Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) – Austrian composer. For such short life he managed to compose 9 symphonies, a lot of chamber and solo music for piano, and about 600 vocal compositions. He is rightfully considered one of the founders of romanticism in music. His compositions still, two centuries later, remain among the main ones in classical music.
Childhood
His father, Franz Theodor Schubert, was an amateur musician, worked as a teacher at the Lichtenthal parish school, and had peasant origins. He was a very hardworking and respectable person, his ideas about the path in life were associated only with work, and Theodore raised his children in this spirit.
The musician's mother is Elisabeth Schubert ( maiden name Fitz). Her father was a mechanic from Silesia.
In total, fourteen children were born into the family, but the spouses buried nine of them back in early age. Franz's brother, Ferdinand Schubert, also connected his life with music.
The Schubert family loved music very much; they often hosted musical evenings, and on holidays a whole circle of amateur musicians gathered. Dad played the cello, and his sons were also taught to play various musical instruments.
Franz's talent for music was discovered at an early age. childhood. His father began to teach him to play the violin, and his older brother taught the baby to play the piano and clavier. And very soon little Franz became a permanent member of the family string quartet, he performed the viola part.
Education
At the age of six, the boy went to parish school. Here not only his amazing ear for music was revealed, but also his amazing voice. The child was taken to sing in a church choir, where he performed rather complex solo parts. The church regent, who often visited the Schubert family at musical parties, taught Franz singing, music theory and playing the organ. Soon everyone around him realized that Franz was a gifted child. Dad was especially happy about his son’s achievements.
At the age of eleven, the boy was sent to a boarding school, where singers were trained for the church, which at that time was called konvikt. Even the environment at school was conducive for Franz’s musical talents to develop.
There was a student orchestra at the school, he was immediately assigned to the first violin group, and occasionally Franz was even trusted to conduct. The repertoire in the orchestra was distinguished by its diversity, the child learned different genres of musical works in it: overtures and works for vocals, quartets and symphonies. He told his friends that Mozart's Symphony in G minor made the greatest impression on him. And Beethoven’s works were for the child the highest example of musical works.
During this period, Franz began to compose himself, he did it with great passion, which even put music at the expense of other school subjects. Latin and mathematics were especially difficult for him. Father was alarmed by Franz’s excessive passion for music; he began to worry, knowing the path of the world famous musicians, he wanted to protect his child from such a fate. He even came up with a punishment - a ban on coming home for the weekend and holidays. But the development of the young composer’s talent was not affected by any prohibitions.
And then, as they say, everything happened by itself: in 1813, the teenager’s voice broke and he had to leave the church choir. Franz came home to his parents, where he began studying at a teachers' seminary.
Mature years
After graduating from the seminary in 1814, the guy got a job at the same parish school where his father worked. During three years Franz worked as a teacher's assistant, teaching subjects to children primary school and literacy. Only this did not weaken the love for music; the desire to create was stronger and stronger. And it was during this time, from 1814 to 1817 (as he himself called it, during the period of school hard labor), that he created a huge number of musical works.
In 1815 alone, Franz composed:
- 2 piano sonatas and string quartet;
- 2 symphonies and 2 masses;
- 144 songs and 4 operas.
He wanted to establish himself as a composer. But in 1816, when applying for the position of bandmaster in Laibach, he was rejected.
Music
Franz was 13 years old when he wrote his first piece of music. And by the age of 16, he had several written songs and piano pieces, a symphony and an opera. Even the court composer, the famous Salieri, noticed such outstanding abilities of Schubert; he studied with Franz for almost a year.
In 1814, Schubert created his first significant works in music:
- Mass in F major;
- Opera "Satan's Pleasure Castle"
In 1816, Franz had a significant meeting with the famous baritone Vogl Johann Michael. Vogl performed works by Franz, which quickly gained popularity in the salons of Vienna. In the same year, Franz set Goethe’s ballad “The Forest King” to music, and this work was an incredible success.
Finally, at the beginning of 1818, Schubert's first composition was published.
The father’s dreams of a quiet and modest life for his son with a small but reliable teacher’s salary did not come true. Franz quit teaching at school and decided to devote his whole life only to music.
He quarreled with his father, lived in deprivation and constant need, but invariably created, composing one work after another. He had to live alternately with his comrades.
In 1818, Franz was lucky, he moved to Count Johann Esterhazy, in his summer residence, where he taught music to the count's daughters.
He did not work for the count for long and returned to Vienna again to do what he loved - create priceless musical works.
