Franz Xaver Kleinheinz – Hektors Abschied
Ein Gedicht von Friederich Schiller in Musik gesetzt und dem Herrn Grafen Georg von Bérényi gevidmet von FRANZ XAV. KLEINHEINZ Werk 10
In Prague, at the Národní muzeum, Historické muzeum, hudební oddělení (Praha, N.M. Broumov XXXVIII D 203), there is a manuscript bearing the following inscription: Hector Abschied von der Andromache. Gedicht von F. v. Schiller. Für eine Singstimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte von Louis van Beethoven. (Abschrift, 1 Drittel des 19Jhdts nota Kurt Dorfmüller on page 155 of this Beiträge zur Beethoven Bibliographie, Henle Verlag 1978).
About the Poem Hektor’s Abschied is a poem by Friedrich Schiller. It is sung in the second scene of the second act of The Robbers by Amalia von Edelreich. Karl Moor, disguised as Count von Brand, is not recognized by his beloved Amalia, who believes him dead—hence the farewell song to Hector.
The theme of the poem is a classic farewell scene, drawn from Homer’s Iliad, in which the Trojan champion, the hero Hector, bids farewell to his wife Andromache before the duel with Achilles that will predictably lead to his death. At the same time, he proclaims the strength of their mutual love.
Revised several times by Schiller, this song became one of his most famous poems: Hektor’s Abschied, also known as Hector and Andromache, was described by Schiller himself in his Gedichte of 1800 as “eins meiner besten” (“one of my best [creations]”)—letter to Körner, 27 May 1793.
Franz Xaver Kleinheinz Born 26 June 1765 in Nassenbeuren near Mindelheim, died 29 January 1832 in Pest. He was an Austrian composer, pedagogue, and Kapellmeister. From Munich he moved to Vienna in 1799, where he met Beethoven and soon became a sought-after piano teacher. His students included Giulietta Guicciardi and the Brunsvik sisters, Therese and Josephine.
From 1805 he maintained a second residence in Brno and was appointed Kapellmeister in Bratislava in August 1810. In early May 1813, Kleinheinz, „einer der vorzüglichsten Klavierspieler“ “one of the most distinguished pianists,” left Pressburg and returned to Vienna. From 1814 to 1824 he worked as conductor at the German theater in Pest.
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Friedrich Schiller Born in 1759 in Marbach, Schiller is considered one of the leading figures of the Sturm und Drang movement. His intellectual formation was influenced by Kant’s speculations, sharing a pietistic background but not the same youthful experiences—he served as a military doctor in the Duchy’s army (1780).
Inspired by readings of Lessing, Klopstock, Shakespeare, and Rousseau, in 1781 he wrote the libertarian drama The Robbers, telling the story of a disinherited young man whose cruel brother prevents any redemption. After leaving military service, Schiller moved to Mannheim, then Leipzig, and finally Dresden, where he wrote Don Carlos, a pre-Romantic tragedy blending psychological depth with political reflection. The play centers on the conflict between King Philip II of Spain and his son Carlos, both in love with Elizabeth of Valois, the king’s wife, and offers a harsh critique of absolutism.
Settling in Weimar, Schiller befriended members of the Sturm und Drang and, thanks to Goethe’s intervention, was appointed university professor. On that occasion, he publicly delivered his lecture What Does and To What End Does One Study Universal History? During these years, he met Reinhold and began his reflections on aesthetics, attempting to reconcile Kant’s rigorous ethics with Shaftesbury’s sentimentalism.
Meanwhile, he composed On the Basis of Pleasure from Tragic Objects (1791), On Tragic Art (1792), On the Sublime (1793), and Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man (1795). In 1799 he left teaching to retire permanently to Weimar, where he worked on his final dramas until his death in 1805.
