Schubert

In the years since the first publication of this work ten years ago, Schubert´s public image has changed considerably. He has always, since the 1860s, been the favourite composer of the man in the street, but the view from the academic lecture room has not always been equally attractive. Modern scholarship has destroyed many of the familiar hagiographic images of Schubert the man, the impoverished Bohemian, the eternal youth, the reluctant lover, the genius in the garret, and has even brought Schubert´s sexuality within the compass of critical discussion. This has made it necessary to revise thoroughly the main text of the book as well as the four detailed appendices which serve as a useful reference section to the book. Its aim remains the same; to provide a readable, authoritative, and reliable guide to Schubert´s life and works for the student, the musician, and the general reader.