Franz Schubert's Piano Fantasy in C Major, Op. 15 (1822) was given the nickname "Wanderer" because of an apparent borrowing of his famous earlier song Der Wanderer (1816); however, the musical support for this borrowing has never been evaluated. There exists no written evidence of the Fantasy having any connection to the song during Schubert's lifetime, or even almost fifty years after his death. It was not until 1873 that the first published record of the borrowing can be found. The moniker stuck because at this time, the whole work was viewed as a cyclic development of the second movement Adagio theme, which itself had motivic similarities to the song. However, the character of the Adagio theme and the song theme differ slightly, and the C-sharp minor tonality of both melodies may be seen as a result of Schubert's fondness for semitonal key relationships rather than a deliberate quotation. Judging the borrowing as accidental rather than intentional then calls into question analyses that incorporate the song's mood into a discussion of the Fantasy.

Works: Schubert: Fantasy in C major, Op. 15, D. 760 (Wanderer) (540-42).

Sources: Schubert: Der Wanderer, D. 493 (540-42).

Index Classifications: 1800s

Contributed by: Mark Chilla