Johann Ludwig Wilhelm Müller born in Dessau on October 7

Franz Peter Schubert born in Vienna on January 31

Schubert becomes choirboy in Imperial Court Chapel and student at Stadtkonvikt boarding school

Schubert composes “Hagars Klage” (D5), his first complete surviving song

Müller begins studies in philology, history, and literature at University of Berlin with financial support from Duke Leopold Friedrich of Anhalt-Dessau

Müller joins Prussian army in Wars of Liberation, fighting against Napoleon’s forces in battles of Lützen, Bautzen, Haynau, and Kulm; Schubert leaves Stadtkonvikt

Schubert composes “Gretchen am Spinnrade” (D118); begins teaching at his father’s school

Müller becomes infatuated with Luise Hensel (1798–1876) and continues his university studies; Schubert composes “Erlkönig” (D328)

Beethoven’s song cycle An die ferne Geliebte (To the Distant Beloved), Op. 98 published; Müller and friends improvise Liederspiel about a miller maid and her various suitors at Berlin salon; Schubert ceases teaching

Müller embarks on two-year journey in Austria and Italy; Schubert meets Vienna court opera singer and future collaborator Johann Michael Vogl

Müller returns to Dessau

Müller’s first volume of poetry, Sieben und siebzig Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten (Seventy-seven poems from the posthumous papers of a traveling horn player), including poetic cycle Die schöne Müllerin, published in October by Christian G. Ackermann (dated 1821); Müller appointed ducal librarian by Duke Leopold Friedrich of Anhalt-Dessau

Müller writes first twelve poems of Die Winterreise; Müller marries twenty-one-year-old Adelheid von Basedow (1800–1883); “Erlkönig” published as Schubert’s Op. 1

Birth of Müller’s daughter Auguste (1822–1868); Schubert contracts syphilis in late 1822 or early 1823

Wanderlieder von Wilhelm Müller. Die Winterreise. In 12 Liedern published in Urania. Taschenbuch auf das Jahr 1823; ten additional poems of Die Winterreise published in Deutsche Blätter für Poesie, Litteratur, Kunst und Theater; birth of Müller’s son Friedrich Max (1823–1900); Schubert composes Die schöne Müllerin (D795)

Müller completes Die Winterreise; Müller’s second volume of poetry, Gedichte aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines reisenden Waldhornisten II: Lieder des Lebens und der Liebe (Songs of life and love), which includes full twenty-four-song cycle Die Winterreise, published by Ackermann; Müller appointed privy councilor (Hofrat) by Duke Leopold Friedrich of Anhalt-Dessau

Müller becomes director of court theater in Dessau; Schubert discovers Part I (first twelve poems) of Müller’s Die Winterreise in Urania … 1823 in late 1826 or early 1827 and begins setting cycle

Schubert moves in with Franz von Schober at The Blue Hedgehog in February; autograph manuscript of Part I of Winterreise dated “Febr. 1827” in Schubert’s hand; Schubert invites friends to hear some new compositions (possibly Part I of the cycle) in early March but does not appear; Schubert discovers full twenty-four-song Die Winterreise cycle in Waldhornisten II; Beethoven dies March 26; Schubert composes Part II of Winterreise in summer and fall; Schubert sings “the whole of Winterreise” (Joseph von Spaun; SMF, 138) for several friends; Müller travels down Rhine River from July 31 to September 25, then dies of apparent heart attack on September 30 at age 32; fair copy of Part II of Winterreise dated “Oct. 1827” in Schubert’s hand

First and only concert performance of a song (“Gute Nacht”) from Winterreise during Schubert’s lifetime given on January 10 by tenor Ludwig Tietze at Abend-Unterhaltung of Vienna Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde; Tobias Haslinger publishes Part I of Winterreise on January 14; in November, Schubert corrects proofs to Part II of Winterreise on his deathbed; Schubert dies on November 19; Haslinger publishes Part II on December 30

Johann Michael Vogl sings complete cycle Winterreise at age 71

Julius Stockhausen gives first public performance of complete Winterreise cycle, using Müller’s final published order of the poems

First complete recording of Winterreise with tenor Hans Duhan and pianists Ferdinand Foll and Lene Orthmann, using Schubert’s order of songs