Schubert's Birthday 2010

        Franz Peter Schubert was born into a musical family in a small part of Vienna, Austria called Himmelpfortgrund (present day Alsergrund) on January 31st of 1797. He died on November 19th, 1828 at the age of 31 of what was said to be typhoid fever. After having contracted syphilis in 1822 his health began deteriorating and his visit to a physician in the late summer of 1828 confirmed that he was in poor shape and only convinced him that his death may be drawing near. Although typhoid fever may have been the final cause of his death, it is noted that some of his symptoms were strikingly similar to those of the late stages of syphilis and mercury poisoning, mercury having been used in treating syphilis during the time period. Due to the nature of the disease it is likely that his family tried to keep it under wraps by postulating the typhoid fever diagnosis.

        Schubert received formal training in music, including violin and piano lessons, during most of his youth and began in music at a young age. In 1814 he began his two year career of teaching at his father's school, although without much enjoyment, and also took composition lessons from Italian composer and Austrian imperial Kapellmeister Antonio Salieri. He composed nearly 1,000 works, including over 600 Lieder (a German style song generally written for voice and piano), nine symphonies (seven complete symphonies, two movements of his "Unfinished" Symphony, and a complete sketch of his 9th), operas, sacred music, some incidental music, much chamber music, and many pieces for solo piano. During his days as a composer his renown was not widespread, and although he had income here and there from his compositions, Schubert's music did not become very popular until the last year of his life. Due to his lack of permanent appointment or employment he came to rely on the generosity of his family and friends along with giving occasional piano lessons for extra money.

        This year Franz Schubert will be 213, and although many of his 31 years may not have shown him the success he would have liked, he left a great imprint on the genre of the Lied, is now revered for his very harmonic and melodic writing, and is considered to be one of the greatest Romantic composers. Czech composer Antonín Dvorák wrote of him in 1894, "All other songwriters have followed in his footsteps." Alles gut zum Geburtstag, Franz.