The life and creative path of Schubert. Franz Schubert: biography, interesting facts, video, creativity

The biography of Schubert is very interesting to study. He was born on January 31, 1797 in a suburb of Vienna. His father worked as a school teacher and was a very hardworking and decent person. The eldest sons chose their father's path, and the same path was prepared for Franz. However, they also loved music in their house. So, a short biography of Schubert...

Franz's father taught him to play the violin, his brother taught him the clavier, the church regent taught him theory and taught him to play the organ. It soon became clear to the household that Franz was unusually gifted, so at the age of 11 he began studying at a church singing school. There was an orchestra in which the students played. Soon Franz was performing the first violin part and even conducting.

In 1810 the guy writes his first composition, and it becomes clear that Schubert is a composer. His biography says that his passion for music intensified so much that over time it crowded out other interests. The young man dropped out of school after five years, angering his father. Schubert's biography tells that, yielding to his father, he enters a teacher's seminary, and then works as a teacher's assistant. However, all his father’s hopes of turning Franz into a man with a good and reliable income were in vain.

Schubert's biography in the period from 1814 to 1817 is one of the most active phases of his work. At the end of this time, he is already the author of 7 sonatas, 5 symphonies and approximately 300 songs that everyone knows. It would seem that a little more - and success is guaranteed. Franz quits his service. The father becomes furious, leaves him without funds and breaks off all relations.

Schubert's biography tells that he had to live with friends. Among them were poets and artists. It was during this period that the famous “Schubertiades” are held, that is, evenings dedicated to the music of Franz. He played the piano among his friends, composing music on the go. However, these were difficult years. Schubert lived in unheated rooms and gave hated lessons so as not to die of hunger. Due to poverty, Franz was unable to marry - the girl he loved preferred him to a wealthy pastry chef.

Schubert's biography shows that in 1822 he wrote one of his best creations - “The Unfinished Symphony”, and then the cycle of works “The Beautiful Miller's Wife”. For some time, Franz returned to the family, but two years later he left again. Naive and gullible, he was not fit for independent life. Schubert often became a victim of deception by his publishers, who openly profited from him. The author of a huge and wonderful collection of songs that were very popular among the burghers during his lifetime, barely

Schubert was not a virtuoso musician like Beethoven or Mozart, and could only act as an accompanist for his melodies. The symphonies were never performed during the composer's lifetime. The Schubertiad circle broke up, friends started families. He didn’t know how to ask, and he didn’t want to humiliate himself in front of influential people.

Franz was completely desperate and believed that perhaps in his old age he would have to beg, but he was wrong. The composer did not know that he would not grow old. But, despite all this, his creative activity does not weaken, and even vice versa: Schubert’s biography claims that his music is becoming deeper, more expressive and larger-scale. In 1828, friends organized a concert at which the orchestra played only his songs. It was very successful. After this, Schubert was again filled with grandiose plans and began to work on new compositions with renewed energy. However, a few months later he fell ill with typhus and died in November 1828.

SCHUBERT (Schubert) Franz (1797-1828), Austrian composer. Creator of romantic songs and ballads, vocal cycles, piano miniatures, symphonies, and instrumental ensembles. Songfulness permeates works of all genres. Author of about 600 songs (to the words of F. Schiller, J. V. Goethe, G. Heine), including from the cycles “The Beautiful Miller's Wife” (1823), “Winter Reise” (1827, both to the words of W. Müller ); 9 symphonies (including “Unfinished”, 1822), quartets, trios, piano quintet “Trout” (1819); piano sonatas (over 20), impromptu, fantasies, waltzes, landlers.

SCHUBERT (Schubert) Franz (full name Franz Peter) (January 31, 1797, Vienna - November 19, 1828, ibid.), Austrian composer, the largest representative of early romanticism.

Childhood. Early works

Born into the family of a school teacher. Schubert's exceptional musical abilities were evident in early childhood. From the age of seven he studied playing several instruments, singing, and theoretical disciplines. In 1808-12 he sang in the Imperial Court Chapel under the guidance of the outstanding Viennese composer and teacher A. Salieri, who, drawing attention to the boy’s talent, began to teach him the basics of composition. By the age of seventeen, Schubert was already the author of piano pieces, vocal miniatures, string quartets, a symphony and the opera The Devil's Castle. While working as a teacher's assistant at his father's school (1814-18), Schubert continued to compose intensively. Numerous songs date back to 1814-15 (including such masterpieces as “Margarita at the Spinning Wheel” and “The Forest King” to the words of J.V. Goethe, the 2nd and 3rd symphonies, three masses and four singspiels.

