Franz Schubert
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.
Year: 1827
Period: Early Romantic
Piano score: PS Urtext 
Audiovisual Study Tool
Impromptu Op. 90 No. 2 - FREE SAMPLE (mp3 file) 
A Cascade of Triplets
The E-flat Impromptu goes like the wind. Cascading triplets begin the piece with no introduction. We enter Schubert’s thoughts by just jumping in – suddenly, we’re just inside the stream of consciousness. The performer needs very good right-hand scale technique to pull the first section off without seeming hurried or inaccurate. When we arrive at the middle section, the character changes drastically, from brilliant, light and playful to firm, heavy, almost angry. The piece is rare, too, in that it begins in the major key and winds up in the parallel minor key, Eb-Minor, a dark and brooding forest of six flats. The coda gives the piece the same kind of breathless finish as “Der Erlkönig,“ one of Schubert’s most famous songs.Background
The four Impromptus, Op. 90 (D. 899) were probably composed at least in part during the composer's stay in Dornbach in the summer of 1827, just over a year before his death. The first two went to press in late 1827; it wasn't until 1857 that Nos. 3 and 4 appeared in print.Forum posts about this piece:
Undergrad Audition Repertoire at a Decent Canadian School by bwl_13
Hey everyone, I've decided to change my pace and switch from being a film student to a music student. I am extremely excited but also quite nervous. I live in Canada and I'm auditioning to...
Pieces that sound difficult but are easy by slurred_beat
Do you know any pieces that sound difficult but are easy (or atleast not hard)? I want to have some things to play that sound impressive :D I have played recently: Schubert impromptu e flat op...
Can someone explain this notation? by ranjit
I am not able to make sense of some notation in the Schubert Impromptu No.2. In bars 25 onward, in the bass clef, there is a union (imagine it as dp., representing the note heads), and then a slur followed...
Natural followed by a sharp by ranjit
I came across this notation in Schubert Impromptu No 2. Can someone tell me what it means?
struggling with Schubert impromptu op 90 n 2 by costicina
Hi everybody! Schubert’s Impromptu op 90 n 2 is the last piece my 11 yo daughter is trying to learn under my guidance (but I’m not a qualified teacher). Since she started her piano lessons...
Schubert impromptu no. 2, Op. 90: HOW THE HELL DO I MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL!? by thirtysecondthnote
You see, I have no problem whatsoever with making the music flow, although it just does not sound quite right. Any advice on how to shape the melody? I've listened to zimmerman's recording...
Schubert Impromptu Op.90 No.2 - Difficulty by frank_48
how hard would this piece be out of 10 do you think? i want to start it, it doesnt seem [i]that[/i] hard, i am looking for a big performance piece that will take a long time to learn, you know...
schubert impromptu op.90 no.2 by yoghurtraspz
:) i think the fingering of this piece is very difficult - do we need to play with pedal for almost the entire piece ?...
Difficulty of these pieces.. by mmro
Could someone tell me the order of these pieces from the easiest to the hardest? Chopin Poloanaise Op 26 No 1 Beethoven Sonata Op 10 No 1 Mozart Sonata K332 Schubert Impromptu Op...
Schubert Impromptu Op.90 No.2 Story by xhunterjx
Does anyone know the story behind this piece? Such as what was going on during Schuberts life at that time, or mebbe what it might be...
Schubert - Impromptu in E-Flat Major (op.90 no.2) by Nicko124
I've just started this piece and would appreciate advice regarding it. I am not too worried about most of this piece because I have already tried sections out and it's not that bad at...
Schubert- Impromptu op. 90 no. 2 E flat -major by 10Fingers
Hi, I'm playing this Schubert Impromptu at the moment, but I don't exactly know in which tempo I should play it. I heard it in very different tempi, ranging from 160 ( a quarter note) up to 190. My...
Schubert Impromptu Op.90 Nr.2 by Diabolos
Hi all. Though I already played Schuberts Impromptus Op. 90 Nr.3+4, I found myself having problems with the interpreting of Nr.2. I'm wondering, since Nr.3 and 4 can be thought of as a dialogue...
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Impromptu Op. 90 No. 2 in E-flat Major, a composition by the early romantic composer Franz Schubert. The piano score of this piece was first published in 1827 and is part of Impromptus by Schubert.