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Franz Peter Schubert
b.Vienna,Austria 31 January 1797
d.Vienna,Austria 19 November 1828
Franz Schubert was born the son of a school master who expected him to follow the same career. Being obedient to his father,
Schubert did teach for a brief period but soon realized his true calling was in music.
Schubert had a good voice
and sang in the Vienna Boys' Choir (still in existence today) until his voice broke. Vocal music was to remain a penchant
of Schubert's music for the rest of his life, for he wrote some of the greatest lieder (German art songs) ever. He had a genius
for melody and in his short life of 31 years, he composed over 600 songs, many of them still in the repertoire today.
Schubert was never a great pianist himself but his piano works, especially the short pieces (Impromptus, Moment Musicas)
and the sonatas are the staple of the modern day piano repertoire. He also managed to write one of the most technically exhausting
and monumental works of all time, the "Wanderer Fantasie". In this great work, his employment of thematic development
devices was to influence Liszt and to some extent, even the leitmotive so much associated with Wagner.
Schubert
was also a great symphonist, writing 9 symphonies and leaving a number incomplete. In his later symphonies, the influence
of Beethoven was evident and his technical mastery of the orchestra together with his superb use of thematic development and
counterpoint was everywhere in the scores.
Although Schubert wrote in many genres, his fundamental gift of lyricism
influenced all his works. He could conjure up a melody with so much ease that he was dubbed the "tunesmith". Already
ill with syphillis by 1823, a further attack of typhoid fever killed this most unassuming and sincere composer in 1828.
(A more comprehensive biography to follow soon)
My favourite Schubert works
Lieder
Schubert certainly deserves his title "King of the Lieder". Some wonderful works include the narrative
"Erl-King", I think after listening to Dieskau's rendition of it, nobody will come close to him, he's got such a
lovely expressive voice and is so sensitive to every nuance of the song. There are other lovely songs written for the female
voice such as "The Sheperd on the Rock", "Ganymede", "Gretchen at the Spinning wheel", "The
Trout" and so on.
Piano Works
Some people argue that Schubert's piano writings are not exactly "pianistic",
well, they certainly are really taxing! Listen to the Wanderer's Fantasie, perhaps one of the most demanding pieces in the
repertoire. I love his Sonata D664, it's a piece I never get tired of playing-the opening movement is so full of graceful
tunes.
Piano Trio No.1
I can't get enough of this trio! Everytime I play it on the CD player, I will keep
pressing the back button to listen to it again and again. Just listen to the F Major subject introduced by the cello in the
opening movement to be convinced how profoundly beautiful this work is.
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