Schubert- The King of the Song

Our Composer for the Month of December is Franz Schubert! Did you know that Schubert composed over 1,500 pieces of music in his short 31 years of life?! Over 600 of those were composed for voice and piano. Often these were called Lieds or Lieder, which meant to set Romantic German poems to music. One thing that makes Schubert so important was how he integrated the lyrics into the piano part. The best example of this is Gretchen am Spinnrade. In it, the piano is reminiscent of the spinning wheel. Take a listen to it HERE.

Did you know that when Schubert met Beethoven, it is said that he was so nervous that he just ran away?! Beethoven is known for have saying this about Schubert’s music: "Truly, the spark of divine genius resides in this Schubert!" In March 1827 Schubert was one of the torchbearers at Beethoven’s funeral. Schubert is also buried right next to Beethoven at a cemetery in Vienna, Austria.

Schubert was also known for throwing lots of parties! These parties, called "Schubertiades," were when a group of friends got together to sing and play. Schubert would often premiere his new pieces at these parties. Can you imagine being invited and listening to this music from the master himself?!

Get in touch with your Romantic side and take a listen to the playlist and enjoy learning more about Schubert!