Musician career

At the same time, Schubert's friend J. von Spaun introduced him to the poet I. Mayrhofer and the law student F. von Schober. These and other friends of Schubert - educated representatives of the new Viennese middle class, endowed with a refined musical and poetic taste - regularly gathered at home evenings of Schubert's music, later called "Schubertiads". Communication with this friendly and receptive audience finally convinced the young composer of his calling, and in 1818 Schubert left work at the school. At the same time, the young composer became close to the famous Viennese singer I. M. Vogl (1768-1840), who became a zealous promoter of his vocal creativity. During the second half of the 1810s. from the pen of Schubert came numerous new songs (including the most popular “The Wanderer”, “Ganymede”, “Trout”), piano sonatas, the 4th, 5th and 6th symphonies, elegant overtures in the style of G. Rossini , piano quintet "Trout", including variations on the song of the same name. His singspiel "The Twin Brothers", written in 1820 for Vogl and staged at the Kärntnertor Theater in Vienna, was not particularly successful, but brought Schubert fame. A more serious achievement was the melodrama "The Magic Harp", staged a few months later at the theater an der Wien.

Changeability of fortune

The years 1820-21 were successful for Schubert. He enjoyed the patronage of aristocratic families and made a number of acquaintances among influential people in Vienna. Schubert's friends published 20 of his songs by private subscription. Soon, however, a less favorable period began in his life. The opera "Alfonso and Estrella" with a libretto by Schober was rejected (Schubert himself considered it his great success); financial circumstances worsened. In addition, at the end of 1822, Schubert fell seriously ill (apparently, he contracted syphilis). Nevertheless, this complex and difficult year was marked by the creation of outstanding works, including songs, the piano fantasy “The Wanderer” (this is practically Schubert’s only example of a bravura virtuoso piano style) and the “Unfinished Symphony” full of romantic pathos (composing two parts of the symphony and having sketched the third, the composer, for an unknown reason, left the work and never returned to it).

Life cut short in its prime

Soon the vocal cycle "The Beautiful Miller's Wife" (20 songs with lyrics by W. Müller), the singspiel "Conspirators" and the opera "Fierabras" appeared. In 1824, string quartets A-moll and D-moll were written (its second part is variations on the theme of Schubert's earlier song "Death and the Maiden") and a six-part Octet for winds and strings, modeled on the very popular Septet Op. 20 L. van Beethoven, but surpassing him in scale and virtuoso brilliance. Apparently, in the summer of 1825 in Gmunden near Vienna, Schubert sketched or partially composed his last symphony (the so-called “Great”, C major). By this time, Schubert already enjoyed a very high reputation in Vienna. His concerts with Vogl attracted large audiences, and publishers eagerly published his new songs, as well as plays and piano sonatas. Among Schubert's works of 1825-26, the piano sonatas A minor, D major, G major, the last string quartet in G major and some songs, including "The Young Nun" and Ave Maria, stand out. In 1827-28, Schubert's work was actively covered in the press, he was elected a member of the Vienna Society of Friends of Music and on March 26, 1828 he gave an author's concert in the Society's hall, which was a great success. This period includes the vocal cycle "Winterreise" (24 songs with words by Müller), two notebooks of impromptu piano, two piano trios and masterpieces of the last months of Schubert's life - the Es-dur Mass, the last three piano sonatas, the String Quintet and 14 songs, published after Schubert's death in the form of a collection called "Swan Song" (the most popular are "Serenade" to the words of L. Relshtab and "Double" to the words of G. Heine). Schubert died of typhus at the age of 31; contemporaries perceived his death as the loss of a genius, who managed to justify only a small part of the hopes placed on him.

Songs of Schubert

For a long time, Schubert was known mainly for his songs for voice and piano. Essentially, a new era in the history of German vocal miniature began with Schubert, prepared by the flowering of German lyric poetry in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Schubert wrote music to poems by poets of various levels, from the great J. V. Goethe (about 70 songs), F. Schiller (over 40 songs) and G. Heine (6 songs from “Swan Song”) to relatively little-known writers and amateurs (for example, Schubert composed about 50 songs based on the poems of his friend I. Mayrhofer). In addition to his enormous spontaneous melodic gift, the composer had a unique ability to convey in music both the general atmosphere of a poem and its semantic shades. Beginning with his earliest songs, he inventively used the capabilities of the piano for sonographic and expressive purposes; Thus, in “Margarita at the Spinning Wheel,” the continuous figuration of sixteenth notes personifies the rotation of the spinning wheel and at the same time sensitively reacts to all changes in emotional tension. Schubert's songs are extremely varied in form, from simple strophic miniatures to freely constructed vocal scenes, which are often composed of contrasting sections. Having discovered Müller's lyrics, which tell of the wanderings, sufferings, hopes and disappointments of a lonely romantic soul, Schubert created the vocal cycles “The Beautiful Miller's Wife” and “Winterreise” - essentially the first large series of monologue songs in history connected by a single plot.