Personal life
Need became an obstacle to marrying his beloved girl, Teresa Gorb. He fell in love with her in the church choir. She was not a beauty at all; on the contrary, the girl could be called plain: white eyelashes and hair, traces of smallpox on her face. But Franz noticed how her round face transformed with the first chords of music.
But Teresa’s mother raised her without a father and did not want her daughter to play such a role as a poor composer. And the girl, having cried into her pillow, went down the aisle with a more worthy groom. She married a pastry chef, with whom life was long and prosperous, but gray and monotonous. Teresa died at the age of 78, by which time the ashes of the man who loved her with all his heart had long since decayed in the grave.
Last years
Unfortunately, in 1820, Franz's health began to worry. He became seriously ill at the end of 1822, but after treatment in hospital his health improved slightly.
The only thing he managed to achieve during his lifetime was a public concert in 1828. The success was resounding, but soon after he suffered from enteric fever. She shook him for two weeks, and on March 26, 1828, the composer died. He left a will to be buried in the same cemetery as Beethoven. It was fulfilled. And if in the person of Beethoven a “beautiful treasure” rested here, then in the person of Franz there were “beautiful hopes.” He was too young at the time of his death and there was so much more he could have done.
In 1888, the ashes of Franz Schubert and the ashes of Beethoven were transferred to the Central Vienna Cemetery.
After the composer's death, many unreleased works remained; all of them were published and found recognition from their listeners. His play Rosamund is especially revered; an asteroid that was discovered in 1904 is named after it.
Franz Peter Schubert was a representative of the movement musical romanticism in Austria. In his works there was a longing for a bright ideal, which was so lacking in real life. Schubert's music, heartfelt and soulful, took a lot from the traditional folk art. His works are distinguished by melody and harmony, and a special emotional mood.
Franz Peter Schubert was a representative of the movement of musical romanticism in Austria. His works sounded a longing for a bright ideal, which was so lacking in real life. Schubert's music, heartfelt and soulful, took a lot from traditional folk art. His works are distinguished by melody and harmony, and a special emotional mood.
Schubert was born on January 31, 1797, into a family Franz Theodor Schubert – school teacher and an amateur cellist. The boy fell in love with music from an early age and easily mastered musical instruments. Young Schubert sang beautifully - he had an excellent voice as a child - so in 1808 he was accepted into the Imperial Chapel. General education he received it at the Konvikt boarding school. In the school orchestra, Schubert was second violin, but Latin and mathematics were not easy for him.
From choir chapel Schubert was expelled as a teenager. In 1810, Schubert began writing music. Over the course of 3 years, he composed several pieces for piano, a symphony and even an opera. The famous man himself became interested in the young talent Salieri. (He studied composition with Schubert in the period 1812-17.)
Since 1813, Schubert taught at school. That year he composed his first famous masterpiece– the song Gretchen am Spinnrade (“Gretchen at the spinning wheel”) based on Goethe’s poems.
In 1815–16 Schubert wrote many works: more than one and a half hundred songs, several instrumental quartets and symphonies, four operettas, two masses. In 1816, his famous Fifth Symphony in B flat major, the songs “The Forest King” and “The Wanderer” were written.
The composer was lucky enough to meet the famous baritone singer M. Foglem. Vogl began performing Schubert's songs, and they soon gained popularity in all Viennese salons.
In the summer of 1818, Schubert left school and went to the residence of the famous art connoisseur and philanthropist - Count Johanna Esterhazy. There he taught and continued to write music. During this period the Sixth Symphony was created. Returning to Vienna, the composer received a lucrative order for the operetta “The Twin Brothers”. Premiere musical performance took place in 1820 - it was successful.
The next two years were difficult for the composer financially. He did not know how to achieve the favor of patrons and did not want to. In 1822, he completed work on the opera Alfonso and Estrella, but it was never staged.
During 1823 the composer was persecuted serious illnesses. Despite his physical weakness, he wrote two more operas. These works also did not see the stage. The composer did not lose heart and continued to create. Music for the play Rosamund and song cycle entitled “The Beautiful Miller's Wife” were well received by the audience. Schubert again went to teach with the Esterhazy family and there, in the princely country residence, he slightly improved his health.
In 1825, the composer toured extensively with Vogl in Austria. At this time it was written vocal cycle to the words of Scott, which included the famous ode "Ave Maria".
Schubert's songs and vocal cycles were known and popular in Austria - both among the noble public and among common people. At that time, many private houses hosted evenings dedicated exclusively to the composer’s works – the Schubertiades. In 1827, the composer created the famous cycle “ winter journey».
