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Life & Works - Franz Schubert
- Narrated by: Jeremy Siepmann, Tom George, Peter Yapp, Stephen Critchlow, Sean Barrett, Jonathan Keeble, Charlie Simpson
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 13-11-2012
- Language: English
- Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks
Regular price: $35.53
Publisher's Summary
The life of Franz Schubert has been a gift to romantically inclined biographers: the beautiful, brilliant, modest boy who sprang to fully fledged genius at the age of 16; the quintessential "artist in a garret", entirely consumed by his art and living a hand-to-mouth existence in Vienna (home of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven); the gentle, cheerful, convivial young man who prized friendship almost as highly as music itself; the unworldly poet from whom great music poured like water from a fountain; the unrecognized master who died almost penniless at the age of 31. And most of this is true. But, as revealed in this dramatized biography (lavishly illustrated with musical examples), there was a secret, darker side to Schubert which only renders his story that much more fascinating.
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
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- Rodney Fielding
- 11-03-2017
Excellent account of Schubert's life & works.
I enjoyed this as much as the story of Brahms. Siepmann shows Schubert's ambiguity, genius.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Margaret
- 06-07-2018
An Informative Look at Franz Schubert, the Heir to Beethoven's Musical Legacy
Another fabulous Jeremy Siepmann look into the life of Western Music's Great Composers! Siepmann
succeeds in giving us a glimpse into19th century Vienna, and the influence Beethoven had over the composers who followed his lead.
Beethoven himself declared Schubert his successor upon reading his scores at the publisher's office. Siepmann shows us Schubert's musical and personal progress, leading to the mistake he makes that causes his untimely death.
Throughout the Audio book we get treated to benchmark compositions outlining the progress of Schubert's musical style.
Actors give a lively performance of the main characters in Schubert's life. They are listed in the credits; regrettably the musicians are not. Since these are remarkable performances, I would like to know who did them so I can look up the entire recordings.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jeffrey Keimer
- 16-09-2014
Very well done
Any additional comments?
I found this story of Schubert's life quite well done. It gave me a much expanded, and more accurate, understanding of this man's life. Although a given listener may complain the book did not include this or that composition amongst those recordings inserted to augment the story line, I found the sampling to be good. I liked the fact that full performances, or large segments, of each piece were played, rather than just short snatches. I also liked how different actors' voices read quotes from various letters and journals that were used to support the story. Enjoyable and informative!
2 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 01-02-2018
Schubert realised
Really enjoyed this, learned so much in an entertaining way. Having the music alongside the narrative really enhances the experience.
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- tvonmove
- 05-08-2015
Unoriginal
Would you try another book written by Jeremy Siepmann or narrated by the narrators?
No. There was nothing new presented. It was a rehash worth little more than a Wikipedia entry
Would you ever listen to anything by Jeremy Siepmann again?
No.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
His voice was stiff, almost pedantic and without charm
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointment
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Floyd
- 24-01-2014
Wonderful
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
A beautifully constructed, performed and delivered book that is an absolute must for anyone interested in this remarkable man and his genius. I can't praise it enough and have enjoyed every moment.