In other genres

All his life, Schubert strove for success in the theatrical genre, but his operas, for all their musical merits, are not dramatic enough. Of all Schubert's music directly related to the theater, only individual numbers for V. von Cesi's play "Rosamund" (1823) gained popularity.

Schubert's church compositions, with the exception of the masses As-dur (1822) and Es-dur (1828), are little known. Meanwhile, Schubert wrote for the church all his life; in his sacred music, contrary to a long tradition, a homophonic texture predominates (polyphonic writing was not one of the strengths of Schubert’s compositional technique, and in 1828 he even intended to take a counterpoint course from the authoritative Viennese teacher S. Sechter). Schubert's only and also unfinished oratorio "Lazarus" is stylistically related to his operas. Among Schubert's secular choral and vocal ensemble works, pieces for amateur performance predominate. “Song of the Spirits over the Waters” for eight male voices and low strings to the words of Goethe (1820) stands out with its serious, sublime character.

Instrumental music

When creating music of instrumental genres, Schubert naturally focused on Viennese classical examples; even the most original of his early symphonies, the 4th (with the author's subtitle "Tragic") and 5th, are still marked by the influence of Haydn. However, already in the Trout Quintet (1819) Schubert appears as an absolutely mature and original master. In his major instrumental opuses, a large role is played by lyrical song themes (including those borrowed from Schubert’s own songs - as in the “Trout” quintet, “Death and the Maiden” quartet, “Wanderer” fantasy), rhythms and intonations of everyday music. Even Schubert's last symphony, the so-called "Great", is based primarily on song-and-dance thematics, which it develops on a truly epic scale. Stylistic features that originate from the practice of everyday music-making are combined in the mature Schubert with detached prayerful contemplation and sudden tragic pathos. In Schubert's instrumental works, calm tempos predominate; Bearing in mind his penchant for a leisurely presentation of musical thoughts, R. Schumann spoke of his “divine lengths.” The peculiarities of Schubert's instrumental writing were most impressively embodied in his last two major works - the String Quintet and the Piano Sonata in B major. An important area of ​​Schubert's instrumental creativity consists of musical moments and improvisations for piano; The history of romantic piano miniatures actually began with these pieces. Schubert also composed many piano and ensemble dances, marches, and variations for home music playing.

The composer's legacy

Until the end of the 19th century. much of Schubert's vast legacy remained unpublished and even unperformed. Thus, the manuscript of the “Big” Symphony was discovered by Schumann only in 1839 (this symphony was first performed in the same year in Leipzig under the baton of F. Mendelssohn). The first performance of the String Quintet took place in 1850, and the first performance of the "Unfinished Symphony" - in 1865. The catalog of Schubert's works, compiled by O. E. Deutsch (1951), includes about 1000 items, including 6 masses, 8 symphonies, about 160 vocal ensembles, over 20 completed and unfinished piano sonatas and over 600 songs for voice and piano.

The teachers paid tribute to the amazing ease with which the boy mastered musical knowledge. Thanks to his success in learning and good command of his voice, Schubert in 1808 was admitted to the Imperial Chapel and to Konvikt, the best boarding school in Vienna. During 1810–1813 he wrote many works: opera, symphony, piano pieces and songs (including Hagar's Complaint, Hagars Klage, 1811). A. Salieri became interested in the young musician, and from 1812 to 1817 Schubert studied composition with him.

In 1813 he entered the teachers' seminary and a year later began teaching at the school where his father served. In his spare time, he composed his first mass and set to music Goethe's poem Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel (Gretchen am Spinnrade, October 19, 1813) - this was Schubert's first masterpiece and the first great German song.

The years 1815–1816 are notable for the phenomenal productivity of the young genius. In 1815 he composed two symphonies, two masses, four operettas, several string quartets and about 150 songs. In 1816, two more symphonies appeared - the Tragic and often heard Fifth in B flat major, as well as another mass and over 100 songs. Among the songs of these years are the Wanderer (Der Wanderer) and the famous Forest King (Erlk nig); both songs soon received universal acclaim.

