Franz Schubert

I compose every morning. When one piece is finished, I begin another."

Franz Schubert was a German composer who, like his contemporary Beethoven, really bridges the gap between the Classical Period and the Romantic Period. While many of the techniques he uses are easily found in Classical composers, his music tends to be more expressive, emotional, and more concerned with storytelling than with formal structure.

For much of his material, he drew from German folklore, as evident in Der Erlkönig, "The Elf-King," a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, or Gretchen am Spinnrade, about the fairy-tale of Rapunzel.

Schubert is renowned for his composition of Lieder (singular Lied), which is just the German word for "songs" but refers to a short piece written for voice and piano. These became highly popular and allowed composers to market their music to individuals of modest means rather than relying on wealthy patrons.