Double Life of Franz Schubert – A dramatisation of Schubert’s last years

Synopsis

This is a dramatic exploration of the life and works of Franz Schubert. Featuring excerpts from many of his compositions, the central narrative occurs during Schubert’s hospitalization for syphilis, the contraction of which was both a consequence of his darker inclinations and a spur to some of his greatest work. As the doctors diagnose Schubert’s symptoms, identify their cause and administer treatment, the composer conducts his own internal imaginative examination, a sometimes delirious and dreamlike evocation of the moments and music from his past life. The characters he recalls are his maverick friend and ‘Svengali’, Franz von Schober, his authoritarian father, his illustrious but conformist patron Michael Vogl and his unfulfilled love Karoline Esterhazy.

Additional Info

• No: GBCRB1100037
• Conductor: Roy Goodman
• Orchestra: The Hanover Band
• Artists: Simon Russell Beale, Jason Flemyng, Richard Van Allan, Emilia Fox
• Production year: 1997
• Run time: 00:51:00
• Director: Peter Webber
• Producers: Oxford Television Company Production for NVC ARTS and Channel Four in association with RAI Thematic Channels
• Format: HDTV