Franz Peter Schubert (German: Franz Peter Schubert; January 31, 1797, Lichtenthal - November 19, 1828, Vienna) is an Austrian composer, one of the founders of romanticism in music, the author of more than a thousand musical works, including more than 600 songs, nine symphonies, a large number of works of chamber and liturgical music.

Public interest in Schubert's music during his lifetime was moderate, but it increased significantly after the composer's death and has withstood the test of time — Schubert's works have not lost their popularity and are among the most famous examples of classical music.

Interesting facts about Franz Schubert

It is known for certain that almost all existing portraits of the composer were quite flattering. So, for example, he never wore white collars. And a direct, purposeful look was not characteristic of him at all - even his close friends, who adored him, called Schubert Schwamal ("schwam" - German for "sponge"), referring to his soft character.

Many memories of contemporaries about the unique absent-mindedness and forgetfulness of the composer have survived. Sheets of music paper with sketches of works could be found everywhere. It is even said that once he saw the sheet music of a piece, immediately sat down and played it. "What a magical thing! - exclaimed Franz, - whose is she?". It turned out that the play was written by him. And the manuscript of the famous Great Symphony in C major was accidentally discovered 10 years after his death.

Schubert wrote about 600 vocal works, two-thirds of them before the age of 19, and in general, the number of his works exceeds 1000, it is impossible to establish this precisely, since some of them remained unfinished essays, and some are probably lost forever.

Schubert wrote many orchestral works, but he never heard any of them in public performance during his entire life. Some researchers ironically believe that perhaps they immediately guess that the author is an orchestral violist. According to Schubert's biography, the composer learned not only to sing but also to play the viola in the court choir, and he performed the same part in the student orchestra. It is this in his symphonies, masses and other instrumental works that is written most vividly and expressively, with a large number of technically and rhythmically complex figures.

Few people know that for most of Schubert's life he didn't even have a piano at home! He composed on the guitar! And in some works it is also clearly heard in the accompaniment. For example, in the same "Ava Maria" or "Serenade".

There were legends about his shyness. He lived not just at the same time as Beethoven, whom he adored, not just in the same city - they lived literally on neighboring streets, but they never met! Two of the biggest pillars of European musical culture, brought together by fate in one geographical and historical marker, drifted apart due to the irony of fate or the cowardice of one of them.

However, after his death, people united their memory: Schubert was buried next to Beethoven's grave at the Wehring Cemetery, and later both burials were moved to the Central Vienna Cemetery.

But even here the insidious grimace of fate appeared. In 1828, on the anniversary of Beethoven's death, Schubert organized an evening in memory of the great composer. It was the only time in his life when he went out into a huge hall and performed his music dedicated to an idol for listeners. For the first time he heard applause - the audience triumphed, shouted "a new Beethoven is born!". For the first time, he earned a lot of money - it was enough to buy (the first in his life) a grand piano. It already seemed to him future success and fame, national love... But only a few months later he fell ill and died... And the grand piano had to be sold in order to provide him with a separate grave.