A Schubert Primer: German Art Song At Its Finest

Franz Peter Schubert is one of the most widely and frequently performed composers. His work spans sacred music, opera, chamber music and famously, art songs. As we wrote in our discussion for dissertation Schubert is considered the defender of the German art song called Lieder. Although he died at the age of 31, he composed over 600 Lieder in his short life. Art Songs exist outside of operas; they aren’’t buried in complex plots or cloaked in ornate costumes. They usually consist of a solo singer and a pianist. So what makes these pieces so compelling? What makes us sing and listen to Schubert’’s Lieder today? In this lecture, we dive into the prolific work of one of opera’s greatest treasures, Franz Schubert. We analyze art songs, experience the music of Schubert live and begin to understand why and how we appreciate the beauty and power of German Lieder.