125-396: Bösendorfer (L. Bösendorfer Klavierfabrik GmbH ) is an Austrian piano manufacturer and, since 2008, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation . Bösendorfer is unusual in that it produces 97 - and 92- key models in addition to instruments with standard 88-key keyboards . Bösendorfer, one of the oldest piano manufacturers, was established in 1828 by Ignaz Bösendorfer . It has
250-526: A vast oeuvre , including more than 600 secular vocal works (mainly Lieder ), seven complete symphonies , sacred music , operas , incidental music , and a large body of piano and chamber music . His major works include the art songs " Erlkönig ", " Gretchen am Spinnrade ", and " Ave Maria "; the Trout Quintet ; the Symphony No. 8 in B minor ( Unfinished ); the Symphony No. 9 in C major ( Great );
375-474: A Countess of youthful grace, —A pupil of Galt's; in desperate case Young Schubert surrenders himself to another, And fain would avoid such affectionate pother The setbacks of previous years were compensated by the prosperity and happiness of 1825. Publication had been moving more rapidly, the stress of poverty was for a time lightened, and in the summer he had a pleasant holiday in Upper Austria where he
500-674: A Model 170 is 170 centimeters long (approximately 5'7"). The following tables describes the current Bösendorfer models: Current Grand Piano Models Current Upright Piano Models To appeal to a wider market, Bösendorfer designed the Conservatory Series for colleges and universities that could not afford Bösendorfer's standard black-model pianos. The production of the two CS Series pianos spends less time in "non-critical areas", cutting down costs of production and purchase, making them more affordable than standard models. The cases and frames are of satin finish, rather than polished and, initially,
625-553: A brief visit to Graz , Austria, in 1827. In 1826, he dedicated a symphony (D. 944, that later came to be known as the Great C major ) to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde and received an honorarium in return. The String Quartet No. 14 in D minor (D. 810), with the variations on Death and the Maiden , was written during the winter of 1825–1826, and first played on 25 January 1826. Later in
750-506: A choir scholarship. At the Stadtkonvikt, he was introduced to the overtures and symphonies of Mozart, the symphonies of Joseph Haydn and his younger brother Michael Haydn , and the overtures and symphonies of Beethoven , a composer for whom he developed admiration. His exposure to these and other works, combined with occasional visits to the opera, laid the foundation for a broader musical education. One important musical influence came from
875-555: A considerable number of secular works for two or more voices, namely part songs , choruses and cantatas. He completed eight orchestral overtures and seven complete symphonies, in addition to fragments of six others. While he composed no concertos, he did write three concertante works for violin and orchestra. Schubert wrote a large body of music for solo piano, including eleven incontrovertibly completed sonatas and at least eleven more in varying states of completion, numerous miscellaneous works and many short dances, in addition to producing
1000-483: A different concert on the same day as the premiere of the Overture, his song Der Wanderer (D. 489) was performed. In 1822, Schubert made the acquaintance of both Weber and Beethoven but little came of it in either case; however, Beethoven is said to have acknowledged the younger man's gifts on a few occasions. On his deathbed, Beethoven is said to have looked into some of the younger man's works and exclaimed: "Truly,
1125-420: A few months after we began, that he had no need of any further instruction from me, and that for the future he would make his own way. And in truth his progress in a short period was so great that I was forced to acknowledge in him a master who had completely distanced and outstripped me, and whom I despaired of overtaking. His father gave him his first violin lessons when he was eight years old, training him to
1250-422: A form, the rim is made in solid sections of spruce and jointed together. Spruce is better at transmitting sound than reflecting it. This is perhaps why Bösendorfers tend to have a more delicate treble and a bass that features the fundamental tone more than the higher harmonics. There are also two other features of Bösendorfers that are shared with only a few other piano brands: one is a removable capo d'astro bar in
1375-451: A great many songs, became one of Schubert's main proponents in Viennese musical circles. Schubert also met Joseph Hüttenbrenner (brother of Anselm), who also played a role in promoting his music. These, and an increasing circle of friends and musicians, became responsible for promoting, collecting, and, after his death, preserving his work. Heinrich Anschütz wrote in his memoirs that Schubert
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#17330855869291500-467: A history of producing highly respected instruments. In 1830, it was granted the status of official piano maker to the Emperor of Austria . Ignaz's son Ludwig Bösendorfer (1835–1919) assumed control in 1859, operating from new premises from 1860. Between 1872 and its closure in 1913, the associated Bösendorfer-Saal was one of the premier concert halls of Vienna. In 1909, Carl Hutterstrasser purchased
1625-535: A hopeless passion for his pupil, the Countess Caroline Esterházy , but the only work that bears a dedication to her is his Fantasia in F minor for piano duet (D. 940). This dedication, however, can only be found in the first edition and not in Schubert's autograph . His friend Eduard von Bauernfeld penned the following verse, which appears to reference Schubert's unrequited sentiments: In love with
1750-492: A large set of works for piano four hands . He also wrote over fifty chamber works, including some fragmentary works. Schubert's sacred output includes seven masses, one oratorio and one requiem, among other mass movements and numerous smaller compositions. He completed only eleven of his twenty stage works. In July 1947 the Austrian composer Ernst Krenek discussed Schubert's style, abashedly admitting that he had at first "shared
1875-701: A limited number of Artisan Models annually, each available for order only during the calendar year in which it was developed. An example of a designer model is the Bösendorfer Swarovski Crystal Grand piano. Three of these special pianos were produced in 2003 in honour of Bösendorfer's 175th anniversary. Each piano's case is encrusted with 8000 crystals and layers of gold. Three notable architects who have designed Bösendorfer piano models are Theophil Freiherr von Hansen (1866), Josef Hoffmann (1909) and Hans Hollein (1990). There were only two Hans Hollein 225 models produced in 1990; one can be found in
2000-564: A managing director will not invalidate a contract with a third party, but the GmbH may hold the managing director in question liable for damages. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein have different national requirements as follows: The concept of a company with limited liability existed in the United Kingdom before it did in German-speaking countries. In 1892, the laws governing
