Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg: His Short Biography and Aesthetic Representation of His Works

the musical artist grasps the poet’s creation into the quick central fire of his tones, which move the feeling immediately—without needing the clear representation of what they are in themselves—and thus gives the succession of the poetic representation a prophetic coexistence, in that he explains what is said and prepares what is to be said in the period of the feeling, which is concentrated upon its individual unity.

Zumsteeg’s genius knew how to find this unity excellently. As proof of my assertion, I cite all his classical works without exception. One sees, even upon less than deep contemplation of them, that he first sought to grasp the main feeling of the poet that breathed within the poem, and followed it down to its smallest nuances, without sacrificing anything of the generality of the whole.

This expresses itself in the unity of form, in the choice of the tonality, and in the progression of the whole. Especially his prefaces and openings, even if they are only very brief, are consummate, prophetic commentaries on the whole. As briefly and concisely as he knows how to express the prevailing feelings during the course of the piece itself, just as briefly does he know how to [express] the general...