Biography and Chief Works of  

Frank Schubert  

1797.

Bom in Vienna, the son of a schoolmaster. Musical family.  Early taught to play the violin and piano.  

1808.

Good singing voice secured him a place in the Vienna choir school.  Quickly became leader of the school’s orchestra, and even conducted it occasionally. Thus came in contact with music of Haydn and Mozart and early Beethoven.  Early compositions include string quartets for the family to play when at home in the holidays and his first symphony.  

1813.

Left choir school and entered a training school for teachers, preparatory to becoming a teacher in his father's school in 1814.  

1814.

Began to write his first great songs --’ Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel', ‘The Shepherd’s Lament', both settings of Goethe.  Found teaching irksome.  

1815.

Wrote second and third symphonies, 2 piano sonatas, a string quartet, 2 masses, incidental music to 5 plays, and about 145 songs, including 'Hedge Rose', 'Restless Love’, and 'The Erl King', all while acting as a schoolmaster!  

1816.

Gave up teaching and went to live with a friend in Vienna. Began to have musical evenings at the house of his friends – a new  “middle class" growth of music making.  Composed the fourth and fifth symphonies, many more songs) including “Death and the Maiden' and 'The Trout', another string quartet, etc.  

1817.

Returned to teaching in his father's school for a year, but felt thwarted; his compositions less good.

1818.

Appointed music master to Prince Esterhazy's children, in Hungary.  Had freedom to compose, but lacked stimulus of musical friendships.  Returned to Vienna same year, and lived with a poet.  Never returned to school teaching.

1819.

Spent a happy three months in the country, during which he composed the 'Trout' quintet.    Returned to Vienna, where he lived for the rest of his life, with various friends and relations in turn.  

1821.

His first songs published, by private subscription.  Wrote the opera 'Alfonso and Estrella'.

1822.

Wrote first two movements of 'Unfinished' symphony, after which, as with the unfinished 'Quartettsatz', he lost all interest in it.  Serious illness.  Ailing for the rest of his life.

1823.

'The Maid of the Mill' song cycle.  Incidental music to 'Rosamunde'.

1824.

Quartets in A minor, and the 'Death and the Maiden'. Octet.  Reputation growing in Vienna.

1827.

Song cycle 'Winter Journey'. 2 piano trios, piano impromptus.  Visited Beethoven on his deathbed.

1828.

‘Great’ symphony in C major.  Took greater pains over it than usual.  Died of typhoid.  

Lived an irregular Bohemian life, among poets and other artistic friends.  A gentle, dreamy, easy-going person; much loved.  

Composed easily and hurriedly, rarely revising a work.  The first great Lieder writer (see P. 99).  

His chamber music and symphonies also full of lovely song-like melodies, but sometimes have formal weaknesses, such as too much repetition.  

Delightful and unusual modulations: particularly fond of modulating from major to tonic minor and vice-versa, and to the key a major third below the tonic. 

Fond of chromatic harmony.

600 songs, including 3 cycles, 'The Maid of the Mill', 'Winter Journey' and ‘Swan song'.  Other famous songs mentioned in biography above.

Much delightful chamber music: 

15 string quartets, including 'Death and the Maiden'; 3 piano trios; the 'Trout' quintet for violin, viola, 'cello, double bass and piano; the octet for clarinet, horn, bassoon, 2 violins, 'cello and double bass.

10 symphonies - unequal works.  No. 5 in Bь major, the ‘Unfinished ' in B minor, and the 'Great' C major are the best known.

Many works for piano solo: 

21 sonatas; 8 impromptus; 6 moments musicaux; many waltzes and Iändler.  Also piano duets.

Much theatre music: operas, including 'Alfonso and Estrella'; incidental music to plays, including 'Rosamunde'. But all suffer from poor librettos, and are theatrically lifeless, though there are touches of Schubertian greatness here and there in the music.  

Few have been performed, in his lifetime or since. 

Church music, including masses; choral works with orchestra, with piano, and unaccompanied.  Not much performed today, except the 23rd psalm for female voices and piano, and the Mass in G.