2125-640: A marked advance in development and maturity of style. He began the ultimately unfinished oratorio Lazarus (D. 689) in February 1820. This was later followed by the hymn "Der 23. Psalm" (D. 706), the octet " Gesang der Geister über den Wassern " (D. 714), the Quartettsatz in C minor (D. 703), the Wanderer Fantasy in C major for piano (D. 760), and additional smaller works. In 1820, two of Schubert's operas were staged: Die Zwillingsbrüder (D. 647) appeared at
2250-408: A nine-foot Bösendorfer as the vehicle on which to perform his 1974 composition Strumming Music . Released as his first compact disc in 1991, it features in excess of 45 minutes of Palestine forcefully playing two notes in rapid alternation, slowly expanding into clusters, with the sustain pedal depressed throughout. Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett performed the solo improvisations (his Köln Concert ) at
2375-497: A preferable pianissimo sound and control, according to his own interview); Hungarian pianist András Schiff ; Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel ; Italian pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli ; American free jazz pianist Cecil Taylor and American singer-songwriter Tori Amos ; German pianist Wolfgang Rübsam ; Austrian pianists Friedrich Gulda , Walter Klien and Paul Badura-Skoda ; British pianists Leon McCawley and Mark Gasser . Minimalist composer Charlemagne Palestine chose
2500-409: A proprietary format to record key and pedal movements as a digital file. Bösendorfer makes eight models of grand piano from 155 cm to 290 cm in length (5'1" to 9'6") and two vertical pianos,120 cm and 130 cm in height (47" and 51"). The Imperial Grand is one of the world's largest pianos. Each numerical Bösendorfer model directly corresponds to its length in centimeters. For example,
2625-614: A role in a falling-out with Mayrhofer, with whom he was living at the time. Schubert, who was only a little more than five feet tall, was nicknamed "Schwammerl" by his friends, which Gibbs describes as translating to "Tubby" or "Little Mushroom". "Schwamm" is "mushroom" in the Austrian and Bavarian dialects of German; the ending "-erl" makes it a diminutive. Gibbs also claims he may have occasionally drunk to excess, noting that references to Schubert's heavy drinking "... come not only in later accounts, but also in documents dating from his lifetime." Schubert's compositions of 1819 and 1820 show
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#17330855869292750-624: A significant amount of music during these years. He completed the Mass in A-flat major , (D. 678) in 1822, and later that year embarked suddenly on a work which, more decisively than almost any other in those years, showed his maturing personal vision, the Symphony in B minor , known as the Unfinished Symphony (D. 759). The reason he left it unfinished – after writing two movements and sketches some way into
2875-410: A small number of Stahnke Edition automatic reproducing pianos based on 3 of the 'Imperial Line' models 225, 275 and 290. The 'SE' designation was for Stahnke Engineering, whose founder, Wayne Stahnke , invented the mechanism. These instruments were fitted with sensors, electronics and mechanical systems to record and play back piano performances extremely accurately through electro-mechanical actuation of
3000-460: A third – continues to be discussed and written about, and it is also remarkable that he did not mention it to any of his friends, even though, as Brian Newbould notes, he must have felt thrilled by what he was achieving. In 1823, Schubert wrote his first large-scale song cycle , Die schöne Müllerin (D. 795), setting poems by Wilhelm Müller . This series, together with the later cycle Winterreise (D. 911, also setting texts of Müller in 1827)
3125-492: A wide variety of forms and genres, including opera, liturgical music , chamber and solo piano music, and symphonic works. Perhaps most familiarly, his adventurousness is reflected in his notably original sense of modulation; for example, the second movement of the String Quintet (D. 956), which is in E major, features a central section in the distant key of F minor. It also appears in unusual choices of instrumentation, as in
3250-457: A young soprano named Therese Grob , daughter of a local silk manufacturer, and wrote several of his liturgical works (including a "Salve Regina" and a "Tantum Ergo") for her; she was also a soloist in the premiere of his Mass No. 1 (D. 105) in September 1814. Schubert wanted to marry her, but was hindered by the harsh marriage-consent law of 1815 requiring an aspiring bridegroom to show he had
3375-533: Is a type of legal entity in German-speaking countries. It is equivalent to a société à responsabilité limitée (Sàrl) in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and to a Società a Garanzia Limitata (Sagl) in the Italian-speaking part. It is an entity broadly equivalent to the private limited company in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries, and the limited liability company (LLC) in
3500-401: Is done, I begin another." During this year, he focused on orchestral and choral works, although he also continued to write Lieder. Much of this work was unpublished, but manuscripts and copies circulated among friends and admirers. In early 1817, Schober introduced Schubert to Johann Michael Vogl , a prominent baritone twenty years Schubert's senior. Vogl, for whom Schubert went on to write
3625-572: Is known for compiling the first comprehensive catalogue of Schubert's works. This was first published in English in 1951 ( Schubert Thematic Catalogue ) and subsequently revised for a new edition in German in 1978 ( Franz Schubert: Thematisches Verzeichnis seiner Werke in chronologischer Folge – Franz Schubert: Thematic Catalogue of his Works in Chronological Order). Confusion arose quite early over
3750-427: Is not a true song cycle like Die schöne Müllerin or Winterreise . ) The Great C major symphony is dated 1828, but Schubert scholars believe that this symphony was largely written in 1825–1826 (being referred to while he was on holiday at Gastein in 1825—that work, once considered lost, is now generally seen as an early stage of his C major symphony) and was revised for prospective performance in 1828. The orchestra of
3875-478: Is pointless to guess at what more [Schubert] might have achieved. He did enough; and let them be honoured who have striven and accomplished as he did", and the pianist András Schiff said that: "Schubert lived a very short life, but it was a very concentrated life. In 31 years, he lived more than other people would live in 100 years, and it is needless to speculate what could he have written had he lived another 50 years. It's irrelevant, just like with Mozart: these are
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4000-550: Is widely considered one of the pinnacles of Lieder. He also composed the song Du bist die Ruh' ( You are rest and peace , D. 776) during this year. Also in that year, symptoms of syphilis first appeared. In 1824, he wrote the Variations in E minor for flute and piano; Trockne Blumen , a song from the cycle Die schöne Müllerin ; and several string quartets. He also wrote the Sonata in A minor for arpeggione and piano (D. 821) at
