Die Zwillingsbrüder, like Schubert's other operatic works, met with limited success both at the work's inception and over time. Critics attribute this to the weakness of the libretto as well as to a mismatch between the lightness of the subject matter and the refined nature of Schubert's music. In this work, Schubert's music often approaches the style of Mozart, evoking for instance Die Zauberflöte.

Original Name Die Zwillingsbrüder
Librettist Georg von Hoffmann (based on the 1818 French vaudeville Les deux Valentin (The Two Valentines) by Marc-Antoine Madeleine Désaugiers and Michel-Joseph Gentil de Chavagnac)
Date of composition 1819
Premiered 1820, January 14th
First published 1872
Type Singspiel
Catalogue D 647
Spoken language German
Instruments Voice (Bass) - Der Schultze (mayor)
Chorus/Choir - Mixed Chorus ;
Orchestra
Voice (Soprano) - Lieschen, his daughter
Voice (Tenor) - Anton
Voice (Bass) - Notary
Voice (Bass) - Franz / Friedrich Spiess
Autotranslations beta Franz Schubert: The Twin Brothers, D 647
Franz Schubert: The Twin Brothers, D 647
Franz Schubert: The Twin Brothers, D 647