rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo) (07/08/85)
I'm looking for such a book; don't know author or title. I think it describes Schumann as homoerotic & refers to various personal writings of the composer. In an intriguing footnote about Franz Peter Schubert, it mentions a homoerotic story Schubert wrote as well as a rather large amount of homoerotic poems. For years biographers have puzzled over Schubert's nearly non-existent love-life, either remarking on the lack of women in his life, or claiming he was addicted to visiting (female) prosti- tutes. In 1822 he contracted syphilis, & was seriously ill with it for much of 1823; during his illness he wrote the melancholy song cycle "Die schoene Muellerin". Some speculate this bout of VD caused Schubert to leave the B minor symphony "unfinished" due to self-disgust. I'd appreciate any info, thanks, Ron Rizzo