Schubert - Piano Music

Franz Schubert

Schubert stands between the Classical and Romantic eras; while attracted to the established forms of sonata, symphony and quartet, he was far from satisfied with pouring his wealth of melodic and harmonic ideas into conventional moulds. His greatness often grows out of something that seems very simple - because so much of his music is very easily grasped and enjoyed, it's even more heart-stopping when an unexpected modulation reveals a powerful undertow of darkness and mystery.

Top Pieces:

Moment Musical  in F Minor, Op. 94 No. 3

This delicate little "musical moment" has sometimes been labelled "Russian Air", but could equally be thought of as a typical Viennese mix of elegance and rustiqueness.

Impromptu in E-flat Major, Op. 90 No. 2

The right-hand triplets scurrying up and down the keyboard are so much fun, while the middle section and coda offer dark and dramatic contrast.

Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90 No. 3

This extraordinarily beautiful, song-like piece - the ultimate example of Schubert's overflowing Romantic melodiousness - demands great cantabile technique and control of different layers of sound.

Impromptu in A-flat Major, Op. 142 No. 2

The peaceful serenity of this Impromptu seems to point back to Schubert's greatest idol Beethoven and the first movements of two of the latter's more lyrical Sonatas, both in A flat major: opp. 26 and 110.

Sonata 21 in B-flat Major, D. 960

Written only months before Schubert's death, the B-Flat Sonata is a work of vast dimensions and vertiginous depths, that easily strikes the listener as a kind of communication from the beyond, both melancholy and comforting.

Biography

From the start, Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was an exceptionally prolific composer. At seventeen years of age, having already written several songs, piano pieces, string quartets, his first symphony and a three-act opera, he increased his creative pace even further: the huge output of 1814-15 includes 144 songs, among them Gretchen am Spinnrade and Erlkönig, two more symphonies, three masses and four stage works. From this time he began to attract a large circle of friends, frequently gathering in homes or coffee-houses for evenings of Schubert´s music called Schubertiads: this gave Schubert an appreciative audience and influential contacts as well as the confidence to stop teaching, which he had been pressured to do by his father who was a schoolmaster.

He lived with one or other of his friends, the closest of whom were the poet Johann Mayrhofer and the law student Franz von Schober. Schubert also met at this time the barytone Michael Vogl, one of the outstanding opera singers of the day, who became the foremost interpreter of his songs, often accompanied by the composer. In 1821 Schubert’s music appeared in print for the first time, as his admirers issued issued 20 of his songs by private subscription. Schubert, an enthusiastic opera-goer since childhood, in the early 1820s worked on several stage projects such as the opera Alfonso und Estrella and incidental music to the play Rosamunde. The rejection of most of these works, financial strain and the beginning of serious health problems made this a dark period, which nevertheless yielded some of Schubert’s best works, such as the epic "Wanderer" Fantasy for piano, the two movement Eighth Symphony ("Unfinished"), and the exquisite Schöne Müllerin song cycle.

Although appreciation remained limited, his reputation in Vienna was steadily growing (above all, his concerts with Vogl were renowned), and Schubert little by little entered a more assured phase. 1825 was something of a high point when the setbacks of previous years were compensated by relative prosperity and happiness. Unfortunately, over the next three years his fortune, his finances and his health would wane steadily, yet during this time he would produce an astonishing string of masterworks. In 1827 Schubert wrote among other works the song cycle Winterreise, the Fantasia for piano and violin in C, the Impromptus for piano, and the two piano trios; in 1828 the String Quintet in C, the last three piano sonatas, and the collection of songs published posthumously as Schwanengesang.

Quotes by Schubert

Quotes about Schubert

Schubert Piano Sheet Music

for digital devices or to download & print

Total pieces by Schubert: 141