Franz Schubert
Master of the art song (Lied)
Most quoted
"I am the unhappiest, most wretched man in the world. Imagine a man whose health will never be right again, and who in sheer despair over this, always makes things worse instead of better; imagine a man, I say, whose most brilliant hopes have come to naught, to whom the happiness of love and friendship offers nothing but the bitterest pain, and whose enthusiasm for the beautiful (at least inspiring) threatens to vanish; and ask yourself, is he not a wretched, unhappy man?"
— from Letter to Leopold Kupelwieser, 1824
"Oh, imagination! Thou greatest treasure of man, thou inexhaustible fount of all art and science! How many friends have I gained through thee, how many enemies hast thou made for me!"
— from Diary entry, 1816
"Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and makes them spiritually drunken."
— from Letter, 1826
All quotes by Franz Schubert (370)
A person is never happy except at the price of some ignorance.
The mind is lord over every kind of fortune.
With a few drinks, I can imagine I have the best of friends around me.
My peace is gone, my heart is sore; I shall find it never, nevermore.
O infinite stream of melody! How rich is this treasure!
Who can do anything after Beethoven?
I am the most wretched and unhappy creature in the world.
The greatest misfortune of the wise man and the greatest unhappiness of the fool are based upon convention.
A light, bright, fine day this will remain throughout my whole life.
As from afar the evening bells appeal, so for the heart is song.
The piano, despite its imperfections, is a magnificent instrument.
I try to decorate my imagination as much as I can.
For you alone I weave this chain of flowers.
I have often thought of marrying, but the right woman has never appeared.
The public seems to like my things, and that is the main thing.
I am here in a veritable desert. Not a soul to whom I can talk intelligently about music.
When all men understand each other, peace will come of itself.
Man is like a ball, to be played with by chance and passion.
A symphony is not just a composition for orchestra; it is a world in itself.
The poet's words give my music its wings.
Contemporaries of Franz Schubert
Other Musics born within 50 years of Franz Schubert (1797–1828).