page 8

THE BUZZ

Stephen Interviews
Artist Christopher Saliba
Q. 1: : Christopher, you hold degrees in Art
from the University of Malta and from the Accademia di Belle Arti Pietro Vannucci in Perugia, Italy, where you studied for four years. Can
you say that learning/teaching of Art at tertiary level in Malta is a pari passu with that
in continente?

From what I learnt abroad, informal learning is as much important as the grasp of
academic knowledge and skills. Of course,
to give visibility to ones own intrinsic convictions and create ones own modus operandi takes years and a lot of practice. Im
of the opinion that art courses offered at
University have improved and become
more stimulating throughout recent years,
though they still remain prevalently academic and relatively less student-centred.
Apart from that, prospective artists are
nowadays able to access easily written and
visual contents related to the arts on the
internet and familiarise better with the
contemporary artistic scenario. This is a
huge asset which I could not avail of almost
twenty years ago when I committed myself
to my art studies abroad. Nevertheless, a
huge drawback for Maltese students is the
limited exposure to exhibitions held regularly on mainland Europe which are a must
to better appreciate the quality of different
forms of art.

Stephen Attard
In my case there is no such favourite medium. I consider myself first and foremost a producer of images.
In my opinion, the thought or idea behind a work of
art is more important than the medium or technique
used eventually every creative process requires the
choice of the most appropriate medium to manifest
and give visibility to such thought or idea. Developing ones own artistic language requires ones own
establishment of a set of rules. These in turn provide
the denominator common to all creative output, no
matter which medium is employed.
Q . 4 : In your biography, one finds that being a native of a very small island explains
(your) interest in expressing symbolically the spatial and physical limitations of people
living in confined spaces. This reminds me of the provincialism thematic in Frans Sammuts literary masterpiece Il-Gaa and a Sicilian counterpart by the name of I Malavoglia (G.Verga). On the other hand, your ouvre has a distinct sprightness of colours, not
the least in the portraying of Gozitan landscapes. Thus, can one speak of you as a promoter of a Gozo dialectic of contrasts?

Every work of art may be considered to a certain extent as a self-portrait. It reflects

a state of being, the nature of which may be physical, psychological or spiritual. In
my case, the island on which I was brought up has shaped me as an artist; the sensory stimuli, the space and the physical/psychological boundaries are all major
influences which enable me to identify myself with my work. You mentioned Frans
Sammuts Il-Gagga; if I had to choose a literary work which has an affinity with
my work I would opt for Guze Ellul Mercers Leli ta Haz-Zghir, in which the main
protagonist was caught in a dilemma between the protection/shelter his microenvironment offered him and an urge to explore what is beyond his physical and
ideological boundaries. A Gozo dialectic of contrasts may actually trigger some
profound thoughts such as finiteness/infiniteness, openness/closure and the here/
the beyond. Sometimes I employ my photographic documentation of temporary
installations in natural settings to address the psychological dimension of being an
Q . 2 : Your stay in Perugia was made possible islander whereas my paintings are manifestations of sensory experiences deriving
thanks to a scholarship you earned. Modestia from the warmth of the Mediterranean light.
a parte, what do you think were your forte-s
which made it possible for you to get a free
place at the famous international Atheneum in
the heart of hearts of the Umbrian Region
(Italy)?

Apart from my knowledge about the different genres of art, what probably convinced
the interviewers at the Italian Cultural Institute that I deserved my place at the Academy of Fine Arts was the passion with which
I described and discussed the diverse works
I presented.
Q . 3 : Christopher, you are a very eclectic
artist. Apart from painting and drawing, you
express your artistic powers also in etching,
sculpture, printmaking, photography, installations and video. What is your favourite medium?

GOZO VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL

Q . 5 : Your cv pictures you prominently with, among others, Maltese pansophist intellectual Profs. Joe Friggieri. What is your impression of one of Maltas most representative egg
-heads?

