Novels, Biographical Novels, Plays, Films, etc.
Introduction
This is intended to include works about Schubert which are deliberately fictional (though I was tempted to also put Whitaker-Wilson in here). Several others of this ilk will be found in the children's section.
| Author: | Theophil Antonicek and Gerald Szyszkowitz | Title: | Franz Schubert Mit Meinen Heissen Tränen |
| Desc: | Edition Wien, Vienna,
n.d. [ca1986]. ISBN 3-85058-002-4. 142pp, many photographs. (in
German) Hilmar # 2203 |
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| Notes: | Pictures from the Schubert TV film Mit meinen heißen Tränen. The film, in 3 episodes (Der Wanderer, Sommer, 1823; Im Reiche des Gartens, Herbst 1827; Winterreise, Herbst 1828) was directed by Fritz Lehner, and starred Udo Samuel as Schubert. The book has many photographs from the film, with directions, script and music information. | ||
| Author: | Rudolf Hans Bartsch | Title: | Schwammerl: ein Schubert-Roman |
| Desc: | Staackmann, Leipzig,
1912. 308pp, illustrated. (in German) Kahl # 1164 |
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| Notes: | A novel about Schubert,
source of the 'story' used in the operetta
Das Dreimäderlhaus
(Lilac Time in the UK, Blossom Time in
the USA). For some reason I'm fascinated with the romantic drivel
churned out in the past about Schubert. I've got a copy of the film
of Blossom Time, with Richard Tauber doing an
excellent impersonation of Schubert, though the 'story' and
presentation of Schubert is awful. My copy of Schwammerl
is in that Gothic script that looks so pretty on the page, but is a
real pain to read. Bartsch was, at the time, a reasonably popular
writer of sentimental works, though his popularity soon declined.
The style of this work is apparently based upon an earlier work on
Mozart by Mörike. A huge success, so lots and lots of reprints. There is a Spanish language version entitled Oh!, tu, mi Viena, published by Coepla in Buenos Aires in 1943. |
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| Author: | Helmuth M Böttcher | Title: | Der Unvollendete Franz Schubert und sein Kreis |
| Desc: | Greifenverlag,
Rudolstadt. 1954. 614pp, illustrated. (in German) Hilmar # 303 |
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| Notes: | Huge Schubert Roman. | ||
| Author: | Julie Bovasso | Title: | Schubert's Last Serenade |
| Desc: | French, New York. 1972.
21pp. Not in Hilmar |
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| Notes: | A play in one act. | ||
| Author: | May Byron | Title: | A Day with Franz Schubert |
| Desc: | Hodder & Stoughton,
London; n. d. (1910). 44pp, colour plates. Kahl # 1132. |
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| Notes: | Absolute Garbage. Typical of the 'Romantic' but historically innacurate treatment of Schubert which was rife for many years, and which we are only slowly moving out of. Only a short book (45 pages or so), and it is old enough to be out of copyright - so I have posted the complete text with notes, to show what we used to have to suffer. Was reprinted in green boards, and also appeared in a single volume with Beethoven and Mendelssohn. | ||
| Author: | Jean Cassou | Title: | Schloss Esterházy |
| Desc: | Herz & Cie, Vienna.
1927. 161pp. (in German) Not in Kahl |
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| Notes: | A Roman about Beethoven, Schubert and Diabelli. | ||
| Author: | Peter Ebner | Title: | Schnee im November Ein Franz Schubert Roman |
| Desc: | Styria, Graz, 1984.
205pp, personalia. (in German) Hilmar # 962 |
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| Notes: | Roman about Schubert's last 9 days. | ||
| Author: | Herbert Eulenberg | Title: | Schubert und die Frauen |
| Desc: | Avalun, Hellerau. 1928.
311pp, 24 pictures. (in German) Kahl # 2167. |
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| Notes: | Major sections in German about the women in Schubert's life, with a fictional view of his relationships with them. Reprinted in 1946. | ||
| Author: | David Ewen | Title: | The Unfinished Symphony |
| Desc: | Modern Classics
Publishers, New York, 1931. 306pp, Frontispiece. Hilmar # 1020a |
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| Notes: | This even describes itself as 'A story life of Franz Schubert'. It is basically a sort of biography, but where the writer didn't like the facts, he wrote something he preferred. An absolute jumble of rediculous ideas and suggestions, and straight facts. So bad I didn't even find it funny. I simply cannot understand what could possibly lead someone, especially someone with a reputation to uphold (and Ewen was a well known writer on music), to want to spend the time to write such rubbish. Not easy to find, unlike many of his other works, so perhaps it was the failure it deserved to be. | ||
| Author: | A. Foxton Ferguson | Title: | Schubert Fantasies |
| Desc: | The Four Seasons Co,
Boston, 1914. 127pp. Kahl # 179 |
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| Notes: | Short fictional stories about Schubert and some of his songs (Erlkönig, Trockne Blumen, Der Leiermann, Der Fischer, Der Lindenbaum and Der Doppelgänger). There is a much longer review in the SIUK bibliography articles section. Adapted from the 1862 Schubert-Novellen book in German by Ottfried. | ||
| Author: | Rachel Field | Title: | Ave Maria |
| Desc: | Random House, New York;
Collins, London, 1940. Cloth w/gilt. Hilmar # 1096a |
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| Notes: | A 'reinterpretation' of the words to Ave Maria, with pictures prepared for the Disney film Fantasia. Often quite expensive at book dealers, presumably because of the Disney link. Unless you are in to Disney, don't waste your money. | ||
| Author: | M.B. Goffstein | Title: | A Little Schubert |
| Desc: | Harper and Row, New York,
1972. 22pp, illustrated, with a floppy plastic record of 5 waltzes.
