on the contrary, to first take true and full possession of the whole rich heritage bequeathed us by our great masters, and, through full knowledge of the powers developed by music hitherto, to procure ourselves due light on what development is still before her.” CHAPTER VI. SCHUBERT, MENDELSSOHN, SCHUMANN, AND SPOHR. Schubert as song-writer—Schubert’s chamber music—Mendelssohn—Mendelssohn’s position in England—Mendelssohn’s character—Mendelssohn’s chamber music—Schumann—Schumann as absolute musician—The E♭ Piano Quintett—Piano trios—Spohr’s opinion of Beethoven’s work—Characteristics of his compositions. [Sidenote: =Schubert as Song-writer=] Schubert’s fame rests chiefly on his songs, but in the domain of instrumental music he also did some remarkable work, although it can hardly be said that he fundamentally influenced the art in this direction. He lived (1797-1828) in Vienna at the same time as Beethoven, and many of his compositions show distinctly how much he was influenced by the genius of that great musician. Schubert’s works are distinguished by a spontaneous flow of beautiful melody. He possessed, by right of nature, the utmost artistic opulence, but unfortunately, owing chiefly to his birth and early circumstances, this was not consolidated by that profounder culture which is necessary for the fullest expression of human capacity. Not that Schubert failed to reach a most exalted position, for works like the B♭ Piano Trio, the C major Quintett, that noble fragment the B minor Symphony, and especially his best songs, proclaim him unsurpassed by any musician of modern times; but out of the very profusion of his ideas, combined with a certain want of restraint and self-criticism, arose an artistic danger, the result of which is most evident in his larger works. This, too, is probably the reason why he was so great as a composer of songs, for he had all the means ready at hand for the expression which the text required, and the form being necessarily free, he could and did work in an unfettered fashion, with the most wonderful results. That this is so, such _Lieder_ as “The Erl King,” “Gretchen at the Spinning-wheel,” “The Wanderer,” and many others, abundantly prove. Liszt, who greatly advocated his works, called Schubert “the most poetical of all the musicians,” and Schumann characteristically writes thus of the Piano Trio in B♭:—“One glance at this trio, and all the pitiful clouds of life disperse and the world shines again as fresh and bright as ever. This work is indeed a precious legacy. Many and beautiful as are the things which time brings forth, it will be long ere it produces another Schubert.” [Sidenote: =Schubert’s Chamber Music=]