Looking to get to know Schubert? You are in for a real treat.
There is so much wonderful music out there - symphonies, string quartets, a suite of sometimes emotionally devastating piano sonatas and, of course, more than 600 songs or lieder - that it can be hard to know where to start. Fear not: here are seven wonderful Schubert works to get you started on your journey.
Best of Schubert
1. 'Trout' Quintet
What is it? A scintillating, joyous piece of chamber music
You can hear the 22-year-old Schubert in his most bright, playful form in this effervescent quintet for piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass. The cheerful, superbly melodious 'Trout Quintet is Schubert at his best - and surely one of the best chamber music works in the entire classical music repertoire. And that unusual instrumentation gives the piece a distinctive, rich texture.
Why's it called the 'Trout'?
The quintet gets its nickname from the fourth movement, which is a set of variations on Schubert’s earlier song Die Forelle (The Trout). The song’s playful, rippling melody, evoking a darting fish in a stream, is transformed in the quintet into a set of lively and expressive variations. Have a listen below.
Talking of melodies, the 'Trout' is chock full of them, giving it its wonderful lyrical, sunny feel. The writing for the piano is brilliant, often sparkling like water, while the strings add warmth and depth.
Schubert wrote the quintet while visiting Steyr, Austria, at the invitation of Sylvester Paumgartner, an amateur cellist and music patron. The piece was likely composed for a private gathering among friends before being published in 1829, a year after Schubert’s death.
Recommended recording: Christian Tetzlaff, Antoine Tamestit, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, Alois Posch and Martin Helmchen PentaTone PTC 5186 334
2. 'Unfinished' Symphony
What is it? Short but intensely dramatic - one of music's most gripping symphonies
Schubert's 'Unfinished' Symphony (Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759) is one of classical music’s most intriguing works. Composed in 1822, it consists of only two completed movements, yet it remains one of the most beloved and frequently performed symphonies.
So, why 'Unfinished'? Schubert never added the third and even fourth movements we'd expect from a traditional symphony , and the reasons remain uncertain. Possible explanations include:
- Health issues: Schubert was suffering from illness (likely syphilis), which may have hindered his work.
- Other projects: He might have lost interest or been drawn to other compositions.
- A complete artistic statement? Some believe Schubert deliberately left the work with just two movements, challenging the traditional four-movement symphonic form.
What Schubert did leave us, though, is by turns darkly dramatic and warmly expressive, and without a doubt one of classical music's greatest symphonies, unfinished or not. The Allegro first movement opens with a haunting opening in the low strings which, once heard, is never forgotten. This introduces a mysterious and dramatic atmosphere, which then leads into sweeping, lyrical themes.
By contrast, the Andante second movement is a tender and expressive piece of music, with beautiful melodies and rich harmonic textures, showcasing Schubert’s gift for emotional depth. The symphony remained unknown for decades until Johann Herbeck discovered it in 1865 - 37 years after Schubert’s death - and conducted its premiere in Vienna.
Recommended recording: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Charles Mackerras Virgin Veritas
3. Die Schöne Müllerin
What is it? A dramatic song cycle of love, heartbreak and despair
Die Schöne Müllerin (The Beautiful Miller’s Daughter) is one of Schubert’s greatest song cycles, composed in 1823 to poetry by Wilhelm Müller. It tells the poignant story of a young wanderer who falls in love with a miller’s daughter, only to face heartbreak and despair.
The cycle consists of 20 Lieder (songs), unfolding a tragic narrative:
- Wandering and hope: The young man joyfully follows a brook, which leads him to a mill.
- Love and longing: He falls for the miller’s daughter, expressing devotion in radiant melodies.
- Jealousy and despair: He realizes she prefers a hunter over him, leading to sorrow.
- Tragic end: Overcome with grief, he finds solace in the brook and ultimately drowns himself.
It's a sombre tale - but also a gripping one. Standout songs include 'Ungeduld' (Impatience), a passionate outpouring of love and longing; 'Der Jäger' (The Hunter), in which tension rises as the jealous hunter arrives; and , symbolizing jealousy; and 'Des Baches Wiegenlied' (The Brook's Lullaby), where the brook 'sings' the young man to his final rest.
Recommended recording:
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor), Hubert Giesen (piano)
DG 447 4522
4. Winterreise
What is it? The bleakest, but also the most gripping song cycle out there
Schubert composed Winterreise (Winter Journey) in 1827, a year before his death. Based on 24 poems by, once again, Wilhelm Müller, Winterreise is a deeply introspective and tragic work, often considered the pinnacle of Lieder (art song) repertoire.
Like Die Schöne Müllerin above, Winterreise ends bleakly. The difference is that, where Müllerin at least begins in a hopeful vein, Winterreise is a journey of solitude and despair right from the very first song. The protagonist, a heartbroken wanderer, leaves the town where he was once in love and sets out into a frozen, desolate landscape. Along the way, he reflects on lost love, isolation, and existential sorrow.
Winterreise highlights
Of the songs, highlights include 'Gute Nacht' ('Good Night'), in which our hero leaves his beloved’s home in the dead of night, and 'Erstarrung' (Solidifying) and 'Wasserflut' (Water Flood), in which the night's snow, wind, and frozen rivers act as visual symbols of his despair and gloom. He also sees ghostly visions ('Die Krähe' - The Crow), and wrestles with fate 'Der stürmische Morgen' - The Stormy Morning). Finally, in 'Der Leiermann' (The Lyre Man), he encounters a mysterious, ragged hurdy-gurdy player, possibly a symbol of death.
