ABSTRACT
Schubert's A minor String Quartet poses special challenges for the analyst. This chapter explores what bearing did Schubert's psychological condition and musical character have on his carefully selected self-quotations. It examines how these self-quotations affect the course of the Quartet's tonal process. Two important motives that derive from the Rosamunde theme appear at the very beginning of the Quartet, a descending triad (E-C-A) and rising third (C-D-E). The Entr'acte whose theme Schubert used as the basis for the slow movement of the A minor Quartet introduces the scene which sees Rosamunde experiencing the first stages of her death as a consequence of a poisoned letter she has received from Fulgentius. These early effects take the form of a kind of 'madness' that causes Rosamunde to believe she is a shepherdess. The concept of 'madness' as a creative force has informed commentaries on Schumann's music.
