Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert: Complete Trios
$17.98
an outstandingly mediocre performance of some of my favorite chamber music. happy to have it in my library for the price -- it's a total bargain. but this recording shall always remain, in my mind, a reference point, not a goal for other ensembles to surpass. this cd is definitely worth the price -- you get more than you pay for. however, regardless of the price, this will likely be my last beaux arts trio purchase. imprecise and poor pitch, in my humble opinion....

Schubert: The Music and the Man
$60.00
While this is an interesting book about Schubert, it discusses the music much more than the man. You get little feeling for Schubert as a person, and little understanding of his everyday life from this book. On the other hand, Newbould spends a lot of time talking about the music. But his discussions are little more than what you get in liner notes of a CD, and require that you be familiar with the music in question (or have the time to take out all your Schubert CDs and listen to everything he discusses).

I'm a big fan of Schubert's works, and hoped, in this book, to get a better understanding of who he was, why he wrote his music, what he wanted to "say" through his music, but all of that is lacking. The biographical chapters - about half the book - are short, say little more than what music Schubert composed and when, and are fully of "maybes" and "possiblys". It's almost as though this were a bio of Shakespeare (about whom little is known). I don't know if there's a dearth of information about Schubert - Newbould doesn't say so - but reading this book one can get that feeling.

Since there are no other books about Schubert that say much more, this is probably worthwhile, if you can read scores (to grasp the musical examples). But I'd say there's a need for a _real_ bio of Schubert.

The Double Life of Franz Schubert - A Dramatization of Schubert's Last Years
$19.99
This was a horrible portrayal of a gifted composer. It was absolutely revolting to watch. The producers and writers of this film should be ashamed of themselves. DO NOT BUY THIS DVD.

The Life of Schubert (Musical Lives)
$27.99
This is an excellent and concise introductory biography of Schubert for the general reader. Gibbs debunks many of the Schubert myths that have arisen since his tragic early death, and explores Schubert's social mileu. Of primary importance in Schubert's life is his circle of male friends. In addition he tackles some of the recent research concerning the composer's possible homosexuality, and explores some of the rudimentary evidence that exists about Schubert's relationships with women. What is lacking in this book is more analysis of Schubert's oeuvre.