Rethinking Schubert

This collection features twenty-two essays by leading Schubert scholars, offering fresh insights into the composer’s music, influence, and legacy, while exploring new research avenues and contemporary methodologies in Schubert studies.

Rethinking Schubert is a comprehensive exploration of contemporary issues in Schubert scholarship, featuring twenty-two essays from prominent scholars in the field. This collection reexamines key debates surrounding Schubert's music, influence, and legacy, offering fresh insights that enhance our understanding of this beloved composer. Each chapter revisits historical, biographical, and analytical topics, shedding new light on Schubert's extensive body of work, particularly his later compositions.

The essays delve into various aspects of Schubert's music, with a strong emphasis on style, harmonic and formal analysis, and text setting. While Schubert's songs remain a focal point for many scholars, this volume also highlights the growing appreciation for his instrumental works. Recent advancements in theories of nineteenth-century harmony and form, along with newly available source materials, have led to a more nuanced understanding of Schubert's instrumental compositions, challenging previous notions that positioned them as mere imitations of Beethoven's lyricism.

Overall, Rethinking Schubert not only offers a renewed portrait of one of the nineteenth century's most cherished composers but also serves as a valuable resource for current Schubertian research. By showcasing a diverse array of methodologies, the book presents a vibrant and complex contemporary view of Schubert, inviting readers to engage with both familiar and lesser-known repertoire. This multifaceted approach enriches our appreciation of Schubert's music and underscores the ongoing fascination he holds for scholars and audiences alike.