4125-520: The Sonata in A minor for arpeggione and piano (D. 821), or the unconventional scoring of the Trout Quintet (D. 667) for piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass, whereas conventional piano quintets are scored for piano and string quartet . Although Schubert was clearly influenced by the Classical sonata forms of Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart, his formal structures and his developments tend to give
4250-852: The String Quartet No. 14 in D minor ( Death and the Maiden ); the String Quintet in C major ; the Impromptus for solo piano; the last three piano sonatas ; the Fantasia in F minor for piano four hands ; the opera Fierrabras ; the incidental music to the play Rosamunde ; and the song cycles Die schöne Müllerin , Winterreise and Schwanengesang . Born in the Himmelpfortgrund suburb of Vienna , Schubert showed uncommon gifts for music from an early age. His father gave him his first violin lessons and his elder brother gave him piano lessons, but Schubert soon exceeded their abilities. In 1808, at
4375-527: The Tantum Ergo (D. 962) in the same key, the String Quintet in C major (D. 956), the second "Benedictus" to the Mass in C major (D. 961), the three final piano sonatas (D. 958, D. 959, and D. 960), and the collection 13 Lieder nach Gedichten von Rellstab und Heine for voice and piano, also known as Schwanengesang ( Swan-song , D. 957). (This collection – which includes settings of words by Heinrich Heine , Ludwig Rellstab , and Johann Gabriel Seidl –
4500-704: The Theater am Kärntnertor on 14 June, and Die Zauberharfe (D. 644) appeared at the Theater an der Wien on 21 August. Hitherto, his larger compositions (apart from his masses) had been restricted to the amateur orchestra at the Gundelhof (Brandstätte 5, Vienna), a society which grew out of the quartet-parties at his home. Now he began to assume a more prominent position, addressing a wider public. Publishers, however, remained distant, with Anton Diabelli hesitantly agreeing to print some of his works on commission. The first seven opus numbers, all songs, appeared on these terms; then
4625-560: The Unternehmensregister . In 2008, a derived form called Unternehmergesellschaft (haftungsbeschränkt) (English: "entrepreneurial company (limited liability)"), or in short UG (haftungsbeschränkt) , was introduced. It requires a minimum founding capital of €1 and was introduced to assist company founders in setting up a new company. Also, the UG must enlarge its capital by at least 25% of its annual net profit (with some adjustments), until
4750-564: The Zentralfriedhof where they are next to the later graves of Johann Strauss II and Johannes Brahms. Anton Bruckner was present at both exhumations, and he reached into both coffins and held the revered skulls in his hands. The cemetery in Währing was converted into a park in 1925, called the Schubert Park, and his former grave site was marked by a bust. His epitaph, written by his friend,
4875-458: The numbering of Schubert's late symphonies . Schubert's last completed symphony, the Great C major D 944 , was assigned the numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10, depending on publication. Similarly the Unfinished D ;759 has been indicated with the numbers 7, 8, and 9. The order usually followed for these late symphonies by English-language sources is: An even broader confusion arose over
5000-608: The numbering of the piano sonatas , with numbering systems ranging from 15 to 23 sonatas. Among pianos Schubert had access to were a Benignus Seidner piano (now displayed at the Schubert Geburtshaus in Vienna) and an Anton Walter & Sohn piano (today in the collection of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum ). Schubert was also familiar with instruments by Viennese piano builder Conrad Graf . He appreciated
5125-472: The "prince of song", although there was recognition of some of his larger-scale efforts. In 1838 Robert Schumann , on a visit to Vienna, found the dusty manuscript of the C major Symphony (D. 944) and took it back to Leipzig where it was performed by Felix Mendelssohn and celebrated in the Neue Zeitschrift . An important step towards the recovery of the neglected works was the journey to Vienna which
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5250-414: The 1860s, 50 instalments with songs published by Diabelli and dozens of first publications Peters ), but the manuscripts of many of the longer works, whose existence was not widely known, remained hidden in cabinets and file boxes of Schubert's family, friends, and publishers. Even some of Schubert's friends were unaware of the full scope of what he wrote, and for many years he was primarily recognized as
5375-536: The 225SE, the 275SE, and the 290SE Imperial model pianos. In the 290 range, this included some 290 to 290SE conversions. One third of the production were 290SE models. Most of these instruments are still in use as of 2024. The research that went into the SE reproducing system later laid the foundation for the CEUS computerized reproducing piano system, though much of the resulting design was completely different. Bösendorfer produces
5500-704: The Austrian police who, in the aftermath of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars , were on their guard against revolutionary activities and suspicious of any gathering of youth or students. One of Schubert's friends, Johann Senn , was put on trial, imprisoned for over a year, and then permanently forbidden to enter Vienna. The other four, including Schubert, were "severely reprimanded", in part for "inveighing against [officials] with insulting and opprobrious language". While Schubert never saw Senn again, he did set some of his poems, Selige Welt (D. 743) and Schwanengesang (D 744), to music. The incident may have played
5625-471: The Bösendorfer range is the CEUS digital grand piano reproducing system, which incorporates a computer-controlled mechanism that records a performance on a digital storage medium (magnetic disk or memory chips) and plays it back. The requisite equipment can be fitted to most Bösendorfer pianos to allow the direct recording of pieces while capturing all the keyboard velocity data as a .boe file. Bösendorfer uses
5750-717: The Cologne Opera House in Cologne , Germany, on 24 January 1975 on a Bösendorfer and became a Steinway & Sons artist in 1981. Bösendorfer pianos have appeared on numerous records. Some examples are: GmbH Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung ( German: [ɡəˈzɛlʃaft mɪt bəˌʃʁɛŋktɐ ˈhaftʊŋ] ), literally 'company with limited liability' (abbreviated as GmbH [ɡeːʔɛmbeːˈhaː] in Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein , and as Ges.m.b.H. in Austria ),
5875-443: The Gesellschaft reportedly read through the symphony at a rehearsal, but never scheduled a public performance of it. The reasons continue to be unknown, although the difficulty of the symphony is a possible explanation. In the last weeks of his life, he began to sketch three movements for a new Symphony in D major (D 936A); In this work, he anticipates Mahler 's use of folksong-like harmonics and bare soundscapes. Schubert expressed
