Masterpieces by Franz Schubert: Sparkling classical works left by the King of Song. Recommended classical music.
Franz Schubert, the Austrian composer hailed as the “King of Song” for leaving behind more than 600 lieder, including masterpieces such as Erlkönig and Ave Maria.
Schubert is known not only for his many celebrated songs, but also for his wide-ranging output in solo piano works, symphonies, and chamber music.
In this article, we’ve handpicked Schubert’s most popular pieces as well as hidden gems beloved by devoted classical-music aficionados.
We present a selection of sparkling works infused with the spirit of a musician who composed throughout his life.
- Robert Schumann | Introduction to his famous and representative works
- [Masterpiece Classics] A special showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears
- A poignant classic masterpiece. Recommended classical music.
- Cool classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.
- Pick up Beethoven’s famous and representative works!
- Mendelssohn’s Masterpieces | Popular Classical Music
- Johann Strauss II | Introducing Famous and Classic Pieces
- Masterpieces by Gustav Mahler. Popular classical music.
- A masterpiece by Franz Liszt. Popular classical music.
- Masterpieces of the Romantic Era: A sweeping introduction to soul-stirring, celebrated gems!
- Classical Masterpieces: Recommended Works You Should Hear at Least Once
- Carl Maria von Weber Popular Song Rankings [2026]
- [Haydn] Pick up famous and representative pieces!
Masterpieces by Franz Schubert: Sparkling classical works left by the King of Song. Recommended classical music (51–60)
Symphony No. 7 “Unfinished”Franz Schubert
Following Beethoven’s Symphony No.
5 “Fate” and Dvořák’s Symphony No.
9 “From the New World,” this Symphony No.
7 “Unfinished” is also extremely popular; together they are known as the “Three Great Symphonies.” Composed by Schubert, who wrote a vast number of songs, the reason it remained unfinished is still not clearly known.
With a touch of melancholy yet graced by elegant melodies passed among various instruments, its mysterious beauty makes it a particularly captivating work.
Symphony No. 7 “Unfinished,” Second MovementFranz Schubert
A delicate melody that makes you sigh seems to gently soothe your fatigue.
Its fragility—so fine you might say, “touch it and it will fall”—seems to melt even the most frayed heart into calm.
Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 “Unfinished”Franz Schubert
Schubert was an Austrian composer.
No one knows why his Symphony No.
8 in B minor is unfinished.
Schubert handed the score of the unfinished Symphony No.
8 in B minor to his friend Hüttenbrenner.
About forty years later, Hüttenbrenner found the incomplete score at the back of a desk drawer and gave it to Johann Herbeck, the conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic, where it received great acclaim at its Vienna premiere in 1865.
wild roseFranz Schubert
Heidenröslein is a song in which Franz Schubert set music to a poem by the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
It is well known in Japan and is used for school chimes and train departure melodies.
Many people may have sung it with the Japanese lyrics that begin “Warabe wa mitari.” Because the original song has a very simple melody, it is easy to play on the piano.
As you play gently, imagine the charm of a little wild rose blooming in the fields.
Franz Schubert’s Masterpieces: Sparkling Classical Works Left by the King of Song. Recommended Classical Music (61–70)
Piano Sonata No. 17 in D major, D 850Franz Schubert
This is a piano sonata composed in 1825.
All four movements are written in a major key.
The first movement is a lively Allegro vivace.
The second movement, the longest, marked Con moto, has been described as having a “heavenly length.” The third movement, Scherzo, is characterized by its dotted rhythms.
The performance is by Christian Zacharias.
String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D 810 “Death and the Maiden”Franz Schubert
It is a string quartet composed in 1824.
It was published posthumously in 1831.
Because it quotes the motif from Schubert’s song “Der Tod und das Mädchen” (Death and the Maiden), the quartet itself is also commonly known as “Death and the Maiden.” At the time, Schubert’s body was ravaged by illness.
From this work—whose every movement is written in a minor key—we can glimpse Schubert’s state of mind during that period.
Sentimental Waltz, D 779 Op. 50 No. 13Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert’s Sentimental Waltz, D 779, Op.
50 No.
13, is a piano piece whose relaxed tempo and graceful melody create a pleasant impression.
Published in 1825, it is said to have been regarded as one of Schubert’s popular works since its composition in 1823.
The charm of this piece lies in how, while grounded in the waltz’s fundamental triple meter, the performer can freely shape tempo and nuance to follow the contours of the melody and the flow of phrases.
By attending to the resonance of the accompaniment’s harmonies and balancing the right and left hands, you can fully savor the atmosphere of refined, elegant salon music.