Editors Note: Etiquette

Colin Attard

INSIDE
Operi Dei Nihil
Praeponatur

Play On

Young Artists
Page

Franz Shubert

Opera in the
20th Century

The Late 19th

Century and
Early 20th Other composers

Stephen
Interviews...

Profs. Joe Friggieri is a prominent intellectual and influential figure at national level.
His artistic versatility has no limits; he excels as a poet, playwright and theatre director apart from being renowned for his philosophical works and publications. His
words are meticulously chosen and his arguments tend to be elaborate. Moreover
he has a knack for delivering complex and profound thoughts in an accessible and
fascinating way.
Q . 6 : Christopher, I know you have travelled extensively. But as far as home, sweet
home is concerned, where is the favourite spot you have pictured in our tiny but endearing insula gaudisiensis?

Gozo boasts of several beauty spots but my favourite is the Citadel in Victoria. I
regularly walk up to the bastions where one can enjoy a 360 degree view of the
islands skyline. Apart from its historical background, this site is strategically positioned to better appreciate what living on such an island is all about.

ISSUE 17

- Wherever one stands in an ensemble one should always face

the audience during the applause.
- Bowing should be at medium
speed, staying down for a second
or two, and then going up at the
Zachariah Frisien (Sheet Music same speed, with the leader takPlus) mentions the following ing over in the case of an ensemble.
points concerning musicians:
- Dress codes should be rigidly
adhered to, not least as this also When it comes to the members
has a bearing on the general per- of the audience, Naxos underlines
the following points:
ception of group playing.
- During on-stage warm-up no - Be quiet when music is playing.
excerpts due to be performed Talking, whispering, unwrapping
should be played, as this transmits anything, coughing, squeaking
a sense of insecurity to the audi- chairs, opening purses, jingling
coins, rustling programmes, and
ence.
- Absolutely no talking should be saying shhh should be avoided,
done, except in extreme circum- while mobile phones, pagers and
stances, and, in such a case, very beeper watches should be turned
off. Indeed, music thrives on
quietly.
- Singing, humming and whistling silence.
must never be resorted to, de- - Stay put when music is playing.
spite the temptation of doing so Any activity that might get in the
way such as texting, fidgeting,
when one gets into the music.
- While keeping the beat is funda- passing notes, adding or submental, toe tapping, if actually tracting clothes, messing around
needed, should be limited to tap- with belongings, eating, entering
or leaving, and walking around
ping the big finger in the shoes.
- Shuffling the music sheets to should be avoided. Moreover,
look for the next piece should only generally, one should only rebe done after acknowledging and spond to the intense feelings in
an inwardly manner. Indeed,
appreciating the applause.
- Page-turning should be as quiet- stillness helps everyone to focus
on [the] music.
ly and quickly as possible.
- Very explicit and audible - Clap at the end only. Despite
(positive or negative) reactions any over-enthusiasm, one should
should always be avoided, unless not applaud till the very end of
the context dictates otherwise the very last ending (implying all
(though, if I may add, expressive the movements). I must underand smiling faces always transmit line the need to wait till the very
end, till the very last sound
positivity).
Whether a performer or a member of the audience, it is imperative to act mannerly during a concert. Hence I thought of sharing a
few tips re performance etiquette
or concert manners.

fades away. Exception is generally

made in opera and ballet where
applause as things go along is not
only allowed but desired.
- Refrain from taking pictures and
video or audio recordings unless
prior authorisation is forthcoming. This might be very distracting, apart from being illegal.
- Use lots of discretion when taking very young children to concerts. Kids cannot be expected to
respect
concert
manners.
(However, I add that very young
kids should be taken to concerts
specifically aimed at their age
groups).
The latter leads me to a digression which I make with a very
heavy heart: students and members of our cultural organisations
rarely patronise cultural events
whether music, drama, dance, or
visual art unless they are participating. Unfortunately, the weknow-it-best mentality prevails.
But we have to overcome this
malaise. I feel that teachers and
organisations have an obligation
to encourage their students and
members respectively to attend
events put on by other groups
and artists. This, coupled with a
broader educational approach, is
necessary to guarantee audience
development. Performers need
audiences; otherwise cultural
programmes
will
stale
irrespective of any etiquette!

