Draws on the author's first-hand experience with Franz Schubert's "Winterreise," his musical knowledge, and his training as a scholar to explore the meanings of the songs comprising this masterpiece, one of the greatest pieces of music ever written for the male solo voice.

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was born in Vienna of immigrant parents. During his short life he produced an astonishing amount of music. Symphonies, chamber music, opera, church music, and songs (more than 600 of them) poured forth in profusion. His 'Trout' Quintet, his 'Unfinished' Symphony, the three last piano sonatas, and above all his song cycles Die Schone Mullerin and Winterreise have come to be universally regarded as belonging to the very greatest...

The 1st film documents the preparation, rehearsal and 1969 performance in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London of Schubert's Trout quintet.The 2nd film is not about Schubert's life or career, but about his music, in particular what he composed after the death of Beethoven.

"Although it was not always easy for musician Franz Schubert to practice his music, he was supported immensely by his friends, who believed in his talent and wanted the world to hear his work."-- "Franz Schubert was only eleven when he auditioned for the Emperor's Choir School in Vienna, a place where everyone loved music. Franz barely spoke a word, but he sang like an angel, and his friends took to calling him "Little Mushroom" because he was small....

Living in a bare room in Vienna, short, fat Franz Schubert wrote music and danced to keep warm.

Introduces the music and life of the Austrian composer.