The composer's health, meanwhile, was getting worse. In 1828, he felt signs of another serious illness. Instead of paying attention to his health, Schubert feverishly continued to work. At this time, the composer’s main masterpieces saw the light: the famous “Symphony in C major”, the quintet “in C major” for string instruments, three piano sonatas and vocal cycle with symbolic name « Swan song" (This cycle was published and performed after the composer's death).
Not all publishers agreed to publish Schubert's works; it happened that they paid him unreasonably little. He did not give up and worked until his last days.
Schubert died on November 19, 1828. The cause of death was typhus - the composer’s body, weakened by hard work, was unable to cope with the disease. He was buried next to Beethoven, but subsequently the ashes were transferred to the central cemetery of Vienna.
The composer lived only 31 years, but his contribution to music legacy XIX century is huge. He created a lot in the song-romance genre; he wrote about 650 songs. At that time, German poetry was flourishing - it became the source of his inspiration. Schubert took poetic texts and with the help of music gave them their own context, new meaning. His songs were characterized by a direct impact on listeners - they became not observers, but participants in the plot of the musical composition.
Not only in song, but also orchestral genre Schubert managed to do a lot. His symphonies introduce listeners to a new, original music world, far from classical XIX style century. All of him orchestral works They are distinguished by the brightness of emotions and enormous power of influence.
Schubert's harmonious inner world is reflected in his chamber works. The composer often wrote pieces to be performed four hands, intended for “home” use. His trios, quartets, and quintets captivate with their frankness and emotional openness. This was Schubert - he had nothing to hide from his listener.
Schubert's piano sonatas are second only to Beethoven's in their emotional intensity and mastery. They combine traditional song and dance forms with classical musical techniques.
All of Schubert's works are imbued with the charm of his beloved city - old Vienna. During his life, he did not always have it easy, and Vienna did not always appreciate his talent. After his death, many unpublished manuscripts remained. Musicians and critics, friends and relatives of the composer made a lot of efforts to find, embody and publish a significant number of his works. The popularization of this wonderful music continued for a century. It led to worldwide recognition of the musical genius Franz Peter Schubert.
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Franz Peter Schubert was born in the suburbs of Vienna into the family of a Lichtenthal parish school teacher and an amateur musician. His father, Franz Theodor Schubert, came from a family of Moravian peasants; mother, Elisabeth Schubert (née Fitz), was the daughter of a Silesian mechanic. Of their fourteen children, nine died at an early age, and one of Franz's brothers, Ferdinand, also devoted himself to music.
Franz showed musical talent very early. His first mentors were members of his household: his father taught him to play the violin, and his older brother Ignatz taught him to play the piano. From the age of six he studied at the parish school of Lichtenthal. From the age of seven he took organ lessons from the bandmaster of the Lichtental church. The regent of the parish church, M. Holzer, taught him to sing..
Thanks to his beautiful voice at the age of eleven, Franz was accepted as a “singing boy” into the Viennese court chapel and into the Konvikt (boarding school). There his friends became Joseph von Spaun, Albert Stadler and Anton Holzapfel. Wenzel Ružička taught Schubert general bass; later Antonio Salieri took Schubert to study for free and taught counterpoint and composition (until 1816). Schubert was engaged not only in singing, but also met instrumental works Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, since he was second violin in the Konvikt orchestra.
His talent as a composer soon emerged. From 1810 to 1813, Schubert wrote an opera, a symphony, piano pieces and songs.
Schubert struggled with mathematics and Latin in his studies, and in 1813 he was expelled from the choir because his voice was breaking. Schubert returned home and entered the teachers' seminary, from which he graduated in 1814. Then he got a job as a teacher at the school where his father worked (he worked at this school until 1818). In his spare time, he composed music. He studied mainly Gluck, Mozart and Beethoven. He wrote his first independent works - the opera "Satan's Pleasure Castle" and the Mass in F major - in 1814.
Maturity
Schubert's work did not correspond to his calling, and he made attempts to establish himself as a composer. But publishers refused to publish his works. In the spring of 1816, he was denied the post of bandmaster in Laibach (now Ljubljana). Soon Joseph von Spaun introduced Schubert to the poet Franz von Schober. Schober arranged for Schubert to meet the famous baritone Johann Michael Vogl. Schubert's songs performed by Vogl began to enjoy great popularity in the Viennese salons. Schubert's first success came from Goethe's ballad “The Forest King” (“Erlkönig”), which he set to music in 1816. In January 1818, Schubert's first composition was published - the song Erlafsee(as a supplement to the anthology edited by F. Sartori).
