This Companion to Schubert examines the career, music, and reception of one of the most popular yet most misunderstood and elusive composers. Sixteen essays by leading Schubert scholars make up three parts. The first discusses the social, cultural, and musical climate in which Schubert lived and worked, the second surveys the scope of his musical achievement, and the third charts the course of his reception from the perceptions of his contemporaries to the assessments of posterity. Myths and legends about Schubert the man are explored critically and the full range of his musical accomplishment is examined.