AllMovie

The musical legacy of legendary composer Franz Schubert is explored in this unique blend of documentary-style fact and speculative fiction. His short life plagued with ill-health, Schubert struggled against the ravages of syphilis while on a constant search for love and beauty. Though Schubert's success in life was limited by a notable lack of ambition, his passion for music drove the reclusive composer to spend the majority of his time on earth in an eternal quest to achieve immortality through his musical prowess. In this collection of documentary vignettes inter-cut with the quartets "Death and the Maiden" and "Rosamunde" and the lieder "The Earl King" and "Serenade", music lovers have the chance to contrast Schubert's often difficult life with the compositions that made him a legend.