MAY 2016

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Operi Dei Nihil Praeponatur

Music in Gozo - 6
Rev. George Frendo

Operi Dei nihil praeponatur: nothing

must be put before the service of
God. Therein lies the medicine to
the present age malaise! The medicine has been in stock since the dawn
of time.it will never run out of stock
as unfortunately it is not the most
sought-after of medicines!
What St Benedict rightly set out in
this splendid formula has actually
been there for the right-minded
since the Creation narratives! What
actually cost primordial humanity the
loss of pure enjoyment in the Garden
of gardens was precisely the putting
of the advancement of self before
the service of God and that was it!
Instead of advancing to a higher
state of being, humanity slipped to a
lower state of being: harmony was
replaced with discord experienced on
multiple levels of being and acting.
Harm was inflicted but despair was
not to be the outcome.
The Creator is not exactly known for
turning His back on His creation,
whatever the depths of treason His
creatures may sink to. Indeed humanitys honor in dishonor rooted
stood, and still stands most of the
time, unfortunately. Treachery does
not put the Saviour off howeverask
Peter! It is not off the mark to reiterate that the present age, drunk as it
is with its own self-proclaimed advancement, or success, can only
come to its senses if the age-old
medicine is consistently administered: nihil praeponatur operi Dei. If
humanity wants to stand on its feet
again, and not slither in the mud like
the cursed serpent of antiquity, there
is no other way than to give God His
due: His rightful place, not only in
the private sphere, but most of all in
the public sphere.
What is the operi Dei, the service of
God? It may be summed up as the
acknowledgment of God as Creator

and law-giver. St Benedicts dictum is

not just an expression of an otherworldly piety to be lived out within
the sheltered and cloistered ambience of the monastery, cut off from
the complexities of the present age.
It is a clear and sober translation of
the creation account and of the message it bears for humanity. The true
centre, the real power that moves
and shapes from within, is worship.
Worship is not to be understood only
in its strict sense such as obtains in
the Divine Liturgy, but also in its multiple expressions such as that man is
not the final word and does not have
the final say, but is essentially the
Hearer of the Word. The danger that
confronts us in our technological age,
(labeled by none other than Einstein
as the age of stupidity), is that we
have cut ourselves off from this primordial knowledge which has served
as a guidepost for great cultures since
time immemorial. Humanity can only
ignore this fundamental and founding
truth at its peril. In fact, the Creators
directive to humanity to look after His
creation and to do so in accordance
with the rhythm and inner logic of
creation, is a prerequisite for sustainability not only of the universe but
especially of humankind itself. The
present ecological crisis is ample
proof of this truth. The universe
(world) is to be used for what it is
capable of and for what it is called to,
and not for what goes against it. Biblical faith implies in the first place that
human persons are not closed in upon themselves and decide for themselves irrespective of the Truth without incurring great loss.
The human person is an open city!
Openness does not merely form part
of human personality but is essentially constitutive of its being.
No
attempt to forcefully change this fundamental condition which defines
personhood has succeeded in its endeavor in the past and ever will in the

future. The fate of humanity really

depends on whether the moral dignity
of the human person can be defended
in the world of technology with all its
possibilities. A particular temptation
exists for our technical scientific age.
The technical and scientific attitude
has produced a particular kind of certitude namely, that which can be corroborated by way of experiment and
mathematical formula. There is the
temptation to view as reasonable only
that which can be corroborated
through experiment and computation.
This means that the moral and the holy
no longer count for anything. They are
considered to belong to the domain of
what must be transcended, of the irrational. Whenever this is done, i.e.
whenever ethics is based on physics
and not on Truth, than human personality just evaporates and from the apex
of Creation the human person becomes an object to be manipulated as
another commodity among commodities. Indeed the human person is
stripped bare of his inalienable rights
and reduced to ad utitilatem or ad
maiorem commoditatem..
You may be asking, what has all this
to do with music? But it has everything to do with music! Music, perhaps the doyen of the Arts, is a constant reminder that the inner logic and
pulse of creation has to be respected.
There is perhaps no other manifestation of Art which restores man to sanity than Music! Indeed Music is a continuous proof of the dictum: Operi Dei
nihil praeponatur! Is it a wonder then
that what has evolved into what can
rightly be called European Music actually took root in Benedictine monasteries?!