Among Schubert's friends were the official J. Spaun, the amateur musician A. Holzapfel, the amateur poet F. Schober, the poet I. Mayrhofer, the poet and comedian E. Bauernfeld, the artists M. Schwind and L. Kupelwieser, the composers A. Hüttenbrenner and J . Schubert, singer A. Milder-Hauptmann. They were fans of Schubert's work and periodically supported him financial assistance.
In 1823 he was elected an honorary member of the Styrian and Linz musical unions.
In the 1820s, Schubert began to have health problems. In December 1822 he fell ill, but after a stay in hospital in the autumn of 1823 his health improved.
Last years
In 1897, the publishers Breitkopf and Hertel released a scientifically verified edition of the composer's works, the editor-in-chief of which was Johannes Brahms. Twentieth-century composers such as Benjamin Britten, Richard Strauss, and George Crum were either promoters of Schubert's work or made allusions to his work in their own music. Britten, who was an excellent pianist, accompanied many of Schubert's songs and often played his solos and duets.
Unfinished Symphony
The time of creation of the symphony in B minor DV 759 (“Unfinished”) was the autumn of 1822. It was dedicated to the amateur musical society in Graz, and Schubert presented two parts of it in 1824.
The manuscript was kept for more than 40 years by Schubert's friend Anselm Hüttenbrenner, until it was discovered by the Viennese conductor Johann Herbeck and performed in a concert in 1865. (The first two movements completed by Schubert were performed, and instead of the missing 3rd and 4th movements, the final movement from Schubert’s early Third Symphony in D major was performed.) The symphony was published in 1866 in the form of the first two movements.
The reasons why Schubert did not complete the “Unfinished” Symphony are still unclear. Apparently, he intended to bring it to its logical conclusion: the first two parts were completely finished, and the 3rd part (in the nature of a scherzo) remained in sketches. There are no sketches for the ending (or they may have been lost).
For a long time there was a point of view that the “Unfinished” symphony is a completely completed work, since the circle of images and their development exhausts itself within two parts. As a comparison, they talked about Beethoven's sonatas in two movements and that later works of this kind became common among Romantic composers. However, this version is contradicted by the fact that the first two movements completed by Schubert were written in different keys, far from each other. (Such cases have not occurred either before or after him.)
There is also an opinion that the music that became one of the intermissions to Rosamund, written in sonata form, in the key of B minor and having a dramatic character. But this point of view has no documentary evidence.
Currently, there are several options for completing the “Unfinished” Symphony (in particular, options by English musicologist Brian Newbould and Russian composer Anton Safronov).
Essays
- Operas - Alfonso and Estrella (1822; staged 1854, Weimar), Fierrabras (1823; staged 1897, Karlsruhe), 3 unfinished, including Count von Gleichen, and others;
- Singspiel (7), including Claudina von Villa Bella (on a text by Goethe, 1815, the first of 3 acts has been preserved; staged 1978, Vienna), The Twin Brothers (1820, Vienna), The Conspirators, or Home War (1823; staged 1861 , Frankfurt am Main);
- Music for plays - The Magic Harp (1820, Vienna), Rosamund, Princess of Cyprus (1823, ibid.);
- For soloists, choir and orchestra - 7 masses (1814-1828), German Requiem (1818), Magnificat (1815), offertories and other spiritual works, oratorios, cantatas, including Victory song Miriam (1828);
- For orchestra - symphonies (1813; 1815; 1815; Tragic, 1816; 1816; Small C major, 1818; 1821, unfinished; Unfinished, 1822; Major C major, 1828), 8 overtures;
- Chamber instrumental ensembles - 4 sonatas (1816-1817), fantasy (1827) for violin and piano; sonata for arpeggione and piano (1824), 2 piano trios (1827, 1828?), 2 string trios (1816, 1817), 14 or 16 string quartets (1811-1826), Trout piano quintet (1819?), string quintet ( 1828), octet for strings and winds (1824), Introduction and variations on the theme of the song “Withered Flowers” (“Trockene Blumen” D 802) for flute and piano, etc.;
- For piano 2 hands - 23 sonatas (including 6 unfinished; 1815-1828), fantasy (Wanderer, 1822, etc.), 11 impromptu (1827-1828), 6 musical moments(1823-1828), rondos, variations and other pieces, over 400 dances (waltzes, ländlers, German dances, minuets, ecosaises, gallops, etc.; 1812-1827);
- For piano 4 hands - sonatas, overtures, fantasies, Hungarian divertissement (1824), rondos, variations, polonaises, marches.
- Vocal ensembles for men, women's voices And mixed compositions accompanied and unaccompanied;
- Songs for voice and piano (more than 600), including the cycles “The Beautiful Millwoman” (1823) and “Winter Road” (1827), the collection “Swan Song” (1828), “The Third Song of Ellen” (“Ellens dritter Gesang” , also known as Schubert’s “Ave Maria”), “The Forest King” (“Erlkönig”, based on poems by J. W. Goethe, 1816).
