The Life and Works of Franz Schubert

by Jeremy Siepmann

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, History

148 pages, Audio CD

First published November 30, 2004

About the author

Jeremy Siepmann (16 January 1942 – 6 April 2016), born in America and living in Britain for most of his career, was a broadcaster and writer on music.

Reviews

[Jessica Lozoya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schubert’s the kind of guy who’d say “we’re here for a good time, not a long time”, would say “I’m fine, really” to your face, then go home and sob, or would always be thinking of the boys 😂😂. I really enjoyed learning about the two sides of this composer; the quiet, modest, sensitive man then the one who’s prone to outbursts and partied hard. Very cool how often those two sides come out in his music and that’s definitely the case for the piece I’m studying for my next recital (impromptu op 90 no 2). I kind of love this bespectacled dork 🤓❤️

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the different voices used for each person. An enjoyable and quick run-through of Schubert's life, with plenty of musical examples to listen to. Would love to read a more recent biography with maybe a little less authorial bias though - this leaned a little towards genius worship.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got a lot from this biography of a musician I admire more than most. So glad this included a clip from one of the best pieces ever: Wanderer Fantasy. I enjoyed the narration - Siepmann might sound like a straight-up Brit but he relishes the humor too.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, to the point, full of interesting detail, but not overloaded with information or anything very specific. An excellent guide to understanding Schubert and his music for non-musicians and avid amateur classical music lovers.

[Mai Mislang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short! 😆 I know he didn’t live that long but still, a deeper dive on his Impromptus, for instance, and what his thinking was while composing them at the tail end of his life would have been nice. Tragically, there is not enough Schubert material on YT either.

[John Gonzales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read about this"tragic composer," is awesome to see how much output he had during his short life.

I particularly loved the poem he wrote when he was on his death bed the first time and had contracted syphilis.

I'm going to copy that poem down to use it possibly in one of my compositions.

[Jessica-sim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful edition. Informative and filled with beautiful music

[Adam K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great series! Just like with the other Siepmann's productions, we get a concise biography with lots of well chosen musical examples. The narrative has a rich, well structured and entertaining tone which really brings Schubert's story to life.

Having heard some of the music before, after this audiobook I am able to relisten from a whole new perspective. And, I got to discover lots of new compositions, like the wonderful Fantasy in F Minor, D. 940(op.103).

The Life and Works of Franz Schubert has a notable popularising quality showing that art does not get old and that Schubert's creative output (and there is lots of it) is still rewarding and relevant.

[Peter Galamaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to enjoy these audio editions of Siepmann's Life and Works series on the great composers. Very accessible, entertaining, and informative.

[Justin Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series is excellent. Schubert was an interesting guy and I'm frequently drawn to his music.