Winterreise

[Megan]

It must have been doubley sad when Schubert performed his Winterreise in front of his friends as they must have known he was dying of (Syphilis?)

[Peter]

Indeed though the official cause of death was Typhoid fever - he certainly had syphilis and many of his symptoms were probably brought about by the Mercury used to treat the condition. I'm always amazed that not only Schubert, but others such as Beethoven, were able to compose at all given their often poor physical condition. Who would of thought that the sunny 2nd symphony was written during the dark days of the Heiligenstadt Testament?