The late 19th century and early 20th Other Composers

Colin Attard

When discussing the turn of the century, one has to reiterate the very important role that the two Victoria bands played during this epoch. Several Maltese musical personalities became associated with them as musical directors, apart from being
induced to compose substantial amounts of band music. These included the likes of Vincenzo Carabott (1844-1914), Emmanuele Vassallo (1853-1921) and Anton Miruzzi (1867-1941) the latter active in Gozo mostly in the late 19th century. Arguably,
amongst the lot, the most significant is however Emanuele Bartoli (1852-1932), an influential composer with an extensive
oeuvre which also includes lots of sacred works. Having moved to Gozo, where he also became associated with the La Stella Band, he stands out amongst his peers for his rather advanced German-influenced music, characterised by bold and highly chromatic harmony as well as intricate and thick orchestral textures, rather than driving melodic lines. It is a pity that only
very few of his compositions are still performed today, and, if so, only occasionally.
The engagement of Italian bandmasters was also rather
typical at this time. Maybe one of the biggest names to
grace our shores was Italian Giovanni Giumarra (18611936), bandmaster of the Leone Band and a very prolific
composer of band music. Several of his compositions
which are not just marches are still very regularly
played from time to time, the most popular of which is
arguably the funeral march Dolore. An Italo-Maltese
composer-conductor and Giumarras immediate predecessor at the Leone Band is Orlando Crescimanno (1861
-1923). Crescimanno did not just compose band music,
and a sacred work of his which is still played today is the
military-style antiphon composed in 1894 much later
adapted as a Beatam me dicent for the feast at Kercem.
Yet his two most popular works still regularly performed
today are both composed for band, namely the inno
funebre La Croce and his masterpiece, the cantata A
Maria Assunta which, composed for Victorias feast of
St Mary in 1913, is the oldest grand hymn still performed at the start of festa processions in Gozo.

Of course, quite some other Maltese composers were

associated with musical life in Gozo during this era, especially the sacred perspective. One can mention just
two. The first is the highly-respected Carlo Diacono
(1876-1942), a huge personality in Maltese sacred, operatic and band circles. To date Diacono remains wellknown with Gozitan sacred music lovers as several
works of his are often performed during the various
liturgical services all over Gozo. The other is Vincenzo
Caruana Spiteri (1896-1932), who spent the last twelve
years of his short life in Gozo, where he was headmaster at the Sannat Primary School. Integrating very well
in the local environs, it is no wonder that he composed
several works specifically for the Sannat parish, several
of which are still heard. Pride of place, naturally, is reserved to the bouncy antiphon Veni Sponsa Christi.

Giovanni Giumarra
(18611936)

Carlo Diacono
(18761942)

Orlando Crescimanno
(18611923)

Vincenzo Caruana Spiteri

(18961932)

It is pertinent to add that during this era, but especially

since the early 20th century, many imported works
started finding a place in the standard church repertoire in Gozo. Of course, it became relatively easier to
obtain printed works mostly from neighbouring Italy. A
few of these works are still perfomed today. Yet, nothing beats the post-motu proprio Messa facile in onore
di Santa Lucia by Luigi Bottazzo (1845-1924), that influential Italian organist and composer who accidentally
lost his eyesight at the age of nine. The Bottazzo as
the mass is commonly referred to in Gozo must by far
hold the record as the composition most performed
during Gozitan liturgical services!

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page 3

Play On

Opera in the 20th Century

Maria Frendo

Joseph Debrincat
In the last years of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, opera
was dominated mainly by two composers namely Giacomo Puccini (18581924) and Richard Strauss (1864-1949).
Arguably, Puccini was one of the first
composers to introduce symphonic elements in Italian opera. His rich and
beautiful melodies and his innovative
and colourful orchestration made him
one of the last opera composers whose
operas are performed regularly all over
the world.

