Schubert Opus 90 & 94
The impromptus opus 90 and Moments Musicaux opus 94 by Franz Schubert are now available in PS Urtext editions.
Schubert: Impromptu, Opus 90 No 1
A march-like melody written in C minor although the tonal ambiguity at the start of the piece highlights the romantic composer’s need for abstract imagery through music. This is the longest impromptu in this set.
Schubert: Impromptu, Opus 90 No 2
This is one of Schubert’s most well-known piano pieces. It starts off as a gently flowing melody but is transformed into a piece of great passion. The beautiful hymn-like air in the middle section perfectly captures feelings of fear, anger and uncertainty and the minor-major contrasts when it is repeated is attempting to resolve the conflict.
Schubert: Impromptu, Opus 90 No 3
Though written in G-flat major, this Impromptu was first published in G major.
Why? Did they expect their customers to be scared off by all accidentals and consequently to sell more copies of this piece if it was in a key with less accidentals? Publisher might have had more influence on the output of our great composers of the past than what we believe…
The original version of this simplistic and complex, static and dynamic, beautiful and brutish “song-without-words” is now generally preferred.
Schubert: Impromptu, Opus 90 No 4
Schubert’s use of cascading arpeggios throughout this piece has led it to be nicknamed the “waterfall” Impromptu.
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