| Recent scholarly literature has established that the degree and role of song presence in Schubert's instrumental music is an important subject of inquiry. This dissertation explores Schubert's last three string quartets, i.e. the A-minor Quartet D.804 (1824), the D-minor Quartet D.810 (1824), and the G-major Quartet D.887 (1826), each of which alludes to more than one lied and to other works. I seek to find a way to reconcile the multiple allusions in the late string quartets, through examining the potential of cumulative semantic enrichment and intertextuality that arises as a result of engaging previously contextually endowed musical material.;In the first chapter I discuss traditional musical signifiers such as Classical and Baroque topics in the context of song allusions. I explore the prominence of folkloristic and dance idioms in the quartets and relate them to Romantic ideas of escape from "progressive" time through dance, pastoral meditation, and affinity with religious notions of eternity. I then discuss Romantic views of the potential of these ideas as a platform for the attainment of a state of mind in which temporal and social distances may be breached.;In the second chapter I examine how song allusions figure in the sequence of events within the quartets and evaluate in what ways literary concepts pertaining to narrative can be applied to Schubert's quartets, drawing analogies to poetic and narrative strategies in works by Goethe and E.T.A. Hoffmann that engage the supernatural.;Three analysis chapters follow. In the A-minor Quartet chapter, I explore the presence of Gretchen am Spinnrade D.118 (1814), Die Gotter Griechenlands D.677 (1819), and material from Schubert's incidental music to Rosamunde D.787 (1823). Regarding the D-minor Quartet, I investigate allusions to Erlkonig D.328 (1815) in addition to the widely-explored overt quotations of the song Der Tod and das Madchen D.531 (1817). I then discuss the G-major Quartet in relation to the D-minor Quartet and in a broader context including the literary genre of the fantastic.;I conclude with a brief look at contemporary composers who have continued the legacy of Schubert's innovations. |