This is that rare example of a song cycle in which the piano writing is every bit as vital as the voice, using chilling dissonances, sparse textures, and relentless rhythms to convey the protagonist’s isolation. The cycle lacks traditional resolution, leaving listeners with a sense of haunting ambiguity. We featured 'Gute Nacht' from Winterreise in our list of greatest Schubert lieder, and you can also find an article on the best recordings of Winterreise.
Recommended recording:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), Gerald Moore (piano)
EMI 567 9272
5. 'Death and the Maiden' Quartet
What is it? A gripping, dramatic string quartet - chamber music at its visceral best
Schubert wrote no fewer than 15 string quartets (if you count the one-movement 'Quartettsatz'), but the most famous is undoubtedly Number 14 in D minor, better known as Death and the Maiden. This intense and passionate quartet takes its name from Schubert’s earlier song Der Tod und das Mädchen (D. 531), which he wrote in 1817. The quartet’s second movement is a set of variations based on the melody of this song, in which Death soothes a frightened young girl, assuring her of gentle rest.
The quartet is deeply dramatic and turbulent, reflecting Schubert’s struggles with illness and mortality. It is one of the most powerful and intense works in the string quartet repertoire, full of driving rhythms, haunting melodies, and stark contrasts between light and dark. Many consider it a musical confrontation with death, making it one of Schubert’s most emotionally profound compositions.
6. Symphony No. 9
What is it? A dazzlingly grand, upbeat Romantic symphony
Nicknamed the ‘Great' for both its length and grandeur, this innovative, uplifting work sounds years ahead of its time and gives a starring role to the brass. It's one of Schubert's most ambitious, even visionary orchestral works - yet it could so easily never have seen the light of day. Likely completed in 1826, it was discovered by Robert Schumann and championed by Felix Mendelssohn, who conducted its first full performance in 1839.
Known for its majestic length, expansive melodies, and rhythmic drive, the symphony embodies Schubert’s late style, blending Beethovenian grandeur with his own lyrical expressiveness. The famous 'heavenly lengths', as Schumann described them, feature long, sweeping themes and dynamic orchestration, particularly in the soaring first movement and the jubilant finale.
Though neglected during Schubert’s lifetime, Symphony No. 9 is now recognised as a landmark of Romantic symphonic writing, bridging the Classical and Romantic eras with its bold harmonies, grandeur, and unrelenting energy.
Here's a piece on the best recordings of Schubert's Symphony No. 9.
Recommended recording:
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Elatus 0927467502
7. Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, D.960
What is it? Piano music at its most nakedly introspective and unflinching
The last and greatest of Schubert’s 21 piano sonatas, D.960’s sombre – but extraordinarily moving – Andante second movement shows us a terminally ill composer looking directly into the abyss.
Completed in 1828, just months before Schubert's death, the B flat major sonata is one of the greatest masterpieces of the solo piano repertoire. Schubert may be nearing the end of his life, but the overriding mood here is one of serenity, introspection, and melancholy, yet also moments of warmth and grandeur.
Movement by movement:
- First movement (Molto moderato) – A broad, lyrical opening with a haunting low trill in the left hand, creating an atmosphere of mystery and longing.
- Second movement (Andante sostenuto) – A deeply expressive and sorrowful theme in C-sharp minor, often seen as one of Schubert’s most profound slow movements.
- Third movement (Scherzo: Allegro vivace con delicatezza) – A playful, light contrast to the previous movement, bringing charm and energy.
- Finale (Allegro ma non troppo) – A flowing rondo with a bittersweet quality, leading to a conclusion that feels both restless and transcendent.
D. 960 stands as a testament to Schubert’s ability to blend lyricism, harmonic richness, and emotional depth, making it a favourite among pianists and listeners alike.
Recommended recording: Paul Lewis (piano) Harmonia Mundi HMC901800
8. String Quintet
Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major, D. 956, completed in 1828, is widely regarded as one of the greatest chamber music compositions ever written. Scored for two violins, viola, and two cellos, rather than the more typical two violas, it achieves a unique depth and warmth of sound. The four movements are as follows:
- I. Allegro: A majestic and expansive opening with soaring melodies and dramatic contrasts.
- II. Adagio – One of Schubert’s most hauntingly beautiful slow movements, featuring a delicate, ethereal melody in the first violin over a pulsating accompaniment, followed by a stormy, impassioned middle section.
- III. Scherzo / Trio – A robust and energetic scherzo, contrasted by a deeply introspective and almost funereal trio section.
- IV. Finale (Allegretto) – A lively and rustic dance-like movement, with an undercurrent of tension and rhythmic drive.
Composed just weeks before Schubert’s death, the quintet is a masterpiece of lyricism, contrast, and emotional depth, blending sublime beauty with a sense of existential longing.
Recommended recording: Alban Berg Quartet (EMI)
9. 'Wanderer' Fantasy
What is it? A pianistic thrill ride
This is as vivid a contrast to the other solo piano work in our list, the B flat major Sonata No. 21. Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy in C Major, D. 760 (1822) is one of his most virtuosic and innovative piano works. It is structured as a single, continuous composition in four sections, resembling a symphony or sonata but played without pauses.
It's one hell of a demanding work. Schubert himself admitted he could not perform it, famously saying, 'The devil may play it!' We move through a bold, dramatic opening Allegro complete with rapid octaves and powerful chords; a dreamy, lyrical slow movement; a stormy scherzo, all restless energy; and dazzling fugue, culminating in a triumphant conclusion.
The Wanderer Fantasy was highly influential, inspiring Liszt’s symphonic transformation style and pushing the boundaries of piano composition. It remains a favourite challenge for virtuoso pianists.