The German composer Richard Strauss

was highly influenced by his compatriot
Richard
Wagner
(18131883). He attempted to explore psychology on almost
Freudian lines as
he delved deep into human psyche,
portraying his heroines with a masterful
musical insight ranging from the touching vulnerability of the Marschallin in
Der Rosenkavalier (1911) to the terrifying insanity of Salome (1905). On similar
grounds, one can also include Pellas et
Mlisande (1902) by French composer
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) who drew
much of his inspiration from Wagners
Parsifal (1882). Arnold Schenbergs
monologue opera Erwartung (1909),
Moses und Aron (unfinished by 1951)
and Bla Bartks (1881-1945) Duke
Bluebeards Castle (revised 1917) are
three representative works that take
twentieth century vocality to unprecedented heights.
Alban Berg (18851935) pushed the
point even further in
his
two
operas
Wozzeck (1925) and
Lulu
(unfinished),
with characterization
that are wild and extreme. In the former,
Berg exploited the

atonal style whereas the latter was constructed out of the twelve-note technique.
The German composer Paul Hindemith
(1895-1963) was regarded by many as
one of the most important composers
of his generation. His operatic output
includes Cardillac (1926) and Mathis der
Maler (1938).
The Czech Leo Janek (1854-1928)
whose often performed operas include
Jenufa (1904), developed and applied
the concept of speech tunes. Together
with his contemporary Puccini, they
continued to develop their own distinctive forms of verismo. Other composers,
most notably Francis Poulenc (18991963) in Les Mamelles de Tiresias (1947)
and Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) in
The Nose (1930), experimented with
surrealism and poetic nonsense. Igor
Stavinskys (1882-1971) only opera, The
Rakes Progress (1951) is an important
work of neoclassicism, returning for its
inspiration to Gluck, Mozart and other
Classical composers.
In America, George Gershwin (18981937) incorporated jazz idioms in his
works. Besides composing film scores,
he also composed operas. His opera
Porgy and Bess (1935) is considered by
many as the first great American opera.
Though not by temperament an opera
composer, English composer Ralph
Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) turned
to the form six times with his last opera,
Thomas the Rymer left uncomplete. Although rarely staged, these operas fared
well on disc.
Arguably, the most successful composers of this period in England were Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) with operas
such as Peter Grimes (1935), Billy Budd
(1951), and The Turn of the Screw
(1954) and Sir Michael Tippet (19051998) with The Midsummer Marriage
(1955) being one of his most successful

operas.
One has to admit that the twentieth
century, especially the second half,
has seen a sad decline in popularity
of new opera. Those which have
found the widest and most enthusiastic audiences, do not concern themselves primarily with a new idiom
style, or music-dramatic approach.
The German composer Hans Werner
Henze (1926-2012) composed a number of successful operas such as
Boulevard Solitude (1952), Elegie fur
junge Liebende (1961), Die englische
katze (1961), and LUpupa und der
Triumph der Sohnesliebe (2003).
One of the most successful and influential composers
in America after
Gershwin is definitely Philip Glass
(1937- ). His operatic output includes Satyagraha
(1980), Akhnaten
(1984), The Voyage (1992), La
Belle et la Bete (1994), and Waiting
for the Barbarians (2005). The ItaloAmerican composer Giancarlo Menotti (1911-2007) composed operas
such as The Medium (1946), The Consul (1950), and Amahl and the Night
Visitors (1951).
The reasons for this shortage of new
popular operas may be numerous. I
believe that twentieth century composers may have moved too far away
from the expectations of the audience. There are of course exceptions.
There are composers that delved
into the past, making use of those
prime ingredients which were still
serviceable including lyricism and
emotion and blended them gracefully with such contemporary techniques and idioms that ultimately
served their dramatic purposes.

