Eduard von Bauernfeld

Bauernfeld was a close friend of Schubert’s for the last four years of the composer’s short life, one of a group of male friends the composer would spend evenings drinking and discussing with (recent research drawing on Bauernfeld’s diaries has focused on the possibility that the circle had a strong gay element.) As well as translating ‘Who Is Sylvia’ for Schubert and providing other lyrics, Bauernfeld also worked on a ‘banned’ libretto, and was a mainstay of the Schubertiads, evening meetings of friends, including the composer, singing Schubert songs. Grillparzer and Lenan were other friends, Schlegel an acquaintance, Andersen a correspondent.