PROGRAMME NOTES

Piano Sonata in C major, D. 840

I. Moderato

II. Andante

Musicology is not an exact science, and its conclusions are often revised in the light of new evidence. Schubert’s Piano Sonata in C major, D. 840 was nicknamed ‘Reliquie’ (reliquary) at its 1861 publication in the belief that it had been Schubert’s last work before his death in 1828. Later evidence places its composition firmly in 1825, but the name stuck.

In 1825, Schubert was prosperous and happy, with a healthy income and publication of his works speeding up. The sonata was begun in April 1840 yet was abandoned after only completing its first two movements, perhaps interrupted by his summer holiday in Upper Austria, but it was this state of incompleteness that led scholars to think it was his last unfinished work.

The Moderato opens with a plain questioning motif in bare octaves and answer in chords. The conversation develops and takes a turn into B minor, and transforms the discussion while maintaining constant reference to the rhythms of the opening material—as if exploring the topic from different angles. Darker drama enters for a while, before the chat returns to the main theme, though subtly altered, and some spirited elaboration of the conclusions reached occurs before the conversation closes. The Andante gives us a melancholic forest walk in a peaceful moonlit summer evening, alternating being lost in one’s thoughts with taking notice of the shadows and movements.

Piano Sonata in A major, D. 664

I. Allegro moderato

II. Andante

III. Allegro

Perhaps Schubert thought back to 1819, when he visited Steyr (‘unimaginably lovely’, he called it) in Upper Austria, and took a liking to the young Josefa von Koller, whom he considered very pretty and a good pianist. The result was the Sonata in

A major, D. 664, a love-gift for von Koller, daughter of a wealthy iron merchant. The work is the shortest of Schubert’s sonatas, but one of the most endearing, as Schubert’s cantabile style shines throughout.

The Allegro moderato opens with Schubert’s typical song-like melody, developing it in his usual way with modulations and diversions. Moments of brilliant virtuosic indulgence are never allowed to outshine the simple beauty of the melodic material. A flowing Andante follows, where in spite of the slow tempo, Schubert never quite gives us a restful resolution until the end, leading us on a breathtaking walk through languid expression of both melancholy and warmth, almost like eau de parfum in its concentrated concision. The final carefree Allegro shows us how highly Schubert thought of the young Miss von Koller, for it shows Schubert at his glittering best, balancing showy whirlwind technique with enchantingly lovely melody.

Piano Sonata in A minor, D. 845

I. Moderato

II. Andante poco moto

III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace –Trio. Un poco più lento

IV. Rondo. Allegro vivace

Returning to 1825, only three of Schubert’s piano sonatas were published during his lifetime. One of these was the Piano Sonata in A minor, D. 845, entitled Premiere Grand Sonata. Composed in 1825 alongside the Piano Sonata in A major D. 840, the work was dedicated to Archduke Rudolf of Austria. 1824 had been horrible for Schubert, who had his syphilis diagnosis confirmed and spent a brief time returning to teaching at his father’s schoolhouse. The spring of 1825 saw Schubert’s health stabilising and his music starting to be recognised outside of his native Vienna, and the work reflects his improved situation.

The opening Moderato gives us a tentative and plaintive theme answered by a forceful figure in descending octaves, full of determination. Dramatic developments ensue, full of chromatic modulations, with tension building till we arrive at an unexpected pit stop in A major. Nevertheless, the journey up the mountain continues with threatening lightning and thunder until we arrive at the peak, where Schubert finally sits down with a dramatic hand on his forehead.

The Andante poco moto, unique among Schubert’s slow movements, presents a set of variations on the initial melody. Tension and variety give way to a serene C major ending. A Scherzo follows, playing off persistent patterns with flexible phrase lengths, much like modern ‘free verse’ poetry. A contrasting F major trio surprises us with a lullaby-like swaying—have we entered another slow movement? The return of the A minor material assures us otherwise.

The work closes with a busy Rondo full of invention and memorable figures. Schubert teases us in multiple directions, as if pulling us back and forth from group to group at a large garden party. Once again, Schubert shows us his mastery, for despite the almost capricious feel of the movement, he maintains the lyrical beauty of his melodies.