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an eminently recommendable account of the vicissitudes of what must be the shortest and yet most productive of all musicians' careers. She has been very thorough in assessing the virtues and failings of earlier studies ... there is a wealth of fascinating, often unfamiliar information to absorb; this is a sane, humane, sympathetic and readable book. Peter Branscombe Austrian Studies 10 a readable and current account of the composer's life. Probably the book's greatest contribution is to offer the nonspecialist, English-language reader ready access to the most up-to-date scholarly work on him ... it may well be where most musicians and general readers wish to start their exploration of Schubert's life ... McKay has done the English-language musical world a considerable service. She has provided a highly readable narrative of Schubert's life that collects in readily usable form current evidence, knowledge, and opinion about Schubert's life ... The book's well-organized index of names and subjects will make it a compact and useful reference tool for nonspecialist and specialist alike ... Many ... will profit from McKay's book and refer to it frequently. Thomas A. Denny, The Opera Quarterly presents a Schubert far removed from the popular idea of the blithe, easy-going songmaker. This is an important book, which strips away sentimental falsehoods. Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph Her book explores in geat depth and fascinating detail almost every facet of Schubert's life ... McKay's biography is full of poignant recollections ... Further weight is added with McKay's enthralling account of his determination and resilience in the painful, final stages of his life. By the end of the book, Schubert has ceased to be a remote figure ... a fresh look at his impact on the Romantic era and beyond, and a welcome re-evaluation of Schubert in the two centuries since his birth. Matias Tarnopolsky, The Literary Review an admirable, no-nonsense book which eschews detailed musical analysis in favour of an easy to read account of Schubert's troubled life The Express her biography is an intelligent, provocative and scrupulously researched attempt to make sense of the fragmentary mosaic of the composer's life Richard Wigmore, BBC Music Magazine, October 1996 Elizabeth Norman McKay has created a biography of amazing proportions. The detail and research which is so evident throughout the book takes the reader to the heart of Schubert's world and is life in Vienna in the early years of the 19th century. McKay is a sympathetic biographer and charts his descent into hedonism with great restraint. His biography makes fascinating reading. Philippa Boston, Oxford Times McKay gives an admirable account of the 'Bildung Circle' to which Schubert belonged as a young man. The Musical Times/November 1997 a painstaking, lucid and sober biography which should be valued by both the general reader and the specialist...The great strength of McKay's biography lies in its ability to temper a formidable assembly of meticulously researched facts with gentle interpretation of them, born of obvious long thought and considerable intuitive empathy. Gramophone a no-nonsense survey of his life, can be recommended to anyone with an interest in the composer, whether well-versed in music or not...an excellent book that, at 350 pages, is also a masterpiece of compression. The Daily Telegraph a fascinating read and a book that is likely to remain the standard English-language life of Schubert for the forseeable future. Opera

`an eminently recommendable account of the vicissitudes of what must be the shortest and yet most productive of all musicians' careers. She has been very thorough in assessing the virtues and failings of earlier studies ... there is a wealth of fascinating, often unfamiliar information to absorb; this is a sane, humane, sympathetic and readable book.' Peter Branscombe Austrian Studies 10 `a readable and current account of the composer's life. Probably the book's greatest contribution is to offer the nonspecialist, English-language reader ready access to the most up-to-date scholarly work on him ... it may well be where most musicians and general readers wish to start their exploration of Schubert's life ... McKay has done the English-language musical world a considerable service. She has provided a highly readable narrative of Schubert's life that collects in readily usable form current evidence, knowledge, and opinion about Schubert's life ... The book's well-organized index of names and subjects will make it a compact and useful reference tool for nonspecialist and specialist alike ... Many ... will profit from McKay's book and refer to it frequently.' Thomas A. Denny, The Opera Quarterly `presents a Schubert far removed from the popular idea of the blithe, easy-going songmaker. This is an important book, which strips away sentimental falsehoods.' Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph `Her book explores in geat depth and fascinating detail almost every facet of Schubert's life ... McKay's biography is full of poignant recollections ... Further weight is added with McKay's enthralling account of his determination and resilience in the painful, final stages of his life. By the end of the book, Schubert has ceased to be a remote figure ... a fresh look at his impact on the Romantic era and beyond, and a welcome re-evaluation of Schubert in the two centuries since his birth.' Matias Tarnopolsky, The Literary Review `an admirable, no-nonsense book which eschews detailed musical analysis in favour of an easy to read account of Schubert's troubled life' The Express `her biography is an intelligent, provocative and scrupulously researched attempt to make sense of the fragmentary mosaic of the composer's life' Richard Wigmore, BBC Music Magazine, October 1996 `Elizabeth Norman McKay has created a biography of amazing proportions. The detail and research which is so evident throughout the book takes the reader to the heart of Schubert's world and is life in Vienna in the early years of the 19th century. McKay is a sympathetic biographer and charts his descent into hedonism with great restraint. His biography makes fascinating reading.' Philippa Boston, Oxford Times `McKay gives an admirable account of the 'Bildung Circle' to which Schubert belonged as a young man.' The Musical Times/November 1997 `a painstaking, lucid and sober biography which should be valued by both the general reader and the specialist...The great strength of McKay's biography lies in its ability to temper a formidable assembly of meticulously researched facts with gentle interpretation of them, born of obvious long thought and considerable intuitive empathy.' Gramophone `a no-nonsense survey of his life, can be recommended to anyone with an interest in the composer, whether well-versed in music or not...an excellent book that, at 350 pages, is also a masterpiece of compression.' The Daily Telegraph `a fascinating read and a book that is likely to remain the standard English-language life of Schubert for the forseeable future.' Opera