6000-634: The GmbH were adopted in Germany, and in Austria in 1906. During the 19th century, a legal entity with liability limited to the contributed capital was regarded as something dangerous. Hence, German law has many restrictions unknown to common law systems. Because there is no central company registry in Germany but rather several hundred connected to regional courts, administration of the law can vary somewhat between German states . Since 2007, there has been an internet-based central company register for Germany, called
6125-498: The SE system, but the piano was recorded playing back the performance later in a studio or hall, sometimes on a different instrument. Other audio recordings were produced using converted piano roll recordings from the early 20th century, including a two-disc series entitled 'A Window in Time' featuring performances by Rachmaninoff and produced by Wayne Stahnke. Thirty-two SE pianos were produced by Bösendorfer between 1984 and 1987, including
6250-517: The Schubert melody is not an original setting. The original only opens with the greeting "Ave Maria", which also recurs only in the refrain. In 1825, Schubert also wrote the Piano Sonata in A minor (D 845, first published as op. 42), and began the Symphony in C major ( Great C major , D. 944), which was completed the following year. From 1826 to 1828, Schubert resided continuously in Vienna, except for
6375-501: The United States. The name of the GmbH form emphasizes that the owners ( Gesellschafter , also known as members) of the entity are not personally liable for the company's debts. GmbHs are considered legal persons under German, Swiss and Austrian law. Other variations include mbH (used when the term Gesellschaft is part of the company name itself), and gGmbH ( gemeinnützige GmbH) for non-profit companies. The GmbH has become
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#17330855869296500-538: The aforementioned indirect references by his friends, and uncritically repeated ever since. Schubert was buried, at his own request, near the grave of Beethoven, whom he had admired all his life, in the village cemetery of Währing on the edge of the Vienna Woods . A year earlier he had served as a torchbearer at Beethoven's funeral . In 1872, a memorial to Franz Schubert was erected in Vienna's Stadtpark . In 1888, both Schubert's and Beethoven's graves were moved to
6625-457: The age of eleven, he became a pupil at the Stadtkonvikt school, where he became acquainted with the orchestral music of Joseph Haydn , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , and Ludwig van Beethoven . He left the Stadtkonvikt at the end of 1813 and returned home to live with his father, where he began studying to become a schoolteacher. Despite this, he continued his studies in composition with Antonio Salieri and still composed prolifically. In 1821, Schubert
6750-405: The age of five, Schubert began to receive regular lessons from his father, and a year later he was enrolled at his father's school. Although it is not known exactly when he received his first musical instruction, he was given piano lessons by his brother Ignaz, but they lasted for a very short time as Schubert excelled him within a few months. Ignaz later recalled: I was amazed when Franz told me,
6875-427: The articles of association. Many of those documents have to be filed with the company registry, where they are checked by special judges or other judicial officers. This can be a tiresome and time-consuming process, as in most cases the transactions are legally valid only when filed with the registry. The founding process is expensive. Normally the foundation of a new GmbH costs about €1000 to €3000. The GmbH law outlines
7000-479: The chief credit of originating the short models of piano forte pieces which the romantic school has preferably cultivated.... Schubert created a new epoch with the Lied.... All other songwriters have followed in his footsteps." When Schubert died he had around 100 opus numbers published, mainly songs, chamber music and smaller piano compositions. Publication of smaller pieces continued (including opus numbers up to 173 in
7125-533: The commission ceased, and he began to receive parsimonious royalties. The situation improved somewhat in March 1821 when Vogl performed the song " Erlkönig " (D. 328) at a concert that was extremely well received. That month, Schubert composed a Variation on a Waltz by Diabelli (D 718), being one of the fifty composers who contributed to the Vaterländischer Künstlerverein publication. The production of
7250-580: The company and was succeeded by his sons Alexander and Wolfgang in 1931. In 1966, the Jasper Corporation (later renamed Kimball International ), parent company of Kimball Pianos, assumed control of Bösendorfer. In 2001 Bösendorfer returned to Austrian hands, when the BAWAG PSK Gruppe purchased it. On 21 December 2007 BAWAG signed an agreement to sell 100% of Bösendorfer to Yamaha Corporation . Bösendorfer continues to make handcrafted pianos in
7375-419: The company is run only by the managing directors ( Geschäftsführer ) who have the unrestricted proxy for the company. The members acting collectively may restrict the powers of the managing directors by giving them binding orders. In most cases, the articles of the association list the business activities for which the directors obtain prior consent from the members. Under German law, a violation of these duties by
7500-493: The depiction of the spinning wheel and treadle in the piano in "Gretchen" and the furious and ceaseless gallop in " Erlkönig ". He composed music using the poems of myriad poets, with Goethe, Mayrhofer , and Schiller the most frequent, and others, including Heinrich Heine , Friedrich Rückert , and Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff . Of particular note are his two song cycles on the poems of Wilhelm Müller , Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise , which helped to establish
7625-463: The early 1820s, Schubert was part of a close-knit circle of artists and students who had social gatherings together that became known as Schubertiads . Many of them took place in Ignaz von Sonnleithner 's large apartment in the Gundelhof (Brandstätte 5, Vienna). The tight circle of friends with which Schubert surrounded himself was dealt a blow in early 1820. Schubert and four of his friends were arrested by
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#17330855869297750-599: The end of 1813, Schubert left the Stadtkonvikt and returned home for teacher training at the St Anna Normal- hauptschule . In 1814, he entered his father's school as the teacher of the youngest pupils. For over two years, young Schubert endured severe drudgery. However, he found compensatory interests during this time. For example, Schubert continued to take private lessons in composition from Salieri, who provided him with more technical training than any of his other teachers, until they parted ways in 1817. In 1814, Schubert met