It is thanks to Shakespeare that we have, arguably, one of

the most famous ever quotes about music. As Twelfth
Night opens, Duke Orsino speaks the words that are familiar to millions: If music be the food of love, play on.
These are words that speak to me like an old friend. Music for me is, indeed, the food of love, and I have been
playing on for as long as I can remember.
Shakespeares plays are awash with music. So many of
his characters either make, or make reference to, music;
singers and dancers regularly accompany the action on
stage; and the Bards words themselves are music. Also,
so many of the Bards works have inspired great musicians, from Purcell to Prokofiev, from Nordic types such
as Sibelius and Stenhammar to those Southern giants of
Italian opera, Rossini and Verdi. We can resort to ballets,
overtures, incidental music, tone poems, choral works,
and songs. There is also opera.
Is there an art form that receives more satirical or downright derisive and passionate publicity than opera? That
the word operatic deserves solicitude becomes apparent
if one samples contemporary appearances of the word,
which the Oxford English Dictionary says was first used in
the mid-eighteenth century. It is likely to crop up nowadays in strange but unfailingly colourful circumstances.
For instance, Marcel Proust, in hot pursuit of lost time,
gives these words to the principal character: Anyhow, I
have a horror of sunsets, theyre so romantic, so operatic. You get the idea. Operatic means not normal,
extravagant, at the very least slightly mad; it is unafraid of
being perceived by normal people as vulgar or outlandish.
Operatic suggests mould-breakers. In short, operatic
characters are very Shakespearean. The only normal person in Hamlet, for instance, if we can actually find one
lurking around haunted Elsinore, is Fortinbras. Characters
who are normal or mundane in their speech, thought, and
actions rarely commandeer Shakespeares stage and
then, as with Polonius, only when they are screwed up to
parodic pitch. To be far out, to be offbeat to be a Falstaff is to be both Shakespearean and operatic.
In addition to writing free-standing poems as Venus and
Adonis, A Lovers Complaint, The Rape of Lucrece, and his
magnificent sonnet cycle, Shakespeare makes music an
integral feature of his dramatic output. He includes over
130 lyrics in his plays, as poems or songs, with over 100 of
them original compositions. Most often, Shakespeare
clarifies the poet-figures who write, sing, or perform
these lyrics, such as the courtier Orlando in As You Like It,

who fondly hangs his love poems to Rosalind on trees in the

Forest of Arden isnt that beautiful? Here, the performance of poetry becomes a recurrent stage action, and the
presence of active poet-musicians means that characters
habitually carry on a conversation about poetry.
With Shakespeares plays, the audience is thrust into a world
of sound. A few excellent hints that this aural response
takes are scattered throughout Shakespeares canon: I will
hear that play, says Duke Theseus of Pyramus and Thisby
in A Midsummer Nights Dream. Well hear a play tonight
says Hamlet of The Mouse-Trap. Open your ears inveighs
Rumor in the Prologue to 2 Henry IV, and the Prologue of
Henry V asks the audience Gently to hear, kindly to judge
our play. The aural bias of an Elizabethan theatrical event is
hinted at in Caesars remark about Cassius: He loves no
plays, / As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music; and
Volumnias acerbic observation in Coriolanus about the Roman plebeians eyes of thignorant [are] / More learned
than the ears is another case in point.
Music in Shakespeare is the tunnel at the end of the light. It
reveals by obscuring and the miracle of light is renewed eternally in the imaginative soul. Enobarbus says of Cleopatra
Age cannot wither her / Nor custom stale her infinite variety. To my mind, this is also true of Shakespeares music.
Keen Shakespeareans will, of course, know that Duke
Orsinos lines continue: Give me excess of it that, surfeiting, / The appetite may sicken, and so die. Surely, however, when it comes to Bard-inspired music, there can be no
such thing as an excess. So, play on ...

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Young Artists Page

Franz Shubert (continued)

Antoine Theuma
I composed a new minuet without
him knowing. Would you like to hear
it? After listening to it Josef said Its
beautiful Franz. You should compose
more. Look here is some more music
paper for you. You are kind, Josef.
Please dont tell Father I am composing. Promise me! Of course. Now
listen. Put your music away! Have you
heard the news? Napoleon is back
with his troops. Theyre marching into
the city. Dr. Lang has forbidden us to
take part but the seniors have decided to take no notice and are forming
a Students Corps to help defend Vienna.