Catalog of works
Since relatively few of his works were published during the composer's lifetime, only a few of them have their own opus number, but even in such cases the number does not accurately reflect the time of creation of the work. In 1951, musicologist Otto Erich Deutsch published a catalog of Schubert's works, where all of the composer's works are arranged chronologically according to the time they were written.
Memory
In honor of musical piece Franz Schubert "Rosamund" named the asteroid (540) Rosamund, discovered in 1904 [ ] .
see also
Notes
- , With. 609.
- Schubert Franz Peter / Yu. N. Khokhlov // Great Soviet encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
- Schubert Franz (undefined) . Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000. Retrieved March 24, 2012. Archived May 31, 2012.
- // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
- Walther Dürr, Andreas Krause (Hrsg.): Schubert Handbuch, Bärenreiter/Metzler, Kassel u.a. bzw. Stuttgart u.a., 2. Aufl. 2007, S. 68, ISBN 978-3-7618-2041-4
- Dietmar Grieser: Der Onkel aus Preßburg. Auf österreichischen Spuren durch die Slowakei, Amalthea-Verlag, Wien 2009, ISBN 978-3-85002-684-0, S. 184
- Andreas Otte, Konrad Wink. Kerners Krankheiten großer Musiker. - Schattauer, Stuttgart/New York, 6. Aufl. 2008, S. 169,
Biography and episodes of life Franz Schubert. When born and died Franz Schubert, memorable places and dates important events his life. Composer quotes, Imagesand video.
Years of life of Franz Schubert:
born January 31, 1797, died November 19, 1828
Epitaph
“Music buried here a precious treasure, but even more wonderful hopes.”
Inscription engraved on the grave monument of Franz SchubertBiography
Franz Schubert's whole life was inextricably linked with music. The future composer spent his childhood in the suburbs of Vienna, in the house of a teacher who loved to play a little music in his spare time. It was his father and older brother who became the first teachers of Franz, who showed his musical abilities early. The young talent was taught to play the violin and piano. This was followed by organ lessons. Possessing an excellent voice, at the age of eleven Schubert became a “singing boy” of the Viennese court chapel and at the Konvikt school. Here he became acquainted with the works of Mozart and Haydn, and Antonio Salieri himself acted as his teacher of composition and counterpoint.
Franz Schubert's talent as a composer emerged around the age of thirteen, and three years later he had already written an opera, several piano pieces and a symphony. Around this time, his voice began to “break”, and the boy was expelled from the choir. This was followed by studying at a teacher's seminary and teaching at the same school where Schubert's father worked. All yours free time Franz devotes himself to composing music, while simultaneously studying the works of such masters as Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn.
Realizing that he has no vocation for teaching, Schubert does everything possible to become a successful composer. But the greatest interest in his musical works began to appear only after the death of Franz Schubert. However, the public concert of 1828 still managed to make a splash in the world of music. It is considered the only successful concert in the composer's history. In any case, for the first time the composer managed to earn at least a decent fee from a concert.On November 19, 1828, the public is shocked by the news of the death of Schubert, who died at the age of less than 32 years. The composer spent the last few years in illness, but his health seemed to be improving. The cause of Schubert's death was typhoid fever, which led to a fever that severely tormented him for two weeks. Franz Schubert's funeral took place at the Wehring cemetery. Almost 60 years later, Schubert's ashes were reburied in Vienna's Central Cemetery.
Life line
January 31, 1797 Date of birth of Franz Peter Schubert.
1810 The beginning of composing activity.
1813 Admission to teachers' seminary.
1816 First creative success with the ballad “Forest King”.
1823 Election to honorary members of the Styrian and Linz Music Unions.
March 26, 1828 Date of the only successful public concert.
November 19, 1828 Date of death of Schubert.
January 22, 1888 Date of reburial of Schubert's ashes at the Vienna Central Cemetery.Memorable places
1. The city of Vienna, where Franz Schubert was born and lived.
2. The city of Lichtental, where Schubert studied music.
3. The Court Chapel in Vienna, where Schubert performed as a “singing boy”.
4. The city of Zelezovce in Slovakia, where Schubert lived.
5. Vienna Central Cemetery, where the ashes of Franz Schubert are now buried.
6. Schubert House in Vienna (now Schubert Museum-Apartment).
7. Vienna City Park, where the monument to Schubert is erected.Episodes of life
During his lifetime, Franz Schubert still had short-term success. For example, his songs performed by Vogl, a popular Austrian singer at that time, began to enjoy extraordinary popularity in the music salons of Vienna. The ballad “Forest King” brought its author his first success.
