AllMovie

Anthony Asquith filmed this biographical treatment of the life of his favorite composer, Franz Schubert. The joint Austrian-British production stars Hans Yaray as Schubert who, as the film opens, is a poor, unknown, struggling musical genius. He is having trouble finishing a symphony he has written. A friend arranges for him to perform for Princess Kinsky (Hermine Sperler), but at the performance, the aristocratic Caroline Esterhazy (Martha Eggerth) laughs aloud. Schubert angrily stomps out at this slight. Caroline likes his hot temper and persuades her father, Count Esterhazy (Ronald Squire), to hire Schubert to give her private music lessons. They fall in love, and she inspires him to finish his symphony. But their class differences prove to be problem when they decide that they want to get married.