Competition
Can you name these
famous artists?

1.

Send your answers by email

or post by 15th June 2016.
(Details below).

2.

In our last issue we left Franz waving

goodbye to his family before picking the
coach that had to take him to the Konvikt
School.

~~~~~
One lucky winner, drawn by
lot, will be awarded a CD!

~~~~~
Marija Refalo, a music theory grade 5 student, is the
winner of last issues competition.

3.

4.
Gozo Visual & Performing Arts School
Soil Street,
Xewkija, XWK 9034
t: 00356 21554162 l 27830774
e: gozo.music.sch@gov.mt
gozo.art.sch@gov.mt
joy.frendo@ilearn.edu.mt

Editor: Colin Attard

Executive Editor: Stephen Attard
Co-ordinator and Distributor: Joy Frendo
Design: Vince Caruana
Contributors: Colin Attard l Stephen Attard l
Joseph Debrincat l Rev. George Frendo l Maria
Frendo l Antoine Theuma

This new adventure offered some challenges for Franz. Apart from missing his
family, Franz also missed mummys good
food and the family fire place. It was
freezing cold in school for there was no
heating, the school food was horrible and
the portions very small. However, Franz
enjoyed learning music and he used to
spend the majority of his free time doing
what he loved best: composing music.

(The "Lion of Aspern" is a monument

to the fallen Austrian soldiers of the
Napoleonic Wars)

On one rare visit home, father asked

Franz: Tell us how you spend your day!
Well, apart from my school work, I am
the orchestra assistant. I string the violins,
light the candles and make sure the instruments and scores are in place. I play
the violin every day as well as singing in
the choir. We give concerts and I play the
piano. Sometimes we perform my music!
Dont neglect your school work! warned
his father. I think you are spending too
much time on music. You have to be a
schoolteacher when you grow up, not a
musician!

How dare you disobey me? Dr Lang

was waiting when the boys returned.
Go to your rooms at once! Were
going again tomorrow! Josef whispered to Franz. When they returned
the next day Dr Lang locked them in
their rooms. The boys were watching
cannon-balls fly across the night sky.
Napoleons soldiers had set fire to
many buildings and the glow of the
flames could be seen for miles. Suddenly a cannon-ball landed in one of
the fountains in University Square, in
front of the school.

Back at school, Franz told his friend, Josef

von Spaun, Father isnt too pleased with
me. He doesnt approve of my music, but

Inside the school a deafening noise

was heard. Someone screamed!
Smoke was pouring down the stair-

case and Franz looked at Josef in

horror. The schools on fire! The
boys, pale with fear, ran to see. We
could all have been killed! Franz
stared at the huge hole. The cannonball had gone right through the
building before exploding as it hit the
ground.
Some time later, the tears streamed
down Franzs cheeks. Oh, Josef, I
cant believe it! The headmaster
had just told him of his mothers
death. He went home for her funeral. For eleven months his poor father
struggled on alone, but the following
April Dr Lang had good news for
Franz. He was going home again but
this time for a happy event. On April
13th, 1813 his father married Anna
Kleyenbock.
When he was 15, Franzs voice broke
and his days as a choir boy were
over. Even though life at school wasnt always easy Franz dreaded leaving school. He did not want to become a schoolmaster like his father.
His kind stepmother understood.
Whenever his father gave her some
extra money, she saved it in a stocking. Anything in the stocking, Mother? asked Franz when he visited her.
There was always a coin or two for
him.
Franz Schubert worked as a schoolmaster for only three years. He hated it! He was happier as a musician,
even though he knew he would be
poor for the rest of his life. He became a great composer and wrote
nine symphonies. One of the most
famous is Symphony no. 8 in B minor, the Unfinished, which has only
two movements and was found in a
drawer after he died in 1828.