Schubertiade

History

During Schubert's lifetime, these events were generally informal, unadvertised gatherings, held at private homes. While in those years many Schubertiades included the composer's participation, this was not necessary, and they were sometimes held in places other than Vienna, where Schubert spent most of his life.

Schubertiades in early 19th-century Vienna were typically sponsored by wealthier friends or aficionados of Schubert's music. In addition to Schubert's music, they often also featured poetry readings, dancing, and other sociable pastimes. Attendees numbered from a handful to over one hundred. Schubert's friend Leopold Kupelwieser claimed to hold them on his own, writing, "I treat myself to a Schubertiade now and again".

Modern Schubertiades are more likely to be formal affairs, presented as concerts or festivals devoted to Schubert's music.

Depictions

There are two famous depictions of Schubertiades. The first is an 1868 drawing made by Schubert contemporary Moritz von Schwind, which shows a relatively intimate scene. The drawing shows Schubert at the piano, with his circle of friends surrounding him. The woman in the painting on the wall is Schubert's alleged, unrequited love, the Countess Karoline Esterházy.

In contrast, the 1897 depiction by Julius Schmid is a somewhat more formal affair, and the people in the painting are not recognizably Schubert's friends.