Through his devoted friend J. von Spaun, Schubert met the artist M. von Schwind and the wealthy amateur poet F. von Schober, who arranged a meeting between Schubert and the famous baritone M. Vogl. Thanks to Vogl's inspired performances of Schubert's songs, they gained popularity in Viennese salons. The composer himself continued to work at the school, but eventually left the service in July 1818 and went to Zeliz, the summer residence of Count Johann Esterhazy, where he served as a music teacher. In the spring the Sixth Symphony was completed, and in Gelize Schubert composed Variations on a French Song, op. 10 for two pianos, dedicated to Beethoven.

Upon his return to Vienna, Schubert received an order for an operetta (singspiel) called The Twin Brothers (Die Zwillingsbruder). It was completed by January 1819 and performed at the Kärtnertortheater in June 1820. Schubert spent the summer holidays in 1819 with Vogl in Upper Austria, where he composed the well-known Forel piano quintet (A major).

The following years turned out to be difficult for Schubert, since his character did not know how to achieve the favor of influential Viennese musical figures. Romance The Forest King, published as op. 1 (apparently in 1821), marked the beginning of the regular publication of Schubert's works. In February 1822 he completed the opera Alfonso and Estrella (Alfonso und Estrella); in October the Unfinished Symphony (B minor) was released.

The following year was marked in Schubert's biography by the composer's illness and despondency. His opera was not staged; he composed two more - The Conspirators (Die Verschworenen) and Fierrabras (Fierrabras), but they suffered the same fate. The wonderful vocal cycle The Beautiful Miller's Wife (Die sch ne Mullerin) and the music for the dramatic play Rosamunde, which was well received by the audience, indicate that Schubert did not give up. At the beginning of 1824 he worked on string quartets in A minor and D minor (The Girl and Death) and on the octet in F major, but need forced him to again become a teacher in the Esterhazy family. The summer stay in Zheliz had a beneficial effect on Schubert's health. There he composed two opuses for piano four hands - the Grand Duo sonata in C major and Variations on an original theme in A flat major. In 1825, he again went with Vogl to Upper Austria, where his friends received the warmest welcome. Songs with lyrics by W. Scott (including the famous Ave Maria) and a piano sonata in D major reflect the spiritual renewal of their author.

In 1826, Schubert petitioned for the position of conductor in the court chapel, but the petition was not granted. His latest string quartet (in G major) and songs based on Shakespeare's words (among them Morning Serenade) appeared during a summer trip to Wehring, a village near Vienna. In Vienna itself, Schubert's songs were widely known and loved at that time; In private homes, musical evenings were regularly held, dedicated exclusively to his music - the so-called. Schubertiades. In 1827, among other things, the vocal cycle Winterreise and cycles of piano pieces (Musical Moments and Impromptu) were written.

Best of the day

In 1828, alarming signs of an impending illness appeared; the feverish pace of Schubert's composing activity can be interpreted both as a symptom of the illness and as a cause that accelerated the death. Masterpiece followed masterpiece: the majestic Symphony in C major, a vocal cycle posthumously published as Swan Song, a string quintet in C major and the last three piano sonatas. As before, publishers refused to take Schubert's major works or paid negligibly little; ill health prevented him from going by invitation to give a concert in Pest. Schubert died of typhus on November 19, 1828.

Schubert was buried next to Beethoven, who had died a year earlier. On January 22, 1888, Schubert's ashes were reburied in the Central Cemetery of Vienna.

CREATION

Vocal and choral genres. The song-romance genre as interpreted by Schubert represents such an original contribution to the music of the 19th century that we can talk about the emergence of a special form, which is usually denoted by the German word Lied. Schubert's songs - and there are more than 650 of them - give many variations of this form, so that classification is hardly possible here. In principle, Lied is of two types: strophic, in which all or almost all verses are sung to the same melody; “through” (durchkomponiert), in which each verse can have its own musical solution. Field rose (Haidenroslein) is an example of the first species; The Young Nun (Die junge Nonne) – the second.

Two factors contributed to the rise of the Lied: the ubiquity of the piano and the rise of German lyric poetry. Schubert managed to do what his predecessors could not: by composing on a specific poetic text, he created a context with his music that gave the word a new meaning. This could be a sound-visual context - for example, the gurgle of water in the songs from The Beautiful Miller's Woman or the whirring of the spinning wheel in Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel, or an emotional context - for example, chords conveying the reverent mood of the evening in Sunset (Im Abendroth) or the midnight horror in The Double (Der Doppelgonger). Sometimes, thanks to Schubert’s special gift, a mysterious connection is established between the landscape and the mood of the poem: for example, the imitation of the monotonous hum of an organ grinder in The Organ Grinder (Der Leiermann) wonderfully conveys both the severity of the winter landscape and the despair of a homeless wanderer.

