Franz Schubert- The Romantics
Franz Schubert was one of the most well known and respected of the Romantic Era composers. Developing an appreciation for his music is quite easy once you understand a bit about the man himself.
May 6, 2006
The time period from about 1820- 1900 is known in music as the Romantic Period. Of the many prolific composers of this era Franz Schubert was one of the most prolific. His hundreds of pieces for orchestra and chamber groups are today held as great works of art. In his lifetime however, he never received the widespread acclaim that he deserved.
Franz Schubert was a child prodigy, advancing through the ranks of music beginning at age eleven as a choir boy in Vienna and venturing on by age eighteen to write such masterpieces of music literature as "The Erlking," a work based on Goethe's Faust. By age nineteen Franz Schubert had written over three hundred works including an opera and two complete symphonies. By age 23 he had expanded his creative works to include three more symphonies, four more full length operas, and a total of over 300 lieder. Schubert was quoted once as saying that "I have come into the world for no other purpose but to compose." Indeed he did.
Some of Schubert's most famous works include his fifth and eighth symphonies(LISTEN) and numerous string quartets and quintets.
Unfortunately his prolific career was cut short when in 1823 he contracted syphilis. His illness changed the way he worked and composed, with his songs becoming more dark and gloomy. Shortly after completing his String Quintet in C he passed away in 1828 and as per his request was buried next to Beethoven in a Vienna cemetary.
Resources:
- Listing of works by Franz Schubert organized by genre
- A detailed timeline of Franz Schubert's life and achievements.
- Art's Alive- Schubert Biography plus a great teacher's resource guide in PDF format
