The many instances of self-borrowing in Franz Schubert's last completed opera Fierrabras (1823) may be seen as the composer's fervent effort to select the best melody from his repertoire to fit the dramatic situation. For instance, in the first act alone, the overture resembles an earlier song Himmelsfunken, a recurring motive in the opera echoes a similar motive used in the unfinished cantata Lazarus, and many passages resemble passages from Rosamunde and the song cycle Die schöne Müllerin, which were both written around the same time as the opera. Many of these passages are not direct quotations, but rather allusions or slight resemblances to earlier works. Additionally, these cross-references often serve a poetic purpose. For example, the melodic allusion to Blumenlied and Die Forelle in Act I of Fierrabras is an appropriate reference because of the innocence evoked in all three passages. The various quotations, cross-references, and allusions are indicated within a detailed discussion of the musical material of each number.

Works: Schubert: Fierrabras (17-37).

Sources: Schubert: Himmelsfunken (19-20), Lazarus (cantata) (21, 26, 35), Rosamunde (21, 35), Die schöne Müllerin (21-22, 27-28, 35-36), Die Forelle (22, 27), Blumenlied (22, 27), Die abgeblühte Linde (23-24), Abendröthe (24-26, 28), Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D. 898 (26-27), Symphony No. 9 in C Major (Great) (26-27, 29, 35-36), Piano Sonata in A Minor, D. 784 (30-31), Sonata for Piano Duet in B-flat Major, D. 617 (32-33), Three Piano Pieces, D. 946 (32-33, 35), Ins stille Land (33-34), Lied der Mignon, D. 877 (33-34), Sonata in A Minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821 (33-34), Totengräbers Heimweh (33, 35).

Index Classifications: 1800s

Contributed by: Mark Chilla