7875-444: The end of the fiscal year in which they were accrued, but are allowed to build capital reserves totaling 10 percent of annual donations or 33 percent of dividends received. Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert ( German: [fʁants ˈpeːtɐ ˈʃuːbɐt] ; 31 January 1797 – 19 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind
8000-428: The family string quartet, with his brothers Ferdinand and Ignaz on first and second violin and his father on the cello . Schubert wrote his earliest string quartets for this ensemble. Young Schubert first came to the attention of Antonio Salieri , then Vienna's leading musical authority, in 1804, when his vocal talent was recognized. In November 1808, he became a pupil at the Stadtkonvikt (Imperial Seminary) through
8125-526: The first series containing eight symphonies. The publication of the Neue Schubert-Ausgabe by Bärenreiter started in the second half of the 20th century. Since relatively few of Schubert's works were published in his lifetime, only a small number of them have opus numbers assigned, and even in those cases, the sequence of the numbers does not give a good indication of the order of composition. Austrian musicologist Otto Erich Deutsch (1883–1967)
8250-480: The founding stages", with the meaning of "registration pending"); and finally the fully registered GmbH. Only the registration of the company in the Commercial Register ( Handelsregister ) provides the GmbH with its full legal status. The founding act and the articles of association have to be notarized , as do a number of business transactions, such as transfer of shares, issuing of stock, and amendments to
8375-470: The general minimum of €25,000 is reached (at which point the company may change its name to the more prestigious GmbH ). In this case, the word haftungsbeschränkt must not be abbreviated. A gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (gGmbH) is a special form of a limited liability company with a charitable purpose. Traditional foundations and gGmbHs in Germany do not have minimum annual giving requirements. They are required to spend any profits by
8500-401: The genre and its potential for musical, poetic, and almost operatic dramatic narrative. His last collection of songs, published in 1828 after his death, Schwanengesang , is also an innovative contribution to German Lieder literature, as it features poems by different poets, namely Ludwig Rellstab , Heine, and Johann Gabriel Seidl . The Wiener Theaterzeitung , writing about Winterreise at
8625-450: The impression more of melodic development than of harmonic drama. This combination of Classical form and long-breathed Romantic melody sometimes lends them a discursive style: his Great C Major Symphony was described by Robert Schumann as running to "heavenly lengths". It was in the genre of the lied that Schubert made his most indelible mark. Leon Plantinga remarks that "in his more than six hundred Lieder he explored and expanded
8750-520: The late 1970s, following a concert performed in Vienna , jazz pianist Oscar Peterson turned to his impresario, Norman Granz , with the words: "Dammit, Norman, where does this box go? I also gotta have such a thing!" Such was his reaction to playing a Bösendorfer 290. Musician/comedian Victor Borge also played Bösendorfer pianos. More recent examples of notable artists who have played the Bösendorfer include Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter claiming it had
8875-403: The left-hand end-cheek to prevent their being struck accidentally during normal play; more recent models have omitted this device and simply have the upper surface of the extra natural keys finished in matte black instead of white to differentiate them from the standard 88. The rim of a Bösendorfer grand piano is built quite differently from that of all other grands. Instead of veneers bent around
9000-576: The lounge of the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Among the earliest artists to be associated with Bösendorfer was Franz Liszt , who at least once opined that Bösendorfer and Bechstein pianos were the only instruments capable of withstanding his tremendously powerful playing. The renowned twentieth-century American composer–conductor Leonard Bernstein has also performed on a Bösendorfer. Another great pianist who championed Bösendorfer pianos
9125-479: The means to support a family. In November 1816, after failing to gain a musical post in Laibach (now Ljubljana , Slovenia ), Schubert sent Ms. Grob's brother Heinrich a collection of songs, which was retained by the family into the twentieth century. One of Schubert's most prolific years was 1815. He composed over 20,000 bars of music, more than half of which were for orchestra, including nine church works (although he
9250-439: The meantime, Schubert's talent began to show in his compositions; Salieri decided to start training him privately in music theory and composition. According to Ferdinand, the boy's first composition for piano was a Fantasy for four hands ; his first song, Klagegesang der Hagar , was written a year later. Schubert was occasionally permitted to lead the Stadtkonvikt's orchestra, the first orchestra he wrote for. He devoted much of
9375-505: The members of the Gesellschaft, most notably Ignaz von Sonnleithner and his son Leopold von Sonnleithner , had a sizeable influence on the affairs of the society, and as a result of that and of Schubert's growing reputation, his works were included in three major concerts of the Gesellschaft in 1821. In April, one of his male-voice quartets was performed, and in November, his Overture in E minor (D. 648) received its first public performance; at
9500-426: The minimum content of the articles of association, but it is quite common to have a wide range of additional rules in the articles. Under German law, the GmbH must have a minimum founding capital of €25,000 (§ 5 I GmbHG), of which €12,500 has to be raised before registering in the commercial register (§ 7 II GmbHG). A supervisory board ( Aufsichtsrat ) is required if the company has more than 500 employees; otherwise,
9625-576: The most common corporation form in Germany because the AG ( Aktiengesellschaft ), the other major company form corresponding to a stock corporation, was much more complicated to form and operate until recently. A GmbH is formed in three stages: the founding association, which is regarded as a private partnership with full liability of the founding partners/members; the founded company (often styled as "GmbH i.G.", with "i.G." standing for in Gründung – literally "in
9750-592: The music historian George Grove and the composer Arthur Sullivan made in October 1867. The travellers unearthed the manuscripts of six of the symphonies, parts of the incidental music to Rosamunde , the Mass No. 1 in F major (D. 105), and the operas Des Teufels Lustschloss (D. 84), Fernardo (D. 220), Der vierjährige Posten (D. 190), and Die Freunde von Salamanka (D. 326), and several other unnamed works. With these discoveries, Grove and Sullivan were able to inform
