Count Ferdinand Troyer (1780-1851) occupied a position of power as chief steward to Archduke Rudolf of Austria and also as an amateur clarinettist. His performance of the clarinet obliggato in ‘Parto, parto’ from Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito with the

At the heart of Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy is a song he wrote in 1816 based on a text by Georg Philipp Schmidt von Lübeck (1766 – 1849). In the song, the wander seeks happiness, but cannot find it anywhere –

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) met the singer Johann Michael Vogl (1768-1840) in March 1817 at the house of a mutual friend, Franz von Schober. Schober was an Austrian poet and writer and supplied Schubert with the libretto for his opera Alfonso

Schubert’s first set of Impromptus (D899) are amongst my most favourite pieces of piano music, ever since my mother, who admired the pianist Alfred Brendel, bought me the score of the Impromptus and Moments Musicaux after hearing Brendel perform them

“It is no coincidence that the literature of ‘original compositions’ for four hands is limited to this period….its true master is Schubert.” Quoted from Theodor Adorno’s article, “Four Hands, Once Again.” Music for piano four hands came to popularity almost

Raphael Georg Kiesewetter (1773–1850) studied philosophy at Olmütz and law in Vienna before he was employed in the chancellery of the imperial army. Subsequently, he became a valued official at the war office in Vienna. Kiesewetter was an accomplished musician

The baritone singer and composer Johann Michael Vogl (1768–1840) was a key figure in Schubert’s success as a Lied composer. Vogl was engaged at the Vienna Court Opera, and he met Schubert for the first time in 1817. Renowned for