German poetry, which was flourishing at that time, became an invaluable source of inspiration for Schubert. Those who question the composer’s literary taste on the grounds that among the more than six hundred poetic texts he has sounded there are very weak poems are wrong - for example, who would remember the poetic lines of the romances Forel or To Music (An die Musik), if not Schubert's genius? But still, the greatest masterpieces were created by the composer based on the texts of his favorite poets, luminaries of German literature - Goethe, Schiller, Heine. Schubert's songs - no matter who the author of the words are - are characterized by a direct impact on the listener: thanks to the genius of the composer, the listener immediately becomes not an observer, but an accomplice.

Schubert's polyphonic vocal works are somewhat less expressive than the romances. The vocal ensembles contain wonderful pages, but none of them, except perhaps the five-voice No, only the one who knew (Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt, 1819), captures the listener as much as the romances. The unfinished spiritual opera The Raising of Lazarus (Lazarus) is more of an oratorio; the music here is beautiful, and the score contains anticipations of some of Wagner's techniques. (In our time, the opera The Raising of Lazarus was completed by the Russian composer E. Denisov and was successfully performed in several countries.)

Schubert composed six masses. They also have very bright parts, but still in Schubert this genre does not rise to the heights of perfection that were achieved in the masses of Bach, Beethoven, and later Bruckner. Only in the last mass (in E-flat major) does Schubert's musical genius overcome his detached attitude towards Latin texts.

Orchestral music. In his youth, Schubert led and conducted a student orchestra. At the same time, he mastered the skill of instrumentation, but life rarely gave him reasons to write for the orchestra; after six youth symphonies, only a symphony in B minor (Unfinished) and a symphony in C major (1828) were created. In the series of early symphonies, the fifth (B minor) is the most interesting, but only Schubert’s Unfinished introduces us to a new world, far from the classical styles of the composer’s predecessors. Like them, the development of themes and texture in Unfinished is full of intellectual brilliance, but in terms of the strength of its emotional impact, Unfinished is close to Schubert’s songs. In the majestic C major symphony, such qualities appear even more clearly.

The music for Rosamunde contains two intermissions (in B minor and B major) and lovely ballet scenes. Only the first intermission is serious in tone, but all the music for Rosamunde is purely Schubertian in the freshness of its harmonic and melodic language.

Among other orchestral works, the overtures stand out. In two of them (C major and D major), written in 1817, the influence of G. Rossini is felt, and their subtitles (not given by Schubert) indicate: “in the Italian style.” Also of interest are three operatic overtures: Alfonso and Estrella, Rosamond (originally intended for the early composition of The Magic Harp - Die Zauberharfe) and Fierrabras - the most perfect example of this form by Schubert.

Chamber instrumental genres. Chamber works reveal the composer's inner world to the greatest extent; in addition, they clearly reflect the spirit of his beloved Vienna. The tenderness and poetry of Schubert’s nature are captured in the masterpieces that are commonly called the “seven stars” of his chamber heritage.

The Trout Quintet is a harbinger of a new, romantic worldview in the chamber-instrumental genre; charming melodies and cheerful rhythms brought the composition great popularity. Five years later, two string quartets appeared: the quartet in A minor (Op. 29), perceived by many as the composer’s confession, and the quartet The Girl and Death, where melody and poetry are combined with deep tragedy. Schubert's last quartet in G major represents the quintessence of the composer's mastery; The scale of the cycle and the complexity of the forms pose some obstacle to the popularity of this work, but the last quartet, like the Symphony in C major, are the absolute pinnacles of Schubert's work. The lyrical-dramatic character of the early quartets is also characteristic of the Quintet in C major (1828), but it cannot compare in perfection with the Quartet in G major.

The octet is a romantic interpretation of the classical suite genre. The use of additional woodwinds gives the composer a reason to compose touching melodies and create colorful modulations that embody Gemutlichkeit - the good-natured, cozy charm of old Vienna. Both Schubert trios – op. 99, B-flat major and op. 100, E-flat major - have both strengths and weaknesses: the structural organization and beauty of the music of the first two movements captivate the listener, while the finales of both cycles seem too lightweight.

Piano works. Schubert composed many pieces for piano 4 hands. Many of them (marches, polonaises, overtures) are charming music for home use. But among this part of the composer’s heritage there are also more serious works. Such are the Grand Duo Sonata with its symphonic scope (though, as already mentioned, there is no indication that the cycle was originally conceived as a symphony), Variations in A-flat major with their sharp characteristic and Fantasy in F minor Op. 103 is a first-class and widely recognized essay.