9875-460: The notes and intensity of a performer's playing. This system was not further developed or patented due to its high cost. Competitors soon introduced patented reproducing piano technologies such as the Yamaha Disklavier in 1982. The Bösendorfer SE instruments were used in a number of well-regarded commercially available audio recordings published on CD, where the performance was recorded on
10000-490: The past. Eva M. Cybulska goes further and says that Schubert's syphilis is a conjecture. His multi-system signs and symptoms, she says, could point at a number of different illness such as leukaemia , anaemia , or Hashimoto's thyroiditis , and that many tell-tale signs of syphilis — chancre , mucous plaques, rash on the thorax, pupil abnormality, dysgraphia — were absent. She argues that the syphilis diagnosis originated with Schubert's biographer Otto Deutsch in 1907, based on
10125-491: The pianist Radu Lupu , who said: "[Schubert] is the composer for whom I am really most sorry that he died so young. ... Just before he died, when he wrote his beautiful two-cello String Quintet in C, he said very modestly that he was trying to learn a little more about counterpoint, and he was perfectly right. We'll never know in what direction he was going or would have gone." However, others have expressed disagreement with this early view. For instance, Robert Schumann said: "It
10250-408: The piano keys and pedals. These instruments were designed to work with either performances stored on cassette tapes as digital data, or with an attached MS-DOS IBM PC computer. Using the computer, the SE instruments could be used for recording, editing and playback. The SE system instruments were the first commercially available computer-controlled " player piano " capable of accurately reproducing both
10375-422: The pianos were loop-strung rather than single-strung, but those practices have since been abandoned. Bösendorfer has produced a number of specially designed pianos named after famous composers such as Franz Schubert , Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt , as well as pianos designed for special occasions, such as Bösendorfer's 170th and 175th anniversaries. Under the ownership of Kimball, Bösendorfer built and sold
10500-468: The poet Franz Grillparzer , reads: Die Tonkunst begrub hier einen reichen Besitz, aber noch viel schönere Hoffnungen ("The art of music has here interred a precious treasure, but yet far fairer hopes"). Schubert was remarkably prolific, writing over 1,500 works in his short career. His compositional style progressed rapidly throughout his life. The largest number of his compositions are songs for solo voice and piano (roughly 630). Schubert also composed
10625-484: The point where he could play easy duets proficiently. Soon after, Schubert was given his first lessons outside the family by Michael Holzer, organist and choirmaster of the local parish church in Lichtental. Holzer would often assure Schubert's father, with tears in his eyes, that he had never had such a pupil as Schubert, and the lessons may have largely consisted of conversations and expressions of admiration. Holzer gave
10750-416: The potential these early nineteenth-century instruments possessed for both intimate and extrovert, virtuosic playing. A feeling of regret for the loss of potential masterpieces caused by Schubert's early death at age 31 was expressed in the epitaph on his large tombstone written by Grillparzer: "Here music has buried a treasure, but even fairer hopes." Some prominent musicians share a similar view, including
10875-527: The potentialities of the genre, as no composer before him." Prior to Schubert's influence, Lieder tended toward a strophic , syllabic treatment of text, evoking the folksong qualities engendered by the stirrings of Romantic nationalism . Among Schubert's treatments of the poetry of Goethe , his settings of " Gretchen am Spinnrade " (D. 118) and " Der Erlkönig " (D. 328) are particularly striking for their dramatic content, forward-looking uses of harmony, and use of eloquent pictorial keyboard figurations, such as
11000-631: The press in Vienna and abroad. Schubert spent the summer of 1818 as a music teacher to the family of Count Johann Karl Esterházy at their château in Zselíz (now Želiezovce , Slovakia). The pay was relatively good, and his duties teaching piano and singing to the two daughters, Marie and Caroline , were relatively light, allowing him to compose happily. Schubert may have written his Marches Militaire in D major (D. 733 no. 1) for Marie and Caroline, in addition to other piano duets. On his return from Zselíz, he took up residence with his friend Mayrhofer. During
11125-492: The public of the existence of these works; in addition, they were able to copy the fourth and sixth symphonies, the Rosamunde incidental music, and the overture to Die Freunde von Salamanka . This led to more widespread public interest in Schubert's work. From 1884 to 1897, Breitkopf & Härtel published Franz Schubert's Works , a critical edition including a contribution made – among others – by Johannes Brahms , editor of
11250-451: The rest of his time at the Stadtkonvikt to composing chamber music, several songs, piano pieces and, more ambitiously, liturgical choral works in the form of a "Salve Regina" (D 27), a "Kyrie" (D 31), in addition to the unfinished "Octet for Winds" (D 72, said to commemorate the 1812 death of his mother), the cantata Wer ist groß? for male voices and orchestra (D 110, for his father's birthday in 1813), and his first symphony (D 82). At
11375-512: The same Vienna factory. Almost 300 of these premium pianos are made each year. Bösendorfer pioneered the extension of the typical 88-key keyboard, creating the Imperial Grand (Model 290) , which has 97 keys (eight octaves). Ferruccio Busoni initially ordered this innovation in 1909 as part of a custom piano, as he wanted to transcribe an organ piece that extended to the C below the standard keyboard. This innovation worked so well that this piano
11500-565: The same day, the former at a tavern where he broke his afternoon's walk, the latter on his return to his lodging in the evening. The works of his last two years reveal a composer entering a new professional and compositional stage. Although parts of Schubert's personality were influenced by his friends, he nurtured an intensely personal dimension in solitude; it was out of this dimension that he wrote his greatest music. The death of Beethoven affected Schubert deeply, and may have motivated Schubert to reach new artistic peaks. In 1827, Schubert wrote
11625-563: The son of a Moravian peasant, was a well-known parish schoolmaster , and his school in Lichtental (in Vienna's ninth district ) had numerous students in attendance. He came to Vienna from Zuckmantel in 1784 and was appointed schoolmaster two years later. His mother was the daughter of a Silesian master locksmith and had been a housemaid for a Viennese family before marriage. Of Franz Theodor and Elisabeth's fourteen children (one of them illegitimate, born in 1783), nine died in infancy. At
11750-560: The song cycle Winterreise (D. 911), the Fantasy in C major for violin and piano (D. 934, first published as op. post. 159), the Impromptus for piano, and the two piano trios ( the first in B-flat major (D. 898), and the second in E-flat major, (D. 929); in 1828 the cantata Mirjams Siegesgesang ( Victory Song of Miriam , D 942) on a text by Franz Grillparzer , the Mass in E-flat major (D. 950),
