A
Schubert Chronology1797
Born January 31 in Liechtental, a suburb of Vienna,the
fourth of five surviving children of schoolmasterFranz
Schubert and his wife, Elisabeth.1807
Starts taking lessons in violin, piano, and singing fromthe
local choirmaster, having already receivedinstruction
from his father and his brother Ignaz.1808
Becomes a soprano chorister and scholarship studentat
the Imperial and Royal City SeminarytheStadtkonvikta
boys private school. Meets Josef vonSpaun,
who becomes his close friend and advocate.1810
Writes a fantasy for piano four-hands, his earliestsurviving
composition.1812
Begins studying with court composer AntonioSalieri.
Attempts first opera, Der
Spiegelritter
(onlyone
act completed); writes string quartets andorchestral
overtures. Mother dies.1813
Leaves the Stadtkonvikt and enrolls at a teacherscollege.
Composes First Symphony and begins thethree-act
opera Des
Teufels
Lustschloss.1814
Becomes an assistant teacher at his father's school.Conducts
his First Mass at the Liechrental church.Meets
poetJohann Mayrhofer, who becomes a friendand
song collaborator. In December, he composeshis
first great song,
Gretchen
am
Spinnrade.1815
In a year of enormous productivity, composes Secondand
Third symphonies, four operas, and some 130songs,
including
Erlkonig. Meets
Franz von Schober,a
young dilettante and future leading figure inSchubert's
circle.1816
Applies unsuccessfully for a post as music masterin
Laibach, Slovenia. Finishes Fourth and Fifthsymphonies
and more than 100 songs.1817
Moves to Schober's lodgings in Vienna for thesummer.
Meets many new friends, including thebaritone
Johann Michael Vogi, later the chiefinterpreter
of his songs. Composes seven pianosonatas,
nearly 60 songs,1818
Tutors the daughters of Count Johann Esterhazy inZseliz,
Hungary. On his return, takes up permanentresidence
in Vienna, sharing lodgings with Mayrhoferuntil
1821 and thereafter living alone or withSchober.
Writes Sixth Symphony.1819
Spends the summer traveling with Vogi in UpperAustria,
where he composes the Trout
Quintet.1820
Stage works Die
Zwllingsbruder
and Die______Zauberharfe
performed. Composes Quartet Movement in C Minor1821
In January the first of many Schubettiads, privateparties
devoted to Schubert's music, is held atSchober's
lodgings. Vogi creates a sensation with thefirst
public performance
oiErlkonig-,
the song ispublished
as Schubert's Opus 1. Schubert meetsthe
painter Moritz von Schwind, who joins theSchubert
circle.1822
Completes opera Alfonso
undEstrella
to Schober'slibretto.
Dedicates a set of piano variations toBeethoven,
whom he may have met this year. Alsomeets
the writer Eduard von Bauernfeld, the lastimportant
member to join the Schubert circle.Writes
the
Unfinished
Symphony and theWanderer
Fantasy.1823
Schubert enters Vienna General Hospital in Mayfor
treatment of venereal disease. With increasingpublication
his fame spreads outside the Austriancapital.
Becomes an honorary member of the musicalsocieties
ofGraz and Linz. Composes operas DieVerschworenen
and
Fierrabras,
but fails to get theseand
Alfonso
undEstrella
performed. Writes the songcycle
Die scheme
M.ullenn.
The play
Rosamunde
isstagedfor
two performances onlywith Schubert'sincidental
music.1824
Spends a second summer in Zseliz. Composes StringQuartet
in A Minor and String Quartet in D Minor(Death
and the
M.aiden), Piano
Sonata in C (GrandDuo),
and Octet in F.1825
Travels with Vogi in Upper Austria from May toOctober.
Works include three piano sonatas andsongs
to texts from Walter Scott's Lady of
the Lake.1826
Applies unsuccessfully for the position of assistantmusic
director at the court chapel. Writes StringQuartet
in G in addition to settings for threeShakespeare
songs.1827
Serves as a torchbearer at Beethoven's funeral.Elected
an honorary member of the Gesellschaft derMusikfreunde
(the Vienna Philharmonic Society).Begins
to sketch his last opera Der
Grafvon
Gleichen,nevercompleted.
Composesthetwo piano trios,No. Iin
B Flat and No. 2 in E Flat, piano
Impromptus,
andthe
Wmterreise
cycle.1828
Organizes a public concert of his music in March,the
only one in his lifetime. Despite deterioratinghealth,
he composes prodigiously: the F MinorFantasy,
Mass in E Flat, String Quintet in C, hislast
three piano sonatas including the Sonata inB
Flat, the Swan Song
cycle, and DerHirt
auf demFelsen,
a work for soprano, clarinet, and piano.Completes
the Ninth Symphony and beginscounterpoint
lessons but is too ill to continue.Dies
of typhoid fever on November 19, aged 31,aand is buried near Beethoven.