About two dozen Schubert piano sonatas are second only to Beethoven's in their significance. Half a dozen youthful sonatas are of interest mainly to admirers of Schubert's art; the rest are known all over the world. The sonatas in A minor, D major and G major (1825–1826) clearly demonstrate the composer’s understanding of the sonata principle: dance and song forms are combined here with classical techniques for developing themes. In the three sonatas, which appeared shortly before the composer's death, the song and dance elements appear in a purified, sublime form; the emotional world of these works is richer than in earlier opuses. The last sonata in B-flat major is the result of Schubert’s work on the thematism and form of the sonata cycle.

Franz Schubert (January 31, 1797 - November 19, 1828) was a famous Austrian composer and pianist. The founder of musical romanticism. In his song cycles, Schubert embodied the spiritual world of a contemporary - “a young man of the 19th century.” Wrote ok. 600 songs (words by F. Schiller, I.V. Goethe, G. Heine, etc.), including from the cycles “The Beautiful Miller’s Wife” (1823), “Winter Reise” (1827, both with words by W. Müller) ; 9 symphonies (including “Unfinished”, 1822), quartets, trios, piano quintet “Trout” (1819); piano sonatas (over 20), impromptu, fantasies, waltzes, landlers, etc. He also wrote works for guitar.

There are many arrangements of Schubert's works for guitar (A. Diabelli, I.K. Mertz and others).

About Franz Schubert and his work

Valery Agababov

Musicians and music lovers will be interested to know that Franz Schubert, without having a piano at home for a number of years, used mainly a guitar when composing his works. His famous “Serenade” was marked “for guitar” in the manuscript. And if we listen more closely to the melodious and simple in its sincerity music of F. Schubert, we will be surprised to notice that much of what he wrote in the song and dance genre has a pronounced “guitar” character.

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) is a great Austrian composer. Born into the family of a school teacher. He was brought up in the Vienna Convint, where he studied general bass with V. Ruzicka, counterpoint and composition with A. Salieri.

From 1814 to 1818 he worked as an assistant teacher at his father's school. A circle of friends and admirers of his work formed around Schubert (including poets F. Schober and J. Mayrhofer, artists M. Schwind and L. Kupilwieser, singer I. M. Vogl, who became a promoter of his songs). These friendly meetings with Schubert went down in history under the name "Schubertiad". As a music teacher to the daughters of Count I. Esterhazy, Schubert visited Hungary and traveled with Vogl to Upper Austria and Salzburg. In 1828, a few months before Schubert's death, his author's concert took place, which was a great success.

The most important place in F. Schubert's legacy is occupied by songs for voice and piano (about 600 songs). One of the largest melodists, Schubert reformed the song genre, endowing it with deep content. Schubert created a new type of song with end-to-end development, as well as the first highly artistic examples of the vocal cycle ("The Beautiful Miller's Wife", "Winter Reise"). Schubert wrote operas, singspiels, masses, cantatas, oratorios, and quartets for male and female voices (in male choirs and ops. 11 and 16 he used the guitar as an accompanying instrument).

In Schubert's instrumental music, based on the traditions of composers of the Viennese classical school, song-type thematics acquired great importance. He created 9 symphonies and 8 overtures. The pinnacle examples of romantic symphonism are the lyrical-dramatic “Unfinished” symphony and the majestic heroic-epic “Big” symphony.

Piano music is an important area of ​​Schubert's work. Having been influenced by Beethoven, Schubert laid down the tradition of a free romantic interpretation of the piano sonata genre (23). The fantasy "The Wanderer" anticipates the "poem" forms of the romantics (F. Liszt). Impromptu (11) and musical moments (6) by Schubert are the first romantic miniatures, close to the works of F. Chopin and R. Schumann. Piano minuets, waltzes, “German dances”, ländlers, ecosses, etc. reflected the composer’s desire to poeticize dance genres. Schubert wrote more than 400 dances.

The work of F. Schubert is closely connected with Austrian folk art, with the everyday music of Vienna, although he rarely used genuine folk themes in his compositions.

F. Schubert is the first major representative of musical romanticism, who expressed, according to academician B.V. Asafiev, “the joys and sorrows of life” in the way “as most people feel and would like to convey them.”

Magazine "Guitarist", No. 1, 2004

Franz Schubert is a famous Austrian composer. His life was quite short, he lived only 31 years, from 1797 to 1828. But during this short period he made a huge contribution to the development of world musical culture. You can verify this by studying the biography and work of Schubert. This outstanding composer is considered one of the most prominent founders of the romantic movement in musical art. Having familiarized yourself with the most important events in Schubert's biography, you can better understand his work.

