Schubert

Schubert's gift for melody was unmatched — he could spin tunes of heart-stopping beauty seemingly without effort. His over 600 Lieder (art songs) elevated the song to a major art form, with masterpieces like Erlkönig, Gretchen am Spinnrade, and the song cycles Winterreise and Die schöne Müllerin. His instrumental works include the Unfinished Symphony, the Great C Major Symphony, and sublime chamber music. Schubert died at 31, probably of typhoid fever, leaving an astonishing body of work for so short a life. Many of his greatest compositions were not performed publicly during his lifetime — the Great C Major Symphony was not premiered until 11 years after his death, when Schumann discovered the manuscript. His modulations — the way he shifts between keys — are among the most magical in all music.