To this day, musicologists argue why the composer never completed the famous “Unfinished Symphony.” Some believe that in fact the composition is not unfinished at all, and a similar structure of the work was characteristic of many romantic composers of that period.
Covenant
“My writings arose from my understanding of music and my pain; those of them that pain alone gave rise to seem to have pleased the world least of all.”
A story about Franz Schubert from the series of programs “Project Encyclopedia”
Condolences
"Schubert had a rare ability<...>to feel and convey the joys and sorrows of life, as most people feel and would like to convey them if they had Schubert’s talent.”
Boris Asafiev, composer“I see in Schubert one of the greatest melodists of all time.”
Gerard Griset, composer“I exclusively love Schubert. He is different from other composers of his era. Poor fellow, he considered himself inferior to Beethoven, while he contributed something very innovative to music.”
Yanis Xenakis, composerSchubert lived only thirty-one years. He died exhausted physically and mentally, exhausted by failures in life. None of the composer's nine symphonies were performed during his lifetime. Of the six hundred songs, about two hundred were published, and of the two dozen piano sonatas, only three.
***
Schubert was not alone in his dissatisfaction with the life around him. This dissatisfaction and protest of the best people of society were reflected in a new direction in art - romanticism. Schubert was one of the first Romantic composers.
Franz Schubert was born in 1797 in the Vienna suburb of Lichtenthal. His father, a school teacher, came from peasant family. Mother was the daughter of a mechanic. The family loved music very much and constantly organized musical evenings. His father played the cello, and his brothers played various instruments.Having discovered musical abilities in little Franz, his father and older brother Ignatz began to teach him to play the violin and piano. Soon the boy was able to take part in home performances of string quartets, playing the viola part. Franz had in a wonderful voice. He sang in the church choir, performing difficult solo parts. The father was pleased with his son's success.
When Franz was eleven years old, he was assigned to a konvikt - a training school for church singers. Situation educational institution favored the development of the boy's musical abilities. In the school student orchestra, he played in the first violin group, and sometimes even served as conductor. The orchestra's repertoire was varied. Schubert met symphonic works various genres (symphonies, overtures), quartets, vocal compositions. He confided to his friends that Mozart's Symphony in G Minor shocked him. High example Beethoven's music became for him.
Already in those years, Schubert began to compose. His first works were fantasia for piano, a number of songs. The young composer writes a lot, with great passion, often to the detriment of other school activities. The boy's outstanding abilities attracted the attention of the famous court composer Salieri, with whom Schubert studied for a year.
Over time, rapid development musical talent Franz began to cause concern in his father. Knowing well how difficult the path of musicians was, even world famous ones, the father wanted to protect his son from a similar fate. As punishment for his excessive passion for music, he even forbade him to be at home on holidays. But no prohibitions could delay the development of the boy’s talent.Schubert decided to break with the convict. Throw away boring and unnecessary textbooks, forget about worthless cramming that drains your heart and mind, and go free. Give yourself entirely to music, live only by it and for its sake. On October 28, 1813, he completed his first symphony in D major. On last sheet Schubert wrote in the score: “The end and the end.” The end of the symphony and the end of the convict.
For three years he served as an assistant teacher, teaching children literacy and other elementary subjects. But his attraction to music and his desire to compose becomes stronger. One can only be amazed at the resilience of his creative nature. It was during these years of school hard labor from 1814 to 1817, when it seemed that everything was against him, that he created an amazing number of works.
In 1815 alone, Schubert wrote 144 songs, 4 operas, 2 symphonies, 2 masses, 2 piano sonatas, and a string quartet. Among the creations of this period there are many that are illuminated by the unfading flame of genius. These are the Tragic and Fifth B-flat major symphonies, as well as the songs “Rosochka”, “Margarita at the Spinning Wheel”, “The Forest King”, “Margarita at the Spinning Wheel” - a monodrama, a confession of the soul.
“The Forest King” is a drama with several characters. They have their own characters, sharply great friend from each other, their actions, completely dissimilar, their aspirations, opposing and hostile, their feelings, incompatible and polar.
The story behind the creation of this masterpiece is amazing. It arose in a fit of inspiration.” “One day,” recalls Shpaun, a friend of the composer, “we went to see Schubert, who was then living with his father. We found our friend in the greatest excitement. With a book in his hand, he walked back and forth around the room, reading “The Forest King” aloud. Suddenly he sat down at the table and began to write. When he stood up, the magnificent ballad was ready.”
