Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

## Introduction

**Schubert** was born in Himmelpfortgrund ( now a part of Alsergrund), Vienna, Archduchy of Austria on 31 January 1797. Franz Schubert's parents were of the working class: mother a housemaid before marriage, and the father a school teacher. Both parents had no recognizable musical talent, however the father passed on his basic knowledge to get Schubert started. Schubert's early life of music was

   taught on the violin by his father ( at six years old) and his brother, Ignaz taught him piano. Franz Schubert gained more experience from a friendly joiners apprentice who was neighboring a pianoforte warehouse where Schubert could practice on higher quality instruments. During all of this, Schubert also played the viola in the family  string quartet with his brothers, Ferdinand and Ignaz on the first and second violin and his father on the cello. Schubert received a scholarship to Stadtkonvikt, imperial boarding school where he was a choir-boy. Through gaining exposure from overtures, symphonies of famous composers, Schubert began to write compositions that started to show his strengths. Occasionally Schubert was allowed to lead the Stadtkonvikts orchestra. Franz Schubert lived a short life just before his 32 birthday, how ever the height of his fame was between 1820 & 1823. When his operettas and songs began to be preformed by professionals and locals on both public and private concerts. A large number of his compositions are songs for solo voice and piano, a little under half of his works.

## Works

Quintetto per archi in do maggiore op. 163 D. 956 ( String Quintet in C Major D. 956)

* Played on: Two Cellos, Two Violins, One Viola

* Allegro ma non troppo ( C Major)

* Adagio ( E Major)

* Scherzo e Trio ( C Major)

* Allegretto ( A Major)

Franz Schubert's final chamber work, String Quintet in C major (D. 956, Op. pathos. 163) also known as " Cello Quintet" for short; because "scored for a standard string quartet plus an extra cello instead of the extra viola which is more usual in conventional string quintets." (wiki,StringQuintet) It was composed in 1828 and finalized two months before he died. In 1850 it was publicly heard and three years later it was published. This was Schuberts' finest chamber work along with his best chamber work of all time. This work received praise for being " sublime" and possessing " bottomless pathos". (wiki StringQuintet)

## Comparisons

### Fourth movement: *Allegretto*[edit]

It is said, the last movement (Allegretto) resembles the finale of Mozart's C major quintet. Distinctly, the theme demonstrates Hungarian influences. The piece written to play in C major, but is built upon the exchange of the major and minor modes. "It has unusual technical features, such as the final two notes: the flat supertonic (D-flat) and the tonic (C), played *forte* in all parts." ( wiki String Quintet)

## Observation

Quintetto per archi in do maggiore op. 163 D. 956 ( String Quintet in C Major D. 956)

These pieces start off soft, gradually playing at a fast tempo. The feeling of the music is high energy noticing the expressions on the preforms faces show excitement, sadness, relax along with body language. Watching the preforms you can see how they feel during the pieces.  Some parts of the pieces feel like a romantic story of a male & female. One specific part of a back and forth contrast of high ( violin, viola) and deep (cello) sound feels like a couple verbally conversing or dancing together. During the second piece feelings through out are happy, energetic, sad, anxiety. The combination of deeper sound and higher sound compliment each other. Plucking strings between cellos & violin sounds soothing. The third piece is also energetic, fast tempo and loud. The rhythm is smooth.
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## Work Cited

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz\_Schubert

https://www.biography.com/people/franz-schubert-9475558

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String\_Quintet\_(Schubert)