"Here, from the greatest interpreter of Schubert's songs--and one of the most famous singers of our time-- is a masterly study of the genesis and development of Schubert's music, revealed in terms of the composer's own life and his growth to psychological maturity. Of the six hundred and eight Lieder that Schubert composed during his brief life, only a very small proportion was widely known until Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau recorded three volumes of them and began to introduce the neglected ones into his concert programs. Out of Fischer-Dieskau's great knowledge of the music of Schubert comes this book. It is unique in that it sets the songs against the background of the composer's life in Vienna, revealing the relevance of his Lieder to the age he lived in. With the outstanding musicianship and complete sincerity that are the hallmarks of his art, the author discusses the brilliance and diversity of the Lieder settings, from the simple strophic to the "through composed" song and the great song cycles; and he deals in detail with the texts, which range from those of Goethe and Shakespeare to the often indifferent verse of the composer's friends"--Book jacket.