Όπως με το κουαρτέτο “Tης Διαφωνίας” του Μότσαρτ [1] , ή το ragtime section στην τελευταία σονάτα του Μπετόβεν [2] , έτσι και εδώ έχουμε ένα μίνι σκάνδαλο : ένα έργο που προφανώς η κοινότητα των μουσικολόγων κάνει πως δεν άκουσε… γιατί μια εκτενής αναφορά σ’ αυτό θα ισοδυναμούσε ίσως με αναθεώρηση των περί γραμμικής [και κυρίως …νομοτελειακής] εξέλιξης της μουσικής. To cut a long story short, και επειδή ο σκοπός του blog δεν είναι “εκπαιδευτικός”, ακούμε αποσπάσματα από το “άγνωστο” αριστούργημα του Σούμπερτ : Το ορατόριο Λάζαρος που ο μεγάλος συνθέτης άφησε ημιτελές για άγνωστους λόγους σε ηλικία 23 ετών [1820], για να μην επιστρέψει ποτέ σ’ αυτό [θα πέθαινε 8 χρόνια αργότερα]. Αποσπάσματά του, όπως δυο απ’ αυτά που ακούμε εδώ, κοιτάζουν κατευθείαν στη μουσική του 20ου αιώνα.
As with Mozart’s “Dissonance” quartet [1] , or the ragtime section on Beethoven’s Last Sonata [2] , here too we have a mini-scandal : a work that apparently the community of critics-musicologists pretends not to have heard… For an extensive reference to this would perhaps amount to a revision of the linear [and above all… deterministic] evolution of music. To cut a long story short, and as the concept of this blog isn’t “educational”, we hear excerpts from Schubert’s “unknown” masterpiece : Lazarus, the oratorio that the great composer left unfinished for unknown reasons at the age of 23 [1820], never to return to it [he would die 8 years later]. Excerpts of it, like two of the ones we hear here, look directly at 20th century’s music.
00:00 Ich Hab Ihn Gesehen 05:06 Auferwecker! 07:15 Preis Dem Enwecker! 09:10 Er Kam, Mit Trost Des Himmels
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Great music but I’m intrigued by your theory here. The work is far from neglected – several recordings have been made – and I detected no sense of twentieth century about the music. I also couldn’t find any references suggesting such a thing!
So here’s one reference about the work being neglected and forward looking
Schubert’s oratorio Lazarus is unfinished (part of the 2nd and the complete 3rd act are missing), and that may account for its relative obscurity. A great shame, as Lazarus is one of Schubert’s most original and forward looking dramatic works. It contains music of great beauty and power, its structure highly innovative, as it is one continuous dramatic development without the distinction between recitative and aria. A most welcome reissue from the Berlin Classics catalogue of this neglected masterwork, featuring a superb all German cast, with the great Eberhard Büchner and Ingeborg Springer. The famous Berliner Singakademie and the Staatskapelle Berlin are conducted by choral specialist Dietrich Knothe.
https://www.brilliantclassics.com/articles/s/schubert-lazarus/
The “twentieth century element” can be heard, imho, on passages in the final two parts (from 07:15 on)
Another young death. Perhaps his life was just too, short to get back to this beautifully serene piece?
Who knows. Maybe he just lost touch with the certain feeling behind this work – this is what happened anyway, according to Schubert himself, with his 8th symphony, aka “Unfinished”!
Still, it sounds good!