a fascinating read and a book that is likely to remain the standard English-language life of Schubert for the forseeable future. * Opera * a no-nonsense survey of his life, can be recommended to anyone with an interest in the composer, whether well-versed in music or not...an excellent book that, at 350 pages, is also a masterpiece of compression. * The Daily Telegraph * a painstaking, lucid and sober biography which should be valued by both the general reader and the specialist...The great strength of McKay's biography lies in its ability to temper a formidable assembly of meticulously researched facts with gentle interpretation of them, born of obvious long thought and considerable intuitive empathy. * Gramophone * McKay gives an admirable account of the 'Bildung Circle' to which Schubert belonged as a young man. * The Musical Times/November 1997 * Elizabeth Norman McKay has created a biography of amazing proportions. The detail and research which is so evident throughout the book takes the reader to the heart of Schubert's world and is life in Vienna in the early years of the 19th century. McKay is a sympathetic biographer and charts his descent into hedonism with great restraint. His biography makes fascinating reading. * Philippa Boston, Oxford Times * her biography is an intelligent, provocative and scrupulously researched attempt to make sense of the fragmentary mosaic of the composer's life * Richard Wigmore, BBC Music Magazine, October 1996 * an admirable, no-nonsense book which eschews detailed musical analysis in favour of an easy to read account of Schubert's troubled life * The Express * Her book explores in geat depth and fascinating detail almost every facet of Schubert's life ... McKay's biography is full of poignant recollections ... Further weight is added with McKay's enthralling account of his determination and resilience in the painful, final stages of his life. By the end of the book, Schubert has ceased to be a remote figure ... a fresh look at his impact on the Romantic era and beyond, and a welcome re-evaluation of Schubert in the two centuries since his birth. * Matias Tarnopolsky, The Literary Review * presents a Schubert far removed from the popular idea of the blithe, easy-going songmaker. This is an important book, which strips away sentimental falsehoods. * Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph * a readable and current account of the composer's life. Probably the book's greatest contribution is to offer the nonspecialist, English-language reader ready access to the most up-to-date scholarly work on him ... it may well be where most musicians and general readers wish to start their exploration of Schubert's life ... McKay has done the English-language musical world a considerable service. She has provided a highly readable narrative of Schubert's life that collects in readily usable form current evidence, knowledge, and opinion about Schubert's life ... The book's well-organized index of names and subjects will make it a compact and useful reference tool for nonspecialist and specialist alike ... Many ... will profit from McKay's book and refer to it frequently. * Thomas A. Denny, The Opera Quarterly * an eminently recommendable account of the vicissitudes of what must be the shortest and yet most productive of all musicians' careers. She has been very thorough in assessing the virtues and failings of earlier studies ... there is a wealth of fascinating, often unfamiliar information to absorb; this is a sane, humane, sympathetic and readable book. * Peter Branscombe Austrian Studies 10 *

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Elizabeth Norman McKay was formally Tutor in Piano and Visiting Professor at the Birmingham Conservatoire, and is the author of several publications on Franz Schubert and his music.

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