Royalty Free Music - Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert- Biography

Franz Schubert was a composer of beautiful melodies and his music conveys a deep range of emotions conveyed with warm charm and eloquence.

He was born in Vienna, Austria on the 31st of January, 1797, the twelfth of sixteen children. His Father encouraged his clear talent for music, and by the age of ten Franz was writing many compositions and singing in the local church choir. In 1808 he joined the Stadtkonvikt in Vienna which provided him with a better grounding in composition, orchestral playing and choral singing and he became acquainted with the music of Mozart and Haydn, along with the works of more contemporary composers such as Beethoven. In 1812 he was taken on as a student by Kappellmeister Antonio Salieri.

By 1813 he left his student years behind and spent two years as a teacher in his Father's school, a job which he disliked, and he longed for work as a paid composer. 1816 saw Schubert leave teaching and move in with a friend Franz Von Schober. From this point on, Schubert strove to earn a living through composition, helped by family and friends. Unfortunately his constant efforts to succeed in the challenging world of Viennese culture did not bring him the recognition he sought, although his considerable output shows that he never gave up.

A small income from publications was the only recompense he recieved. It is remarkable now to think that such an exquisite body of work should be so sparsely considered by his contemporaries

Franz Schubert died on November 19th, 1828, at his brother's home, and was buried next to Beethoven in Wahring village cemetary. In 1888 both graves were moved to the central cemetary in Vienna, and are now alongside the graves of Brahms and Strauss. In death, not life, Schubert finds his place with his peers.

His music has gradually become rediscovered, and is now available in our royalty free music library. Mendlessohn and Liszt played their part in this, as well as Sir George Grove and Arthur Sullivan, who in 1867 (following a visit to Vienna) brought to the attention of the public large quantities of previously unknown Schubert compositions including operas, masses, "Rosamunde" and many songs. Schubert's 600 Lieder songs are now well-loved and often performed and recorded, his Symphonies and song-cycles are immensely poetic, and all his compositions bring to the world of the 21st century a window into the soul of this young, ever-striving composer.

Listen to royalty free Classical music

Royalty Free Music Library