His best works are written in what I have always imagined as some sort of feverish spurts when the syphilis was in remission to just get them out of him for the afterworld. The late symphonies, the septet, Winterreise. All amazing works.<p>I listen to a lot of music, but some works I go back to more than others. The big C major quintet (the string quartet with an extra cello one) is in my opinion the greatest piece of chamber music ever written, and I don't even like string music.<p>The recording with the Emerson quartet and Rostropovich is probably my favourite.<p>Another work I always return to are Petterssons 7th symphony, preferably the recording with the orchestra I work in. Norrköpings Symphony orchestra together with Leif Segerstam. Way before my time, but wow what a symphony. I never understood why Pettersson is never mentioned among other Scandinavian composers such as Nielsen or Sibelius. His seventh symphony deserves to be played world wide.
It is interesting that the author here has to describe what emotional effect Schubert might have intended with his use of keys; when writers today do this, to me it suggests that contemporary readers might not hear this angst themselves. Not only did later Romanticism and Debussy stretch tonality to a point where listeners became more comfortable with hitherto dissonant keys, and so they do not hear things the way Schubert’s listeners would have, but modern pop music is very constrained in its use of modulation so society has lost much of the grammar of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music.
Undoubtedly Schubert's illness had some effect on his mood, if not on his productivity. Whatever it was that led his writing to mature beyond his earlier work, it certainly did that.<p>I don't plan to start looking for more agony in his later works than his earlier ones. The 'Unfinished', written in the fall of 1822 (he moved into his parent's home, unable to leave until the following spring) has none. Similarly for the <i>Rosamunde</i> music, written before the Dec. 1823 premiere.<p>Then there's the Great Symphony, written 1825-26. Everywhere countless ideas and themes; In 1840 Schumann said of it "this work reveals life in every fiber, color down to the finest shading, significance everywhere, the most acute expression of individual detail ..." To what should we attribute the frightful 'battle' in the Andante? This isn't <i>program music</i>.<p>In the late chamber works, yes, I feel some deep regret - and anger. A great tragedy - but - his disease certainly <i>was not</i> his master.
There was a great thread going when this article was posted a few days ago, which was strangled by inappropriate flags. I'm going to move those comments here to give them a second chance.<p>Flaggers: please don't flag submissions that don't break the site guidelines! This article is obviously on-topic (see <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html</a>). If it isn't your cup of tea, there are plenty of other things to read. If you run out, the 'past' link at the top will take you to arbitrary amounts of reading material that you missed.
> the Andantino of D959 is on a different plane of alienation. It is all the more aberrant in a work which is generally so warm-hearted and affirmatory... “desolate grace behind which madness lies.”<p>Schubert's Sonata D959 Andantino was also featured in a remarkable film, "La Pianiste" (2001), which explores many of the same themes described in the article:<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Piano_Teacher_(film)" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Piano_Teacher_(film)</a>
I'm sure everyone interested has already heard it, but I strongly recommend the wonderful recording of the last piano sonatas by Krystian Zimerman on Deutsche Grammaphon. He plays on a customised piano with an action closer to that of the instruments of Schubert's day, and the effects he achieves are startling and spectacularly beautiful.
My favorite Schubert piece is his late piano Sonata No 21 first movement in B flat major (D960). Especially the opening theme.<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOUNRRAFozA&ab_channel=MurrayPerahia-Topic" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOUNRRAFozA&ab_channel=Murra...</a><p>His three late Sonatas are extremely long though, almost 45 minutes each. I haven't had the time to actually listen to all three in one go.
I just purchased spiral bound Henle edition of his Impromptus. Not sure how I've gone this long without doing a Schubert deep dive but I'm certainly looking forward to it!
I have not listened very much of Schubert, but I cant help notice the ebullient joyful, playful exuberance of much of it, even his "Tragic" symphony, considering his life was sadly shortened due to disease.