Schubert, Franz Peter

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Schubert, Franz Peter (1797–1828) Austrian composer whose symphonies represent the final extension of the classical sonata form, and whose lieder (songs) are the height of Romanticism. Among his more popular works are symphonies such as the Eighth (“Unfinished”, 1822), and the Ninth in C major (1825). Schubert wrote more than 600 songs to the lyrics of such poets as Heine and Schiller; these include the cycles Die schöne Müllerin (1823) and Winterreise (1827). In his tragically short lifetime, he also composed much chamber music, and his String Quintet (1828) is a masterpiece.

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