Franz Schubert was an Austrian composer known for his melodic music and as one of the first romantic composers, who showed talent at a young age and received musical training but struggled with illness and poverty during his life, composing over 600 songs before his early death at age 31, leaving a lasting legacy as a brilliant songwriter and influential composer.

1. Franz Schubert
Educator,Songwriter(1797–1828)
Michelle Marks
MUSI 100
February 20, 2016

2. Franz Schubert was known as one of
the first romantic composers and one
of the last classical ones. He is known
for the brilliant melody and harmony
in his music. Franz Peter Schubert was
born January 31, 1797 in
Himmelpfortgrund, Austria to Franz
Theodor Schubert, a schoolmaster and
Elizabeth Vietz, a homemaker. At an
early age some of his talents were
playing the piano, violin and organ, he
was also very good at singing. His
family nurtured his love of music. His
father and older brother, Ignaz, both
educated and trained Schubert early in
his musical life.

3. Schubert attended Stadtkonvikt a school in Vienna that trained young vocalists so
that they could one day sing at the chapel of the Imperial Court. At age 11 he earned a
scholarship that awarded him a spot in the court's chapel choir. At Stadtkonvikt he
learned more about playing, composing and singing by some great educators like
Wenzel Ruzicka, the imperial court organist, and the admired composer Antonio
Salieri. At age 15 Schubert voice changed and was forced to leave College, Schubert
did continue with Salieri for three more years.

4. A couple years after leaving the school, Schubert enrolled
at a teacher's training college in Vienna and took a job at
his father’s school, as an assistant. Schubert never gave up
on his composing and performing of music. It was
between 1813 and 1815 that Schubert proved to be the
creative songwriter he was. By age 17 this young
composer had shown Vienna what he was all about and
had written a number of piano pieces, and had produced
string quartets, a symphony, and a three-act opera.
Schubert had also written many dances, waltzes and
Ländler. Ländler is a type of Austrian waltz that Schubert
had been known for.

5. In1822Schubert'slifehadchangedagainwhenhebecamesick,itisbelievedhehadcontracted
syphilis.DuringthistimeShubertpouredhimselfintohisworkandbeganproducingsongsatan
abundantrate.Someof Schubert'sworkduringthistimearesongslike"WandererFantasy","Eighth
Symphony","DieSchöneMllerin"andtheopera"Fierrabras"butnoneofthesebroughtanyfortune.

6. Schubert was inspired by poets like J.
G. Von Herder, F. G. Klopstock, and
Friedrich von Schiller. He was also a
huge fan of Beethoven. He was so
impressed with him that it made him
nervous and he was not able to bring
himself to meet him when the two had
a passing encounter on the streets of
Vienna. Schubert produced masterful
pieces of work with gorgeous
harmonies and impressive melodies
for a variety of genres. He influence
can also be seen in other composers
like Robert Schumann, Johannes
Brahms and Hugo Wolf.

7. "Serenade“
Waswrittenduringthesummerof1826. WhilesittingatatablewithafriendSchubertnoticeda
poeminthebookhewas reading. Hesuddenlyhadabeautifulmelody thatbeganplaying inhis
head,hethenturnedoverapieceofpaperandstartedimmediatelywritings.Thislovelysongwas
theproductofthatmoment.

8. AveMaria!
Waswrittenin1825,inLatinitmeans “HailMary”. ThesongwasderivedfromthepoemTheLady
oftheLakebySirWalterScott.ThissonghassincebeenadoptedforusewiththetraditionalRoman
Catholicprayerofthesamename“HailMary”.

9. In the last year of Schubert life he had
his first and only public concert on
March 26, 1828. It was the success of
this concert that allowed the
composer enough money too finally by
himself a piano. Schubert died on
November 19, 1828 at the age of 31, in
Vienna, just nine months after his
concert and six years after being
diagnosed with syphilis.

10. ItissaidthatduringSchubertdeathherequestedthatBeethoven’sCsharpminorStringQuartet,
op.131,beplayedalongwithotherBeethovenmelodies.Healsoaskedtobeburiedbeside
BeethovenatthecemeteryinWähring.In1888SchubertandBeethoven'sgraveswererelocatedto
Zentralfriedhof,theViennesecemetery,thisoneofthelargestintheworld.Schubertwasplaced
besidefellowmusicalgiantsJohannStraussIIandJohannesBrahms.

11. I found Franz Schubert to be very intriguing with his style of music. While Beethoven
was his inspiration his music is different. I found it to be very refreshing, lovely and
the violin and piano harmonies are perfectly beautiful and give a refreshing and
uplifting beat. His dedication to poetry helped inspire him to compose and I feel it
showed immensely in his music. I have included a quote by Schubert that I believe
helps understand his music.

12. References:
Encyclopedia of World Biography, http://www.notablebiographies.com/
Bio., Bio.com editors, http://www.biography.com/people/franz-schubert-9475558
YouTube videos https://www.youtube.com/