Hilmar # 1293 |
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| Notes: | Cute little cartoon about Schubert. A 'must have' for the Schubert collector. A little tiny cartoon book, very sweet, with a floppy plastic record of 5 of the dances. Was reprinted in 1984 by Godine of Boston, without the record, but with arrangements of 6 valses nobles. There's a more detailed review in the SIUK bibliography section. | ||
| Author: | Eva Mary Grew | Title: | Franz Schubert a sequence of Sonnets and a prose anthology |
| Desc: | The British Musician
Office, Birmingham, 1928. 86pp, 4 plates and other illustrations. Kahl # 2264 |
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| Notes: | 15 Sonnets dedicated to Schubert on his death centenary, with a collection of quotes. | ||
| Author: | Peter Härtling | Title: | Schubert Twelve Moments musicaux and a novel |
| Desc: | Holmes & Meier, New
York, 1993. 245pp plus acknowledgements. Hilmar # 1444 |
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| Notes: | A modern romanticised Schubert 'life' novel, translated from the German by Rosemary Smith, described as twelve Moments musicaux and a novel. Most odd - read it and you will either love it, hate it, or be confused. I'm confused. It's an embroidered biography in the manner of Ewen, and thus I should loathe it. However, unlike Ewen, much of the embroidery seems to fit reasonably well... | ||
| Author: | Ottokar Janetschek | Title: | Schuberts Lebensroman |
| Desc: | Amalthea, Zürich,
1946. 248pp, 8 plates. Kahl# 2386 |
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| Notes: | A Schubert Roman. 2nd edition: first edition from 1927 or 1928. | ||
| Author: | Egon von Komorzynski | Title: | Genius zwischen zwei Welten Ein Schubert-Roman |
| Desc: | Hesses, Berlin, 1944.
287pp, illustrated. Hilmar # 2016 |
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| Notes: | Roman, with illustrations by G Deman. | ||
| Author: | Joachim Kupsch | Title: | Winterreise ein Schubert Roman |
| Desc: | Henschelverlag, Berlin,
1967. 154pp. Hilmar # 2135a |
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| Notes: | A Schubert Roman. There are many later editions (the 6th in 1989), some illustrated. | ||
| Author: | Joseph August Lux | Title: | Franz Schuberts Lebenslied Ein Roman der Freundschaft |
| Desc: | Grethlein, Leipzig, 1915.
320pp. Kahl # 1358 |
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| Notes: | A Schubert Roman. I have a copy signed by the author. Reprinted for the 1928 centenary. | ||
| Author: | Joseph August Lux | Title: | Schubertiade Ein Literarisch-Musikalisches Schubertbuch |
| Desc: | Wiener Literarische
Anstalt, Vienna, 1921. 62pp including adverts and critical comments.
Many musical illustrations. Kahl # 1526 |
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| Notes: | A Schubert Roman. | ||
| Author: | Bonnie Marson | Title: | Sleeping with Schubert |
| Desc: | Random House, New York;
2004. ISBN 1-4000-6041-9. 382pp. Not in Hilmar |
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| Notes: | Subtitled 'A novel about genius, passion, and hair'. It is about a female New York lawyer inhabited by the spirit of Franz Schubert. An enjoyable light read, as long as you can suspend reality. There is a much longer review in the SIUK bibliography articles section. | ||
| Author: | Ottfried (Gottfried Jolsdorf) | Title: | Schubert Novellen Sechs Blätter aus dem Liederkranze des unsterblichen Meistersängers |
| Desc: | Wagner, Innsbruck, 1862.
128pp. Kahl # 179 |
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| Notes: | Short fictional stories about Schubert and some of his songs (Erlkönig, Trockne Blumen, Der Leiermann, Der Fischer, Der Lindenbaum and Der Doppelgänger). There is a much longer review in the SIUK bibliography articles section. Translated by A. Foxton Ferguson and reprinted in America in 1914 as Schubert Fantasies. | ||
| Author: | Marcel Pagnol | Title: | La Belle Meunière |
| Desc: | Édition Self,
Paris, 1948. 187pp, illustrated with pictures from the film. (in
French) Hilmar # 2703a |
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| Notes: | Pictures and dialogue from the film La Belle Meunière, based upon the song cycle Die schöne Müllerin. | ||
| Author: | Stefan Rechnitz | Title: | Franz Schuberts Weg in die Unsterblichkeit |
| Desc: | Leykan, Graz; 1946.
158pp. (in German) Hilmar # 2897 |
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| Notes: | German romanticised biography. I've not attempted to read this yet, so can't comment further ! | ||
| Author: | Viktor Trautzl | Title: | Franz Schuberts Letzte Liebe |
| Desc: | Ensslin & Laiblins,
Reutlingen, 1928. 300pp. (in German) Kahl # 3011 |
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| Notes: | Roman, in German, dedicated to the Wiener Schubertbund. | ||