Schubert: Piano Works For Four Hands, Vol. 3

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Franz Schubert (1797-1828)Overture in F major, Op. 34, D. 675 Fantasie in F minor,Op. 103, D. 940 Deutscher with Trios and Two Landler, D. 618 Variations onan Original Theme, Op. 82 No. 2, D. 968aTrois Marches hero?»ques, Op. 27, D. 602Franz Schubert was born in Vienna in 1797, the son of aschoolmaster, and spent the greater part of his short life in the city. Hisparents had settled in Vienna, his father moving there from Moravia in 1783 tojoin his schoolmaster brother at a school in the suburb of Leopoldstadt andmarrying in 1785 a woman who had her origins in Silesia and was to bear himfourteen children. Franz Schubert was the twelfth of these and the fourth tosurvive infancy. He began to learn the piano at the age of five, with the helpof his brother Ignaz, twelve years his senior, and three years later started tolearn the violin, while serving as a chorister at Liechtental church. Fromthere he applied, on the recommendation of Antonio Salieri, to join theImperial Chapel, into which he was accepted in October 1808, as a chorister nowallowed to study at the Akademisches Gymnasium, boarding at the Stadtkonvikt,his future education guaranteed.During his schooldays Schubert formed friendships that hewas to maintain for the rest of his life. After his voice broke in 1812, he wasoffered, as expected, a scholarship to enable him to continue his generaleducation, but he chose instead to train as a primary school teacher, whiledevoting more time to music and, in particular, to composition, the art towhich he was already making a prolific contribution. In 1815 he joined hisfather as an assistant teacher, but showed no great aptitude or liking for thework. Instead he was able to continue the earlier friendships he had formed atschool and form new acquaintances. His meeting in 1816 with Franz von Schoberallowed him to accept an invitation to live in the latter's apartment, anarrangement that relieved him of the necessity of earning his keep in theschoolroom. In August 1817 he returned home again, when room was needed bySchober for his dying brother, and resumed his place, for the moment, in theclassroom. The following summer he spent in part at Zseliz in Hungary as musictutor to the two daughters of Count Johann Karl Esterhazy von Galanta, beforereturning to Vienna to lodge with a new friend, the poet Johann Mayrhofer, anarrangement that continued until near the end of 1820, after which Schubertspent some months living alone, now able to afford the necessary rent.By this period of his life it seemed that Schubert was onthe verge of solid success as a composer and musician. Thanks to his friends,in particular the older singer Johann Michael Vogl, Leopold von Sonnleithnerand others, his music was winning an audience. There was collaboration withSchober on a new opera, later rejected by the Court Opera, but in otherrespects his name was becoming known as a composer, beyond his immediatecircle. He lodged once again with the Schobers in 1822 and 1823 and it