Family

The biography of Franz Schubert begins on January 31, 1797. He was born into a poor family in Lichtenthal, a suburb of Vienna. His father, who came from a peasant family, was a school teacher. He was distinguished by his hard work and integrity. He raised his children, instilling in them that work is the basis of existence. Mother was the daughter of a mechanic. There were fourteen children in the family, but nine of them died in infancy.

Schubert's biography, in a very brief summary, demonstrates the important role of family in the development of a little musician. She was very musical. His father played the cello, and little Franz's brothers played other musical instruments. Often musical evenings were held in their house, and sometimes all the amateur musicians they knew would gather at them.

First music lessons

From the short biography of Franz Schubert it is known that his unique musical abilities appeared very early. Having discovered them, his father and older brother Ignatz began classes with him. Ignatz taught him to play the piano, and his father taught him the violin. After some time, the boy became a full-fledged member of the family string quartet, in which he confidently performed the viola part. It soon became clear that Franz needed more professional music studies. Therefore, musical lessons with the gifted boy were entrusted to the regent of the Lichtenthal Church, Michael Holzer. The teacher admired the extraordinary musical abilities of his student. In addition, Franz had a wonderful voice. By the age of eleven, he performed difficult solo parts in the church choir, and also played the violin part, including solo, in the church orchestra. The father was very pleased with his son's success.

Konvikt

When Franz was eleven years old, he took part in a competition to select singers for the imperial royal court singing chapel. Having successfully passed all the tests, Franz Schubert becomes a singer. He is enrolled in Konvikt, a free boarding school for gifted children from low-income families. The younger Schubert now has the opportunity to receive general and musical education for free, which becomes a benefit for his family. The boy lives in a boarding school and comes home only for the holidays.

Studying Schubert's short biography, one can understand that the environment that developed in this educational institution contributed to the development of the gifted boy's musical abilities. Here Franz daily practices singing, playing the violin and piano, and theoretical disciplines. A student orchestra was organized at the school, in which Schubert played first violin. The conductor of the orchestra, Wenzel Ruzicka, noticing the extraordinary talent of his student, often entrusted him with the duties of conductor. The orchestra performed a wide variety of music. Thus, the future composer became acquainted with orchestral music of various genres. He was especially impressed by the music of the Viennese classics: Mozart's Symphony No. 40, as well as Beethoven's musical masterpieces.

First compositions

While studying in convict, Franz began to compose. Schubert's biography states that he was thirteen years old at the time. He writes music with great passion, often to the detriment of his schoolwork. Among his first compositions are a number of songs and a fantasy for piano. Demonstrating outstanding musical abilities, the boy attracted the attention of the famous court composer Antonio Salieri. He begins classes with Schubert, during which he teaches him counterpoint and composition. Teacher and student are connected not only by musical lessons, but also by warm relationships. These classes continued after Schubert left the convict.

Observing the rapid development of his son's musical talent, his father began to worry about his future. Understanding the hardship of existence for musicians, even the most famous and recognized ones, his father tries to protect Franz from such a fate. He dreamed of seeing his son become a school teacher. As a punishment for his excessive passion for music, he forbids his son to be at home on weekends and holidays. However, the bans did not help. Schubert Jr. could not give up music.

Leaving the convict

Having not completed his training in convict, Schubert, at the age of thirteen, decides to leave it. This was facilitated by a number of circumstances, which are described in the biography of F. Schubert. First, a voice mutation that no longer allowed Franz to sing in the choir. Secondly, his excessive passion for music left his interest in other sciences far behind. He was scheduled for a re-examination, but Schubert did not take advantage of this opportunity and left his training in convict.

Franz still had to return to school. In 1813 he entered the regular school of St. Anne, graduated from it and received a certificate of education.

Start of independent life

Schubert's biography tells that for the next four years he works as an assistant school teacher at the school where his father also works. Franz teaches children literacy and other subjects. The wages were extremely low, which forced the young Schubert to constantly seek additional income in the form of private lessons. Thus, he has practically no time left to compose music. But the passion for music does not go away. It's only getting stronger. Franz received enormous help and support from his friends, who organized concerts and useful contacts for him, and supplied him with music paper, which he always lacked.

During this period (1814-1816), his famous songs “The Forest King” and “Margarita at the Spinning Wheel” with words by Goethe, over 250 songs, singspiels, 3 symphonies and many other works appeared.

