Want to get to know the work of the great early Romantic composer Franz Schubert? There is so much wonderful music out there – symphonies, string quartets, a suite of sometimes emotionally devastating piano sonatas and, of course, more than 600 songs or lieder – that it can be hard to know where to start. Fear not: here are five best Schubert works to get you started on your journey.
Schubert best works: chamber
The Trout Quintet
Hear the 22-year-old Schubert in convivial form in this effervescent quintet for piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass. The cheerful, playful, superbly melodious and collegiate Trout Quintet is Schubert at his best – and surely one of the best chamber music works in the entire classical music repertoire.
Recommended recording:Christian Tetzlaff, Antoine Tamestit, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Alois Posch and Martin HelmchenPentaTone PTC 5186 334
Schubert best works: lieder
Die Schöne Müllerin
As with ‘The Trout’, Schubert cleverly uses the piano here to portray the effect of rippling water. But this song cycle is all about the frustrations of unrequited love.
Recommended recording:Fritz Wunderlich (tenor), Hubert Giesen (piano)DG 447 4522
Die Winterreise
A bleak journey for voice and piano, as this song cycle leads us through the brilliantly observed emotions of a spurned lover making his way through the winter landscape towards a life of loneliness. We featured ‘Gute Nacht’ from Winterreise in our list of greatest Schubert lieder, and you can also find an article on the best recordings of Winterreise.
Recommended recording:Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), Gerald Moore (piano)EMI 567 9272
Schubert best works: orchestral
Symphony No. 9
Nicknamed ‘The Great’, this innovative, uplifting work sounds years ahead of its time and gives a starring role to the brass. Here’s a piece on the best recordings of Schubert’s Symphony No. 9.
Recommended recording:Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Nikolaus HarnoncourtElatus 0927467502
Schubert best works: solo piano
Piano Sonata D960
The last and greatest of Schubert’s 21 piano sonatas, D960’s sombre – but extraordinarily moving – Andante second movement shows us a terminally ill composer looking directly into the abyss.
Recommended recording:Paul Lewis (piano)Harmonia Mundi HMC901800