The father's desire to make his son a teacher with a small but reliable income failed. The young composer firmly decided to devote himself to music and left teaching at school. He was not afraid of a quarrel with his father. The entire subsequent short life of Schubert represents a creative feat. Experiencing great material need and deprivation, he worked tirelessly, creating one work after another.
Financial adversity, unfortunately, prevented him from marrying his beloved girl. Teresa Grob sang in the church choir. From the very first rehearsals, Schubert noticed her, although she was inconspicuous. Blonde-haired, with whitish eyebrows, as if faded in the sun, and a grainy face, like most dull blondes, she did not sparkle with beauty at all.Rather, on the contrary - at first glance she seemed ugly. On round face traces of smallpox were clearly visible. But as soon as the music sounded, the colorless face was transformed. It had just been extinguished and therefore lifeless. Now, illuminated inner light, it lived and radiated.No matter how accustomed Schubert was to the callousness of fate, he did not imagine that fate would treat him so cruelly. “Happy is he who finds a true friend. Even happier is he who finds it in his wife.” , he wrote in his diary.
However, the dreams went to waste. Teresa's mother, who raised her without a father, intervened. Her father owned a small silk-spinning factory. Having died, he left the family a small fortune, and the widow turned all her worries to ensuring that the already meager capital did not decrease.
Naturally, she pinned hopes for a better future on her daughter’s marriage. And it is even more natural that Schubert did not suit her. In addition to the penny salary of an assistant schoolteacher, he had music, which, as we know, is not capital. You can live by music, but you can’t live by it.
A submissive girl from the suburbs, brought up in subordination to her elders, did not even allow disobedience in her thoughts. The only thing she allowed herself was tears. Having cried quietly until the wedding, Teresa walked down the aisle with swollen eyes.
She became the wife of a pastry chef and lived a long, monotonously prosperous gray life, dying at the age of seventy-eight. By the time she was taken to the cemetery, Schubert’s ashes had long since decayed in the grave.
For several years (from 1817 to 1822) Schubert lived alternately with one or the other of his comrades. Some of them (Spaun and Stadler) were friends of the composer from the convict days. Later they were joined by the multi-talented artist Schober, the artist Schwind, the poet Mayrhofer, the singer Vogl and others. The soul of this circle was Schubert.
Vertically challenged, dense, stocky, very short-sighted, Schubert had enormous charm. His radiant eyes were especially beautiful, in which, as in a mirror, kindness, shyness and gentleness of character were reflected. And his delicate, changeable complexion and curly brown hair gave his appearance a special attractiveness.
During meetings, friends got acquainted with fiction, poetry of the past and present. They argued heatedly, discussing issues that arose, and criticized the existing social order. But sometimes such meetings were devoted exclusively to Schubert’s music; they even received the name “Schubertiad”.
On such evenings, the composer did not leave the piano, immediately composing ecosaises, waltzes, landlers and other dances. Many of them remained unrecorded. Schubert's songs, which he often performed himself, evoked no less admiration. Often these friendly gatherings turned into country walks.Saturated with bold, living thought, poetry, beautiful music, these meetings represented a rare contrast with the empty and meaningless entertainment of secular youth.
The unsettled life and cheerful entertainment could not distract Schubert from his creative, stormy, continuous, inspired work. He worked systematically, day after day. “I compose every morning, when I finish one piece, I start another” , - admitted the composer. Schubert composed music unusually quickly.On some days he created up to a dozen songs! Musical thoughts were born continuously, the composer barely had time to write them down on paper. And if she wasn’t at hand, he wrote to back side menu, on scraps and scraps. Needing money, he especially suffered from a lack of music paper. Caring friends supplied the composer with it. Music also visited him in his dreams.
When he woke up, he tried to write it down as soon as possible, so he did not part with his glasses even at night. And if the work did not immediately develop into a perfect and complete form, the composer continued to work on it until he was completely satisfied.
Thus, for some poetic texts, Schubert wrote up to seven versions of songs! During this period, Schubert wrote two of his wonderful works - “The Unfinished Symphony” and the cycle of songs “The Beautiful Miller’s Wife”. ” Unfinished Symphony”consists not of four parts, as is customary, but of two. And the point is not at all that Schubert did not have time to finish the remaining two parts. He started on the third - a minuet, as the classical symphony demanded, but abandoned his idea. The symphony, as it sounded, was completely completed. Everything else would be superfluous and unnecessary.
