The New Grove composer biographies have been selected from the dictionary to bring the finest of the biographies to a wider audience. Each has been expanded and updated for book publication and contains a comprehensive work-list, index, and fully revised bibliography, in addition to the definitive view of the subject's life and works.

Maurice J. E. Brown, one of the world's leading authorities on Schubert, completed this fine biography of the composer shortly before his death. He covers every aspect of Schubert's short and tragic life, clearly relating it to the works. He discusses the influence of Schubert's friends and explores the background to the composition of many of his best-known pieces, such as Winterreise. The biography has been brought up to date by Eric Sams, who also contributed the outstanding work-list.