Classical Music | Music for Duo

Recorded on 04/03/2007, uploaded on 01/20/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Sonata in B-flat major, Op. 30, D. 617          Franz Schubert

Schubert's Sonata in B-flat Major, composed in the summer of 1818, is a delightful, elegant original four-hand work.  Even though a miniature compared to the later four-movement Sonata in C Major, the "Grand Duo", the piece displays the 21 year-old Schubert as already a mature composer with a unique compositional language.  In this Sonata, the listener is immediately aware of "Schubertian" traits: cantabile melodies that never end, rigid yet organized sonata-form structure, dedicated repetition and restatement of thematic material, sudden shifts of unexpected modulations, and a love of whimsical and improvisatory elements.

It is Schubert's love for improvisation that captures this sonata's primary character.  The first movement, Allegro moderato, begins almost like an impromptu; an unexpected splash of sound followed by falling 16th notes serves as an introduction and leads the listener to the exposition.  The movement unfolds in perfect sonata form; luscious melodies float on top of continuous triplets, giving the overall movement a feeling of gentle yet insistent forward motion.  The second movement, Andante con moto, begins as a somber chorale in D minor, then after a yearning lyrical section (with a stubborn and consistent B-flat pedal point) the chorale reappears in D Major, this time decorated by "1st violin-like" passages in the upper register.  The last movement, a dance-like Allegretto in 6/8, exudes a relaxed pastoral joy.  A tumultuous but brief storm interrupts the picture-perfect scenery, after which the movement blossoms to its quiet, reposed conclusion.      Michael Cansfield

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.