Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert was born in Vienna in 1797 and showed musical talent early on. He learned from his older brother Ignaz and studied the works of Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn. At eighteen, he wrote his Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, which brought him some attention in Viennese musical circles.

Schubert wrote over 600 songs, including pieces like "Gute Nacht" and "Gretchen Am Spinnrade." He also composed piano sonatas and symphonies, though he didn't always finish them, his "Unfinished" Symphony is one of his better-known works. In 1825, he arranged a melody that would later become known as "Ave Maria," though it started as a setting for a Latin text.

He lived a fairly bohemian life in Vienna, which sometimes raised eyebrows in the more conservative parts of society. His music covered a range from delicate songs to larger orchestral pieces, and he kept writing until his death in 1828.