Recent Focus on Franz Schubert

I hadn't sung Schubert in a while, but, in again "warming up" some of Schubert's greatest songs for recital, I found myself saying out loud that, "Schubert's songs were shaping forces of their Romantic Era, not just reflections of it."
Schubert had the self-esteem to respond to a variety of poets' works, which interested him, often engaging personal friends as well as famed poets for his songs.
Generally, no matter what poet or thematic content-though there are certainly exceptions to this-, Schubert didn't write well for the female voice, particularly voices of size. He wrote for men, so, in order to find the necessary 'Schubertian tone', I've always spent time focusing on "scaling down", to create the appropriate color. It hasn't been worth it to me, as other composers, though demanding, didn't require such a straight jacket. Recently, though, I've exercised the same process and it's been a journey worth all effort.