Question 1

True or false: Schubert's 'Erlkönig' sets a Goethe poem about a child haunted by a supernatural king.

Accepted Answer

True. Correct—it's a dramatic lied based on Goethe's ballad, with four distinct vocal characters in one singer.

Question 2

True or false: Schubert composed over 600 lieder (art songs) in his short lifetime.

Accepted Answer

True. Yes, he wrote about 600 lieder, plus symphonies, chamber music, and piano works—all by age 31.

Question 3

True or false: Schubert's 'Trout Quintet' gets its nickname from a theme based on his own song about a fish.

Accepted Answer

True. Yes, the fourth movement uses variations on his lied 'Die Forelle' (The Trout), hence the nickname.

Question 4

True or false: Schubert was the first major composer to make a living solely from his compositions.

Accepted Answer

False. He struggled financially and relied on friends for support; he never achieved full independence as a composer.

Question 5

True or false: Schubert was a close friend of Beethoven and attended his funeral as a pallbearer.

Accepted Answer

False. Schubert admired Beethoven but they never met closely. Schubert was a torchbearer at Beethoven's funeral, not a pallbearer.

Question 6

True or false: Schubert never completed his famous 'Unfinished Symphony' because he died before finishing it.

Accepted Answer

False. He actually lived for six more years after starting it. The reason for leaving it unfinished remains a mystery, not death.

Question 7

True or false: Schubert wrote a symphony that features a part for the rare glass harmonica.

Accepted Answer

False. No—that was Mozart (Adagio for glass harmonica). Schubert never used that instrument in any symphony.

Question 8

True or false: Schubert's 'Serenade' was originally written for voice and guitar.

Accepted Answer

True. True—Schubert composed 'Ständchen' (Serenade) for voice and guitar, though it's now often performed with piano.

Franz Schubert Trivia Questions