The composer's imaginative world

Franz Schubert is a romantic in spirit. He placed the life of the soul and heart at the basis of all existence. His heroes are simple people with a rich inner world. The theme of social inequality appears in his work. The composer often draws attention to how unfair society is to an ordinary modest person who does not have material wealth, but is spiritually rich.

Nature in its various states becomes a favorite theme of Schubert’s chamber vocal work.

Meet Vogl

After getting acquainted (briefly) with Schubert’s biography, the most important event seems to be his acquaintance with the outstanding Viennese opera singer Johann Michael Vogl. It happened in 1817 through the efforts of the composer’s friends. This acquaintance was of great importance in the life of Franz. In him he acquired a devoted friend and performer of his songs. Subsequently, Vogl played a huge role in promoting the chamber and vocal creativity of the young composer.

"Schubertiades"

Over time, a circle of creative youth formed around Franz, consisting of poets, playwrights, artists, and composers. Schubert's biography mentions that meetings were often dedicated to his work. In such cases they were called "Schubertiads". Meetings were held in the home of one of the circle members or in the Vienna Crown coffee shop. All members of the circle were united by an interest in art, passion for music and poetry.

Trip to Hungary

The composer lived in Vienna, rarely leaving it. All the trips he made were related to concerts or teaching. Schubert's biography briefly mentions that during the summers of 1818 and 1824, Schubert lived on the estate of Count Esterhazy Zeliz. The composer was invited there to teach music to the young countesses.

Joint concerts

In 1819, 1823 and 1825, Schubert and Vogl traveled around Upper Austria and toured at the same time. Such joint concerts are a huge success among the public. Vogl strives to introduce listeners to the work of his composer friend, to make his works known and loved outside of Vienna. Gradually, Schubert's fame is growing; people talk about him more and more often not only in professional circles, but also among ordinary listeners.

First editions

Schubert's biography contains facts about the beginning of publications of the young composer's works. In 1921, thanks to the care of F. Schubert’s friends, “The Forest King” was published. After the first edition, other Schubert works began to be published. His music becomes famous not only in Austria, but also far beyond its borders. In 1825, songs, piano works and chamber opuses began to be performed in Russia.

Success or illusion?

Schubert's songs and piano works are gaining great popularity. His works were highly appreciated by Beethoven, the composer's idol. But, along with the fame that Schubert gains thanks to Vogl’s propaganda activities, disappointments remain. The composer's symphonies were never performed, operas and singspiels are practically never staged. To this day, 5 operas and 11 singspiels by Schubert are in oblivion. A similar fate befell many other works that are rarely performed in concerts.

Creative flourishing

In the 20s, Schubert appeared in the song cycles “The Beautiful Miller’s Wife” and “Winter Reise” to the words of W. Müller, chamber ensembles, sonatas for piano, fantasy “The Wanderer” for piano, as well as symphonies - “Unfinished” No. 8 and “ Big" No. 9.

In the spring of 1828, the composer's friends organized a concert of Schubert's works, which took place in the hall of the Society of Music Lovers. The composer used the money received from the concert to purchase the first piano of his life.

Death of the composer

In the autumn of 1828, Schubert unexpectedly became seriously ill. His torment lasted three weeks. On November 19, 18128, Franz Schubert passed away.

Only a year and a half has passed since Schubert took part in the funeral of his idol - the last Viennese classic L. Beethoven. Now he too was buried in this cemetery.

Having familiarized yourself with the summary of Schubert's biography, you can understand the meaning of the inscription that was carved on his tombstone. It tells that a rich treasure is buried in the grave, but even more wonderful hopes.

Songs are the basis of Schubert's creative heritage

When talking about the creative heritage of this wonderful composer, we usually always highlight his song genre. Schubert wrote a huge number of songs - about 600. This is no coincidence, since vocal miniature is becoming one of the most popular genres of romantic composers. It was here that Schubert was able to fully reveal the main theme of the romantic movement in art - the rich inner world of the hero with his feelings and experiences. The first song masterpieces were created by the young composer at the age of seventeen. Each of Schubert's songs is an inimitable artistic image, born from the fusion of music and poetry. The content of the songs is conveyed not only by the text, but also by the music, which precisely follows it, emphasizing the originality of the artistic image and creating a special emotional background.

In his chamber vocal work, Schubert used both the texts of the famous poets Schiller and Goethe, and the poetry of his contemporaries, the names of many of whom became known thanks to the composer’s songs. In their poetry they reflected the spiritual world inherent in representatives of the romantic movement in art, which was close and understandable to the young Schubert. During the composer's lifetime, only a few of his songs were published.