, with forces, Opus number,
author of text, etc. as required, and the current publishers with
prices are given. The themes are given in two staves. There are then
comments (composition dates, in some cases the whereabouts of
manuscripts, etc., with details of the first publication), a section
on later editions, and another on transcriptions, both also with
publisher and price. Thus, for example, for the Schwanengesang
Ständchen (Leise flehen meine Lieder) D957/4, there is
over a page of transcriptions listed for various voices and
combinations of instruments, including a zither!
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You are unlikely to find a copy of
this in other than a specialised music book dealer, where they crop
up from time to time. If you want a copy, I suggest you ask
reputable dealers to look out for one for you - customers wait
listed for books will be offered them before they go into a general
catalogue. Expect to have to pay £75-£100 for a copy in
original boards, depending upon condition.
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© Richard Morris July 1999 |
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