I was quite astonished when, after just a few months of having piano lessons from me, he announced that he wouldn't need my teaching any more and could continue on his own. His little brother could work the rest out better on his own. But whenever it started, after a few months Ignaz had to give up, hopelessly outclassed. In the second part of the development of his instrumental skills his brother Ignaz – 14 years older than Franz Peter – was roped in to give him piano lessons, presumably also in Franz Peter's 'eighth year' but possibly some time later, when the child's hands were a bit bigger. It would be quite strange to describe a seven-year-old as being in his eighth year. Let us slide over the uncertainty of Franz Peter's 'eighth year': taken literally, of course, it would mean 'whilst he was seven', but the everyday usage of 'whilst he was eight' is probably more likely – even for a pedantic schoolteacher. Translator's note: No, the translator has not been at the drink, but is frequently driven to it when trying to render accurately the inflated waffling of the bureaucrats (among them teachers such as Schubert's father) who infested the Habsburg Empire of Paperwork. In his eighth year I instructed him in the preparatory knowledge for playing the violin and exercised him sufficiently so that he was able to play light duets quite well.ĭeutsch, Erinnerungen, p. In the first part of the development of his instrumental skills he was taught to play the violin by his father. It followed three lines of development: instrumental skills, educational attainment and singing skills. The plan started to be developed almost immediately after that proficiency test. Further investment of time and money in the scheme was thus justified.

The preliminary test had done what it had to do – it had confirmed to Schubert's father that his son was vocally exceptional and that he had a good chance of being accepted as a chorister. Schubert, only seven, had now time to prepare for that goal. Never mind, this test had only been a dry run for him – he was still far too young.Ĭhoristers were educated at the Akademisches Gymnasium and therefore had to be at least ten years old. Schubert was in the successful group, obtaining a rather mediocre sixth place. There were 19 entrants for the test, nine of whom passed. Salieri was still one of the great names in music in Vienna.Īntonio Salieri. The adjudicator was Antonio Salieri (1750-1825) – now inescapably remembered as Mozart's bitter enemy in Peter Shaffer's play (1979) and film (1984) Amadeus, a play that traduced his reputation badly. Schubert's father entered Franz Peter, then seven, for a proficiency test for would-be choristers. The first step in this plan was taken in 1804. We saw it unmissably in his father's own career. Dedicated, stubborn application in the pursuit of his goals was one of the hallmarks of the father's personality. His father appears to have set in train a plan to attain this goal, a plan that was carefully thought out, well executed and took four years of application to achieve.

Most importantly, that valuable education would cost his father nothing: classes, board and lodging would be paid for. As a chorister Franz Peter would receive a high-level grammar school education that would stand him in good stead when he needed a proper job – for example, say, as a schoolteacher in the family school. A voice so remarkable that it seems to have at some moment prompted someone to imagine that little Franz Peter might be able to become one of the Austrian Emperor's ten Sängerknaben, boy choristers, in the court chapel. Up until his eighth birthday what stood out was his singing voice.

It took some time for his family to recognise his musical talent. But this genius only became visible from his mid-teens onward. We think of Franz Peter Schubert nowadays as a composer of innovative genius with great lyrical gifts.

Franz schubert height