Franz Schubert

Born on January 31, 1797 in Lichtental Austria Franz Peer Schubert is one of the most incredible pianists and composers. He was an independent composer and lived in poverty most of his life. He usually played his compositions amongst a couple of friends and did not play in public.
Schubert only lived for 32 years but was a productive composer and wrote almost 600 comprehensive symphonies, operas and liturgical music, operas and incidental music pieces. Today Schubert is one of the most frequently performed composers.
When Schubert was only six he began receiving music instruction from his father. A year later he enrolled at his father' music school. He also learn basic violin technique and his brother taught him piano. Schubert became a pupil at the Stadtkonvikt through a choir scholarship. He was introduced to the symphonies and overtures of Mozart as well as the symphonies of Joseph and Michael Haydn. Schubert began a friendship with Joseph von Spaun at this school and von Spaun often supplied Schubert with manuscript paper. The Stadtkonvikt orchestra was the first orchestra Schubert composed music for, Kyrie and a Salve Regina plus a wind octet. He also wrote a cantata for guitar and male voices and his first symphony.
In 1913 Schubert left the Stadtkonvikt for a teaching position at his father's school. He keep on taking private lessons in composition from Salieri and received higher technical training. In 1814 Schubert met Therese Grob and several of his liturgical works were written for her. She was a soloist in the premier of his first Mass in 1814. They wanted marry, but Schubert could not show he could support a family.
In 1815 Schubert composed over 20,000 bars of music. In 1919 Schubert was the private music teacher to the Esterhazy family in Austria. The pay was much better and Schubert continued to compose. He wrote the Marche militaire No. 1 in D major during this time. During his last years he wrote Songs from Sir Walter Scott, Ellens dritter Gesang and Ava Maria. While he composed his health deteriorated. He officially died of typhoid fever although several theories support that he actually died of syphilis. He wrote more than 1,000 works in his sort life. Most of these are songs and he did write seven complete symphonies and the two movements of the Unfinished Symphony. He wrote a huge body of music for solo piano including 21 sonatas and short dances plus many work for piano duets. There are 30 chamber works and fragmentary works. He completed six masses.