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Franz Schubert music biography continued...

Peter Schubert was born on January 31, 1797 in Vienna, Austria. His father, a music teacher, gave him lessons in the piano, violin and composition when he was a youngster and he continued to study as he grew older. When his genius began to show in composition, Antonio Salieri, a leading composer of the period, became aware of the talented young man and took him under his wing. By 1814, Schubert had already produced a great body of work, including piano pieces, string quartets, his first symphony and a three act opera. Although Schubert was forced by his family to take on a job as a teacher in his father's school, he still continued to compose and he managed to produce more music. During this period he gathered with friends for domestic evenings dedicated to Schubert's songs later known as the "Schubertiads."
In 1822 Schubert got infected by syphilis and was in deep financial needs, marking this time as a dark period. But Schubert still kept creating new master works like "Schöne Müllerin" the "Eighth Symphony ("unfinished")" and a string Quartet d Minor ("Death and the Maiden"). Although he was known at his time as a songwriter, his work included many symphonies, string quartets, piano sonatas and more. Schubert would eventually compose about 600 songs and pave the way for the new musical style known as Romanticism. Public appreciation of his work during his lifetime for a long time was thought to be limited, but when he died at the age of 31 over 100 of his compositions had already appeared in print. He was never able to obtain adequate permanent employment and for most of his life was supported by friends or employed by his father. Today, with his imaginative, lyrical and melodic style, he is considered to be one of the most gifted composers of the 19th century. As one critic put it: "Schubert will forever be one of our most beloved composers, for while he does not shy from showing us the void, he puts his arm around us and consoles us with the most tender love and understanding."