Hyperion Records

In 1821 Schubert was asked to contribute a song to the famous Leipzig almanac W. G. Beckers Taschenbuch für geselligen Vergnügen; the poet Friedrich Kind was the editor. At some time in 1820 Schubert must have sent Kind his Schlechta setting Widerschein, D639; simultaneously Kind must have asked Franz Anton Schubert for a song. The two songs were included as folded supplements in the small exquisitely printed book: one of them by ‘Franz Schubert in Wien’, the other by ‘Franz Schubert in Dresden’. The editor must have been rather amused by this juxtaposition, although history does not relate what Franz Anton thought about once again being associated with Franz Peter. There are a number of other Schuberts—Johann Friedrich (1770–1811), Joseph (1757–1812), Louis (1828–1884) and Manfred (b1937). This incident reminds us that Schubert is a very common German musical name, if not quite in the same class as Bach.

from notes by Graham Johnson © 2006