11875-423: The songs by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg , an important composer of Lieder . The precocious young student "wanted to modernize" Zumsteeg's songs, as reported by Joseph von Spaun , Schubert's friend. Schubert's friendship with Spaun began at the Stadtkonvikt and lasted throughout his short life. In those early days, the financially well-off Spaun furnished the impoverished Schubert with much of his manuscript paper. In
12000-415: The songs, could be performed in the evening concerts. He was rejected on the basis that he was "no amateur", although he had been employed as a schoolteacher at the time and there were professional musicians already among the society's membership. However, he began to gain more notice in the press, and the first public performance of a secular work, an overture performed in February 1818, received praise from
12125-407: The spark of divine genius resides in this Schubert!" Beethoven also reportedly predicted that Schubert "would make a great sensation in the world," and regretted that he had not been more familiar with him earlier; he wished to see his operas and works for piano, but his severe illness prevented him from doing so. Despite his preoccupation with the stage and subsequent official duties, Schubert wrote
12250-532: The symptoms of his final illness do not correspond with tertiary syphilis. Six weeks before his death, he walked 42 miles in three days, ruling out musculoskeletal syphilis. In the month of his death, he composed his last work, " Der Hirt auf dem Felsen ", making neurosyphilis unlikely. And meningovascular syphilis is unlikely because it presents a progressive stroke-like picture, and Schubert had no neurological manifestation until his final delirium, which started only two days before his death. Lastly, his final illness
12375-586: The time when there was a minor craze over that instrument. In the spring of that year, he wrote the Octet in F major (D. 803), a sketch for a "Grand Symphony," and in the summer went back to Zseliz . There he became attracted to Hungarian musical idiom and wrote the Divertissement à la hongroise in G minor for piano duet (D. 818) and the String Quartet in A minor Rosamunde (D. 804). It has been said that he held
12500-411: The time, commented that it was a work that "none can sing or hear without being deeply moved". Antonín Dvořák wrote in 1894 that Schubert, whom he considered one of the truly great composers, was clearly influential on shorter works, especially Lieder and shorter piano works: "The tendency of the romantic school has been toward short forms, and although Weber helped to show the way, to Schubert belongs
12625-435: The treble, which facilitates rebuilding of the instrument and, Bösendorfer says, provides greater acoustic separation from the plate, decreasing tonal absorption; the other is single-stringing, providing each string its own individual hitch pin on the plate instead of connecting it to a neighbouring string. This design may slightly improve tuning stability and is an advantage in case of string breakage. The latest development in
12750-429: The two operas turned Schubert's attention more firmly than ever in the direction of the stage, where, for a variety of reasons, he was almost completely unsuccessful. All in all, he embarked on twenty stage projects, each of them failures that were quickly forgotten. In 1822, Alfonso und Estrella was rejected, partly owing to its libretto, written by Schubert's friend Franz von Schober . In 1823, Fierrabras (D 796)
12875-451: The wide-spread opinion that Schubert was a lucky inventor of pleasing tunes ... lacking the dramatic power and searching intelligence which distinguished such 'real' masters as J. S. Bach or Beethoven". Krenek wrote that he reached a completely different assessment after a close study of Schubert's pieces at the urging of his friend and fellow composer Eduard Erdmann . Krenek pointed to the piano sonatas as giving "ample evidence that [Schubert]
13000-411: The wish, were he to survive his final illness, to further develop his knowledge of harmony and counterpoint, and had actually made appointments for lessons with the counterpoint master Simon Sechter . On 26 March 1828, the anniversary of Beethoven's death, Schubert gave, for the only time in his career, a public concert of his own works. The concert was a success popularly and financially, although it
13125-447: The year came the String Quartet No. 15 in G major, (D 887, first published as op. 161), the Rondo in B minor for violin and piano (D. 895), Rondeau brillant , and the Piano Sonata in G major , (D 894, first published as Fantasie in G , op. 78). He also produced in 1826 three Shakespearian songs, of which " Ständchen " (D. 889) and " An Sylvia " (D. 891) were allegedly written on
13250-504: The young Schubert instruction in piano and organ as well as in figured bass . According to Holzer, however, he did not give him any real instruction as Schubert would already know anything that he tried to teach him; rather, he looked upon Schubert with "astonishment and silence". The boy seemed to gain more from an acquaintance with a friendly apprentice joiner who took him to a neighbouring pianoforte warehouse where Schubert could practise on better instruments. He also played viola in
13375-445: Was Wilhelm Backhaus . In his memoirs, Arthur Rubinstein recounts having insisted on a Bechstein instead of the hall's Bösendorfer before a recital in Austria. After the performance, the then-head of the Bösendorfer company came backstage to meet this young artist who refused to play a piano highly cherished by his Russian namesake, Anton Rubinstein ; Rubinstein claims he thereafter always sought out Bösendorfers when in Austria. In
13500-470: Was "chasing women". The theory of Schubert's sexuality or "Schubert as Other" has continued to influence current scholarship. Biographer Lorraine Byrne Bodley is sceptical "...of Solomon’s "outing" of Schubert, saying this misunderstands the passionate "homosocial" friendships of 19th-century Europe." Significant changes occurred in Schubert's life in 1816 when Schober, a student from an affluent family, invited him to lodge at his mother's house. The proposal
13625-623: Was Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 ; Holz commented: "The King of Harmony has sent the King of Song a friendly bidding to the crossing". Schubert died in Vienna, aged 31, on 19 November 1828, at the apartment of his brother Ferdinand. The cause of his death was officially diagnosed as typhoid fever, though other theories have been proposed, including the tertiary stage of syphilis . Although there are accounts by his friends that indirectly imply that he had contracted syphilis earlier,
13750-400: Was added to regular product offerings and quickly became one of the world's most sought-after concert grands. Because of the 290's success, the extra strings were added to Bösendorfer's other line of instruments such as the 225 model, which has 92 keys. The extra keys, at the bass end of the keyboard, were originally hidden beneath a hinged panel mounted between the piano's conventional low A and