And if classic shape requires two more parts, you have to sacrifice form. Which is what he did. Schubert's element was song. In it he reached unprecedented heights. He raised the genre, previously considered insignificant, to a power artistic perfection. And having done this, he went further - saturated with songfulness chamber music- quartets, quintets, - and then symphonic.The combination of what seemed incompatible - miniature with large-scale, small with large, song with symphony - gave a new, qualitatively different from everything that came before - a lyric-romantic symphony. Her world is a world of simple and intimate human feelings, the most subtle and deep psychological experiences. This is a confession of the soul, expressed not with a pen or a word, but with sound.
The song cycle “The Beautiful Miller's Wife” is a clear confirmation of this. Schubert wrote it based on poems by the German poet Wilhelm Müller. “The Beautiful Miller's Wife” is an inspired creation, illuminated by gentle poetry, joy, and the romance of pure and high feelings.
The cycle consists of twenty separate songs. And all together they form a single dramatic play with a beginning, twists and turns and a denouement, with one lyrical hero - a wandering mill apprentice.
However, the hero in “The Beautiful Miller's Wife” is not alone. Next to him there is another, no less important hero - a stream. He lives his stormy, intensely changing life.
Works last decade Schubert's life is very varied. He writes symphonies, piano sonatas, quartets, quintets, trios, masses, operas, a lot of songs and much other music. But during the composer’s lifetime his works were rarely performed, and most of they remained in manuscripts.
Having neither funds nor influential patrons, Schubert had almost no opportunity to publish his works. Songs, the main thing in Schubert's work, were then considered more suitable for home music playing than for open concerts. Compared to the symphony and opera, songs were not considered an important musical genre.Not a single Schubert opera was accepted for production, and not a single one of his symphonies was performed by an orchestra. Moreover, the notes of his best Eighth and Ninth Symphonies were found only many years after the composer’s death. And the songs based on Goethe’s words, sent to him by Schubert, never received the poet’s attention.
Timidity, inability to manage his affairs, reluctance to ask, to humiliate himself in front of influential people were also an important reason for Schubert's constant financial difficulties. But, despite the constant lack of money, and often hunger, the composer did not want to go either into the service of Prince Esterhazy or as a court organist, where he was invited. At times, Schubert did not even have a piano and composed without an instrument. Financial difficulties did not prevent him from composing music.And yet the Viennese came to know and love Schubert’s music, which itself made its way to their hearts. Like the old ones folk songs, passed from singer to singer, his works gradually gained admirers. These were not regulars of brilliant court salons, representatives of the upper class. Like a forest stream, Schubert's music found its way to the hearts of ordinary residents of Vienna and its suburbs.
Big role The outstanding singer of that time, Johann Michael Vogl, played here, performing Schubert's songs to the accompaniment of the composer himself. Insecurity and continuous failures in life had a serious impact on Schubert's health. His body was exhausted. Reconciliation with father in the last years of life, calmer, balanced home life they couldn't change anything anymore. Schubert could not stop composing music; this was the meaning of his life.But creativity required a huge expenditure of effort and energy, which became less and less every day. At twenty-seven years old, the composer wrote to his friend Schober: “I feel like an unhappy, insignificant person in the world.”
This mood was reflected in the music of the last period. If earlier Schubert created mainly light, joyful works, then a year before his death he wrote songs, combining them common name"Winter Way".
This has never happened to him before. He wrote about suffering and suffered. He wrote about hopeless melancholy and was hopelessly melancholy. He wrote about the excruciating pain of his soul and experienced mental anguish. “Winter Way” is a journey through torment and lyrical hero, and the author.The cycle, written in the blood of the heart, excites the blood and stirs the hearts. A thin thread woven by the artist connected the invisible, but indissoluble bond the soul of one person with the soul of millions of people. She opened their hearts to the flow of feelings rushing from his heart.
In 1828, through the efforts of friends, the only concert of his works during Schubert’s lifetime was organized. The concert was a huge success and brought great joy to the composer. His plans for the future became more rosy. Despite his failing health, he continues to compose. The end came unexpectedly. Schubert fell ill with typhus.
The weakened body could not withstand the serious illness, and on November 19, 1828, Schubert died. The remaining property was valued for pennies. Many works have disappeared.The famous poet of the time, Grillparzer, who had composed a funeral eulogy for Beethoven a year earlier, wrote on the modest monument to Schubert in the Vienna cemetery:
A stunning, deep and, it seems to me, mysterious melody. Sadness, faith, renunciation.
F. Schubert composed his song Ave Maria in 1825. Initially, this work by F. Schubert had little to do with Ave Maria. The title of the song was "Ellen's Third Song" and the lyrics to which the music was written were taken from German translation Walter Scott's poem "The Maid of the Lake" by Adam Stork.