Richard Baker (2) (1925–2018)

Born in 1797, Franz Schubert died in obscurity in 1828, little known outside his circle of Viennese friends and admirers. The composer of nine symphonies including his famous Unfinished Symphony as well as exquisite chamber music and over 600 songs, his reputation was not fully established until well after his death. But, as with Mozart and Beethoven, our image of the composer does not always accord with reality. Far from the chubby little charmer of popular portrayal, Schubert was a man capable of great extremes of behavior. In this companion volume to his book Mozart: An Illustrated Biography, former BBC musical broadcaster Richard Baker examines the story of Franz Schubert in words and pictures. Bringing to life the Vienna of the early 19th century as well as the composer's friends, family, and work, Schubert is both a tribute to and an exploration of a remarkable life.… (more)