Schubert and His Music

[Music] if we could find one word that might help us appreciate the music of France Schubert the word might well be Melody for the music of Schubert is lyrical melodious music it is music of a certain place and a certain time the time was the first quarter of the 19th century 1815 1820 1822 and the place was Vienna the old and beautiful capital of [Music] Austria Vienna today more than a century after Schubert lived here is still the Romantic Center of vienes [Music] life in the streets and squares we can find much of the flavor the personality of Vienna the Charming city of music here on a quiet street we hear a Sho Melody that is a favorite with many young people Shubert's music the work of a youthful composer has much appeal for young students of music and his music is more than that it is music that expresses Vienna it's people it's [Music] life today Modern vianes Life and modern vianes music reflect the melodious influence of Fran Schubert's romantic music yes Vienna is still the city of romantic music there is still fun and laughter here there is still Beauty and sentiment here let's see what we can learn about Fran Schubert in this romantic city of Vienna where he spent practically his entire life his life began in this house in a suburb of Vienna in 1797 his family was poor and little France was the 13th child here his musical education began when he was [Music] five father Schubert a school teacher taught young France [Music] music with his early lessons on the piano began the training that was to give us Immortal compositions from his house the boy Schubert could see the church where he sang in the choir and where years later he performed some of his compositions at the age of 11 young France won a scholarship to a famous music school in Vienna where Mozart and Beethoven also had studied one of Schubert's teacher said he can do anything he is a genius but the young genius was unknown and poor the Shubert home was also a Schoolhouse here young France assisted his father the school Master by teaching classes quietly steadily Schubert worked at his teaching tasks yet he never forgot his first love music and he composed whenever he had a chance he wrote music quickly and easily among his best known compositions are his songs which expressed his love of Melody in Shubert's hands the song or leit as it was called in German became an important musical form he wrote his songs or leader about people and scenes he knew The Wanderer is the title of one song he wrote a gay song about a trout in a sparkling stream with its Waters cool and Shady the hery Gerty man and his sad refrain became the theme of another song one of his best known songs is called Gretchen at the spinning wheel it tells of a girl waiting for her sweetheart another famous love song is Schubert serenade songs and other music flowed from his pen yet he might have remained unknown were it not for his friends good [Music] friends they encouraged him and invited him to their [Music] homes they became known as the schubertian singers painters poets and actors who lived in Shubert's time that time was a time of Romantic Poets in England John kees was writing sonnets of romantic love and the beauties of nature it was a time of romantic painting in France Coro and other artists were expressing themes of natural beauty and in Austria the schubertian on their picnics and outings discussed ideas of the Romantic age in which they [Music] lived and What could be more romantic than a ride through the Vienna [Music] woods with his favorite friends chubert enjoyed such simple outings in the countryside near Vienna often he talked about music for it seemed that wherever he went he was always thinking of new melodies there are many stories told of Schubert's ability to write music almost anywhere or any time it is said that one day when Schubert was at an in with his friends he read a poem that appealed to him using the back of a menu he quickly set the poem to music during his lifetime Shubert wrote more than 600 [Music] songs many are still sung today including the one called de Linden Bal the lyen [Music] tree [Music] in [Music] there were many other songs including the Earl kque the Earl King it was based on a poem by Gerta the Romantic writer whose work influenced chubert Shubert was also influenced by men such as Beethoven the great master and there are passages in Schubert's unfinished Symphony that remind us of the powerful and Majestic themes of Beethoven during his days at the music school Shubert had learned of Mozart's music too in describing the music of Mozart Shubert once said that he seemed to hear Singing Angels in it does this chamber music by Schubert remind you of Mozart Style yes Schubert's music reflects a variety of styles and moods but always it is built on Melodies tuneful Unforgettable Melodies such as no one before Shubert had written we find such haunting Melodies in one of Schubert's greatest works the Symphony Number Eight in B minor often called The Unfinished [Music] this is music that sums up the work of France Schubert the melodious music that reflects the world of [Music] Romanticism