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Donald Macleod explores the Vienna Schubert was born into, and the composer鈥檚 early years in the city.

Of all Europe鈥檚 major cities, perhaps Vienna is the one with the reputation as the most comfortable, the most sophisticated, and the most musical. In fact, has any other city been home to so many great composers as Vienna? Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, and Salieri all spent their best years working there. Yet none of those starry names was born in the city, none were true Viennese. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod explores Vienna through the lens of arguably the greatest home grown composer the city has ever produced 鈥� Franz Schubert 鈥� a man whose short life spanned a crucial period in Austrian history, a time of crisis and much change. In his company we鈥檒l explore Vienna鈥檚 churches and theatres, its parks, coffee houses and taverns, and also glimpse the darker side of the city too 鈥� the excesses of Europe鈥檚 aristocracy and the all seeing eyes of Vienna鈥檚 secret police.

In Monday鈥檚 episode, Donald explores the city Schubert was born into 鈥� a Vienna reeling from war with Napoleon and the bitter consequences of that 鈥� a city full of anxiety, poverty, and despair. We follow the young musician as he takes the examination for a place in the Court Chapel Choir among much mockery from the more well to do boys, but even on admission to the choir life was hard, with money scarce, and food often inedible. Schubert found solace in singing and playing music, but even that was disrupted when the French led by Napoleon, began their second occupation of the city in 1809.

鈥淜upelwieser鈥� Waltz in G flat Major, D Anh I/14
Mariam Batsashvili, piano

Symphony No 9 in C Major 鈥淭he Great鈥�, D944 (3rd mvt, Scherzo)
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor

String Quintet in C Major, D 956 (2nd mvt, Adagio)
Heinrich Schiff, piano
Alban Berg Quartet

Beitrag zur f眉nfzigj盲hrigen Jubelfeier des Herrn von Salieri, D407
Christoph Pr茅gardien, tenor
Camerata Musica Limburg
Jan Schumacher, conductor

Marches Militaires, D733 (No 1 in D Major)
Daniel Barenboim, Radu Lupu, piano

Gretchen am Spinnrade, D118
Ren茅e Fleming, soprano
Christoph Eschenbach, piano

Produced by Sam Phillips for 麻豆社 Audio Wales and West

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