13875-487: Was admitted to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde as a performing member, which helped establish his name among the Viennese citizenry. He gave a concert of his works to critical acclaim in March 1828, the only time he did so in his career. He died eight months later at the age of 31, the cause officially attributed to typhoid fever , but believed by some historians to be syphilis . Appreciation of Schubert's music while he
14000-470: Was alive was limited to a relatively small circle of admirers in Vienna, but interest in his work increased greatly in the decades following his death. Felix Mendelssohn , Robert Schumann , Franz Liszt , Johannes Brahms and other 19th-century composers discovered and championed his works. Today, Schubert is considered one of the greatest composers in the history of Western classical music and his music continues to be widely performed. Franz Peter Schubert
14125-547: Was an agnostic ), a symphony, and about 140 Lieder. In that year, he was also introduced to Anselm Hüttenbrenner and Franz von Schober , who would become his lifelong friends. Another friend, Johann Mayrhofer , was introduced to him by Spaun in 1815. Throughout 1815, Schubert lived at home with his father. He continued to teach at the school and give private musical instruction, earning enough money for his basic needs, including clothing, manuscript paper, pens, and ink, but with little to no money left over for luxuries. Spaun
14250-529: Was an active member of the 1817–1818 Unsinnsgesellschaft (Nonsenses Society), and various scholars agree with this. In late 1817, Schubert's father gained a new position at a school in Rossau , not far from Lichtental. Schubert rejoined his father and reluctantly took up teaching duties there. In early 1818, he applied for membership in the prestigious Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde , intending to gain admission as an accompanist, but also so that his music, especially
14375-522: Was born in Himmelpfortgrund (now a part of Alsergrund ), Vienna, Archduchy of Austria , on 31 January 1797, and baptized in the Catholic Church the following day. He was the twelfth child of Franz Theodor Florian Schubert (1763–1830) and Maria Elisabeth Katharina Vietz (1756–1812). Schubert's immediate ancestors came originally from the province of Zuckmantel in Austrian Silesia . His father,
14500-488: Was characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms (namely vomiting). These issues all led Robert L. Rold to argue that (although he believed Schubert had syphilis), the fatal final illness was a gastrointestinal one such as salmonella or indeed typhoid fever. Rold also pointed out that when Schubert was in his final illness, his close friend Schober avoided visiting him "out of fear of contagion". Yet Schober had known of his earlier possible syphilis and had never avoided Schubert in
14625-486: Was much more than an easy-going tune-smith who did not know, and did not care, about the craft of composition." Each sonata then in print, according to Krenek, exhibited "a great wealth of technical finesse" and revealed Schubert as "far from satisfied with pouring his charming ideas into conventional moulds; on the contrary he was a thinking artist with a keen appetite for experimentation." That "appetite for experimentation" manifests itself repeatedly in Schubert's output in
14750-499: Was overshadowed by Niccolò Paganini 's first appearances in Vienna shortly after. In the midst of this creative activity, his health deteriorated. By the late 1820s, Schubert's health was failing and he confided to some friends that he feared that he was near death. In the late summer of 1828, he saw the physician Ernst Rinna, who may have confirmed Schubert's suspicions that he was ill beyond cure and likely to die soon. Some of his symptoms matched those of mercury poisoning ( mercury
14875-522: Was particularly opportune, for Schubert had just made the unsuccessful application for the post of Kapellmeister at Laibach, and he had also decided not to resume teaching duties at his father's school. By the end of the year, he became a guest in Schober's lodgings. For a time, he attempted to increase the household resources by giving music lessons, but they were soon abandoned, and he devoted himself to composition. "I compose every morning, and when one piece
15000-474: Was probably Schubert's first visit away from home or school. Schubert's unhappiness during his years as a schoolteacher possibly showed early signs of depression , and it is virtually certain that Schubert suffered from cyclothymia throughout his life. In 1989, the musicologist Maynard Solomon suggested that Schubert was erotically attracted to men, a thesis that has been heatedly debated. The musicologist and Schubert expert Rita Steblin has said that he
15125-506: Was rejected: Domenico Barbaia , impresario for the court theatres, largely lost interest in new German opera due to the popularity of Rossini and the Italian operatic style, and the failure of Carl Maria von Weber 's Euryanthe . Die Verschworenen ( The Conspirators , D 787) was prohibited by the censor, apparently because of its title, and the play Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern , for which Schubert had written incidental music (D 797),
15250-439: Was then a common treatment for syphilis, again suggesting that Schubert suffered from it). At the beginning of November, he again fell ill, experiencing headaches, fever, swollen joints, and vomiting. He was generally unable to retain solid food and his condition worsened. Five days before Schubert's death, his friend the violinist Karl Holz and his string quartet visited to play for him. The last musical work he had wished to hear
15375-640: Was welcomed with enthusiasm. It was during this tour that he produced the seven-song cycle Fräulein am See , based on Walter Scott 's The Lady of the Lake , and including " Ellens Gesang III " ("Hymn to the Virgin") (D. 839, Op. 52, No. 6); the lyrics of Adam Storck's German translation of the Scott poem are now frequently replaced by the full text of the traditional Roman Catholic prayer Hail Mary ( Ave Maria in Latin), but for which
15500-511: Was well aware that Schubert was discontented with his life at the schoolhouse, and was concerned for Schubert's development intellectually and musically. In May 1816, Spaun moved from his apartment in Landskrongasse (in the inner city) to a new home in the Landstraße suburb; one of the first things he did after he settled into the new home was to invite Schubert to spend a few days with him. This
15625-442: Was withdrawn after two nights, due to the play's poor quality. Despite his operatic failures, Schubert's reputation was growing steadily on other fronts. In 1821, the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde finally accepted him as a performing member, and the number of performances of his music grew remarkably. These performances helped Schubert's reputation grow rapidly among the members of the Gesellschaft and established his name. Some of
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