Franz Schubert, a German composer, born at Lichtenthal, near Vienna, Jan. 31, 1797, died in Vienna, Nov. 19, 1828. His father was a school teacher, from whom he received his first lessons. Having a fine voice, he was admitted to the academy of the "Konvict," and became a member of the imperial chapel choir, then conducted by Salieri, whose favorite pupil he was. While at school he experimented on almost every variety of music, to some of which he gave curiously mournful titles, as "The Parricide" and the "Corpse Fantasia." Leaving the academy in 1813, he assisted his father in teaching for three years, but did not neglect his music, for during 1815 alone he wrote more than 100 songs, six operas and operettas, and some symphonic pieces, besides church and chamber music. In 1818 he was engaged by Count Esterházy to teach his two daughters; and while living with this family he composed many of his best quartets and songs. His music was not popular with the Viennese public, and he constantly experienced the mortification of seeing inferior works preferred to his own. In the spring of 1828 he gave his first and only concert.

Intense enthusiasm was awakened, but the encouragement that might have proved his salvation some years before came too late, and after a life of disappointment, embittered by failing health, he died at the age of 31. He left an astonishing number of compositions, including nine symphonies, several operas, masses, overtures, a great deal of chamber and pianoforte music, and about 600 songs. Of all this musie but little was published during his life, and he heard but a very small portion of it publicly performed, being known to his contemporaries mostly as a song writer. He raised the German Lied to a place in musical art which it had not previously occupied. His fame is almost wholly posthumous, and has constantly gained strength since his death. Biographies of Schubert have been written by Kreissle von Hellborn (Vienna, 1864; English translation by E. Wilberforce, London, 1866) and Reiss-mann (Berlin, 1874).