Franz Schubert (SHOE-bert) was another musical genius. He was born in Vienna, Austria, the center of the music world in the Classical Period. Like Mozart, he turned out volumes of beautiful melodies. His father was a school master who thought that Franz should follow in his footsteps. Papa Schubert was a practical man who probably believed that it was better to make a small salary as a teacher than to starve as a musician. Father Schubert played the cello and gave Franz lessons on the violin and piano, but he still thought that Franz should be a teacher! To please his father, Franz tried teaching for a while, but he was unable to keep discipline and he hated this career. His father finally agreed that Franz would be happier composing.

Schubert was so talented that one of his teachers said, "I can't teach him anything else. He's learned it all from God himself!" While he was not a virtuoso pianist like Mozart or Beethoven, he loved evenings of playing piano for his friends. These evenings became known as Schubertiads.

Schubert was born to create, to compose beautiful music, and that he did. He wrote nine symphonies, but he was best at writing small piano pieces called impromptus, moments musicals, or serenades. Schubert is especially known for his songs called Lieder (LEE-der) in German. He wrote very quickly, sometimes eight songs in a single day, and over 600 songs in the thirty-one years of his brief life. He also wrote many compositions for strings: quartets, quintets and trios.

Schubert idolized Beethoven. He was very sad when Beethoven died. Like Mozart, Schubert died very young, at 31. His dream was to be buried next to the master. He was buried as close to Beethoven "as could be arranged."

Schubert was not famous in his lifetime. After he died, Schumann found some of his manuscripts and had them published. Gradually his fame spread, and people realized that he was a great composer.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (MOHT-sart): the most complete geniius of all composers! He produced music more easily than most of us sing a song. He was a gifted pianist, violinist, and conductor. His "musical ear" was incredible. He could listen to complex music and later write it down totally from memory.

Mozart's father, also a musician, recognized his son's talent and provided him with early training. When he was eight he wrote his first sympnhony. His sister (Nannerl), was also very talented. Papa Mozart took the children on tours to perform in Vienna, Paris, and London. They performed for the royalty of each country and were greeted as "wonder children." Wolfgang's ability to read any music at sight astounded everyone. He could also improvise brilliantly for hours.

Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria. When he was a young man he moved to Vienna, the center of the classical music world. There he met "Papa Haydn." Haydn taught Mozart and they became very good friends. Although Haydn was much older, he learned from the brillant Mozart. Haydn knew that a musical genius such as Mozart was truly rare.

In addition to instrumental music, Mazart wrote many operas. One of his most famous is "Don Giovannni" or "Don Juan." Don means "Mr." or "Sir." Juan is Spanish and Giovannni is Italian. Both mean John

Don Juan's goal in life was to love all the women in the world! However, this got him into BIG trouble. He killed the father of one woman. At the end of the opera, the ghost of the father, along with demons, came to claim Don Juan as their own and take him to his "home" in the underworld. (Wait util you grow up to watch this one!) But it won't hurt to listen to and sing Mozart's beautiful music.

Mozart died very young, at age thirty-five. However, during his short life he composed volumes of music. His music is the ultimate example of the classical style. It is gracious, elegant, and refined, yet it has a sense of divine inspiration. Mozart's middle name, Amadeus, means 'beloved of God." When we listen to Mozart's music, we agree that he is "beloved of God."

Joseph Haydn (HIGH-din), or "Papa Haydn," as Mozart called him, is also called the "Father of the Symphony." He composed 104 symphonies. His parents were amateur musicians who played several instruments and loved to sing.

When Haydn was only six years old his parents sent him away to a church school, hoping to prepare him for the priesthood. When he reached eight he was invited to sing in a boys' choir at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. He also had lessons in voice, violin, and keyboard but little general education other than a bit of Latin. Haydn wanted most of all to compose, but he received very little instruction. He was dismissed from the choir when he cut off the pigtail of the boy in front of him. Then almost seventeen, he earned a living by giving lessons and occasionally performing.

He also studied composition and began composing. Haydn worked twenty-eight years as a court musician for the Esterhazy family of Austria. Although he was considered a "servant," he was treated well and was happy that he could devote himself entirely to music. Prince Esterhazy was a music lover who appreciated Haydn's great talent. Since the Prince was his employer, Haydn wrote most of his music for the court. This included music for worship.

Prince Esterhazy entertained lavishly, and Haydn wrote delightful music for the palace parties. With everyone dressed in finest apparel, parties were truly palace style shows. The food and entertainment were the best. Haydn and his orchestra played beautiful music for all to enjoy.

Haydn wrote long introductions for many of his symphonies. Perhaps he wanted to give the people time to take their seats and stop talking. He didn't play the really pretty music until everyone had time to become quiet. Notice the long introduction for Symphony 104, the London. Haydn has more than two minutes of "please sit down and shut your mouth" music.

Haydn's marriage was not a happy one. His wife had little appreciation for his music. It is reported that she sometimes used strips of his manuscripts for curling her hair or lined her cake tins with his music sheets.

Haydn was famous and beloved all over Europe. He spent three years in London where he wrote his twelve London symphonies. These include: No. 94, the Surprise; No. 101, the Clock; No.103, the Drum Roll; and No.104, the London, his last symphony.

Boccherini (bok-a-REE-nee) was Italian (as you may have guessed) and was a very successful cellist and composer. Haydn knew him and admired him. His music, mostly chamber music, is beautiful. Musicians in his day usually played in small places (chambers) for small groups. The Infante Louis of Spain employed Boccherini as a chamber-musician and composer. He also worked for Frederick Wilhelm of Prussia who honored Boccherini  with the title of "chamber-composer."

Boccherini  wrote more than 400 works including 90 string quartets, 125 string quintets (nearly all scored for two cellos rather than two violas), 54 trios, and 20 symphonies.

His music will calm your nerves, soothe your soul, and make you thankful that God gave you ears for listening.

Boccherini's Minuet is a very popular piece. If you take violin or piano lessons, you'll probably play it sooner or later. The syncopated rhythm will make you want to dance.

Beethoven was born in Bonn, a little town on the banks of the Rhine River in Germany. His father was a poorly paid musician in the court orchestra. He could see that Ludwig had talent, and he gave the boy lessons on the piano and violin, hoping that Ludwig would be a child prodigy and make the family rich. Beethoven was a musical genius, but he never made a fortune for himself or his family. His father was an alcoholic who would stay up late drinking with his friends. It is said that he'd bring his friends home, wake up poor little Ludwig and make him play for them. If the young musician made a mistake, his father would box him on the ears. Perhaps this treatment contributed to Beethoven's deafness.

Beethoven studied with Haydn, but not for long. He was unhappy with the restraints of the classical style of music. He wanted to make his own rules. He did just that in his later works, which really belong to the Romantic Period. Beethoven composed just nine symphonies. His Fifth Symphony is probably the most familiar. The beginning notes, three short and one long, are simple yet powerful. Beethoven took a simple idea and turned it into a dramatic statement.

The last movement of his Ninth Symphony uses a large choir to sing the "Ode to Joy." No other composer in the Classical Period had ever used a choir in a symphony or made the music sound so exciting.

Beethoven began to lose bis hearing when he was only 31. This was a great tragedy for someone whose life was music. However, he continued to compose sublime music. He was completely deaf when he composed the Ninth, his last symphony. In spite of this, he insisted on conducting the orchestra and chorus. At the end, he could not hear the applause. His friends had to turn him toward the audience for him to see the applause.