Franz Schubert died in 1829, at the tragically young age of 31, known in Vienna as a mere composer of songs. But he left behind a treasure trove of unpublished manuscripts, scattered across the city and beyond.
They could easily have been lost to history but for the devotion of a handful of followers whose painstaking efforts ensured the survival of some of the most cherished works in classical music, such as the Great C Major Symphony, the Unfinished Symphony and the composer's numerous operas, sacred and chamber compositions.
Filling a significant gap in studies about the musical great, Schubert Lives recounts the dramatic story of how close these extraordinary works came to disappearing into oblivion, and how astonished audiences in Vienna and the wider world came to appreciate their emergence to take a rightful place of honour in the classical canon.
"John Uff has written a book about Shubert's slow journey over two centuries to universal acceptance and celebrity - a theme never before addressed in such forensic detail. It's a riveting read, free of jargon and musicological mumbo-jumbo, that will delight all Schubertians" - Richard Stokes, Professor of Lieder, Royal Academy of Music
