Political Crimes and Liberty, or Why Would Schubert Eat a Peacock?
In an influential and original article published in this journal in 1989,' Maynard Solomon put forward a provocative interpretation of the cryptic, by now infamous, entry in the playwright Eduard von Bauernfeld's diary from August 1826: "I am to translate Shakespeare's poems and sonnets for Sollinger. So be it! Schubert out of sorts (he requires 'young peacocks' like Benv. Cellini). Schwind morose, Schober idle, as usual. I am till full of travel-fever and vigor!"2 In sharp contrast to earlier interpretations of this diary passage by Otto Erich Deutsch and Eric Sams, Solomon rejected the association of the young peacocks with Cellini's (and by extension Schubert's) syphilis, proposing instead that th diary entry was an oblique reference to Schubert's probable homosexuality. Solomon arg ed that the many hunts for peacocks and other wild birds recounted in Cellini's Vita are
Disenchantment during the Biedermeier period : political subtexts in Schubert's songs
Even today Franz Schubert is belittled by many music enthusiasts as a typical Biedermeier composer, whose works appear to be of a purely lyrical and innocent character. Schubert composed over 600 songs and his image as a song composer generally fosters the lighthearted and almost naive view of his oeuvre. This thesis will enrich the common view of Schubert and his songs. It will show that some of his apparently innocent songs may bring forward direct political criticism or hold political implications their seemingly lyrical and innocent appearance turning out to be a clever facade. The motivation for the political voice in Schubert's songs is found in the composer's historical, political and social environment, which will be summarized at the beginning of this thesis. Thereafter, special attention will be drawn to songs by Schubert's close friend, Johann Mayrhofer. Schubert's Mayrhofer settings give evidence of a questioning liberal voice. They bring forward different ways in which political criticism can be voiced and show how the composer was willingly engaged with such matter. A look at Schubert settings by poets other than Mayrhofer suggests that political traces can also be found elsewhere in the composer's song oeuvre.
On Hilbert's thirteenth problem and related questions
Hilbert's thirteenth problem involves the study of solutions of algebraic equations. The object is to obtain a complexity estimate for an algebraic function. As of now, the problem remains open. There are only a few partial algebraic results in this connection, but at the same time the problem has stimulated a series of studies in the theory of functions with their subsequent applications. The most brilliant result in this cycle is Kolmogorov's theorem on superpositions of continuous functions.