ABSTRACT

In the realm of the Lied, Schubert was certainly a tough act to follow. Chopin's 17 Songs Op. 74, was a compilation from his nineteen songs, ranging from 1827 to 1847, by Julius Fontana, his faithful copyist and factotum and published posthumously in 1857. These are outside of the matter of this chapter – in spite of the recollection, in 'Wojak' ['The Warrior'] of the horse's pounding hooves in Schubert's Erlkönig (D. 328) – as 'with few exceptions they remain in intention and realisation within the sphere of the ephemeral, 'homely' ballad, usually strophic and often based on a national dance.' 1 The collection is a hybrid affair based on popular Polish salon song-types, including vaudeville and drinking-songs. Some of the later examples – 'Moja Pieszczotka' ['My Darling'], 'Melodia' ['Melody']) – however, reach beyond the confines of the salon.