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Home > Schubert, Franz > Grand Sonate B-Dur

Schubert, Franz : Grand Sonate B-Dur D 617 Op.30

Work Overview

Music ID : 1488
Composition Year:1818 
Publication Year:1823
Instrumentation:Piano Ensemble 
Genre:sonata
Total Playing Time:19 min 00 sec
Copyright:Public Domain

Commentary (4)

Author : Shinozaki, Midori

Last Updated: May 29, 2015
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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

Schubert began composing piano sonatas in 1815.

Beethoven undertook symphonies after composing ten piano sonatas. It is thought that this served as an opportunity to experiment with sound textures, figural movements, and superimpositions. Schubert's sonatas, like those of many composers of his time, also possess an academic aspect.

He first composed D157 in E-flat major, followed by D279, both of which were considered incomplete sonatas as they ended with a three-movement minuet and had an unfinished fourth movement. He began D459 in 1816, abandoned it midway, and then completed six sonatas in 1817. Within this creative flow, the Sonata for Piano Four Hands, D617, was composed. It consists of three movements.

First Movement: Allegro moderato

Exposition (~m.68) It begins with a brilliant dominant seventh introduction, followed by the first theme (A, mm.4-8) which sings with a natural flow, like a Lied. Subsequently, in the episodic section (B, m.20~), with alternating major and minor modes, the second theme (C, m.27~) appears in F major in the lower voice of the primo part. Its characteristic here is its performance with triplets and staccato. The same rhythmic motion coexists in the secondo part.

When dotted rhythms and triplets are mixed here, in Schubert's case, it means aligning the third note.

It is said that Schubert's compositional method involved creating the melody first, and then adding the accompaniment. After the short second theme, the rhythm is maintained as it transitions to the episodic section (D, m.33~).

In this episodic section, the secondo's bass note D-flat is sustained, and there is a sudden modulation to D-flat major. While the secondo plays an inviting melody in parallel sixths, polyphonic melodies appear in the upper and lower voices of the primo. Subsequently, it is also played in unison.

From measure 45, it can be considered Episode 2, where a sharp-based chord C-sharp-E-G-sharp suddenly sounds. If this chord is considered enharmonically, it becomes D-flat-F-flat-A-flat. This is an enharmonic modulation as it becomes a common chord with the preceding flat key. The primo part alternates between soprano and alto melodies, responding to each other. With trills in the soprano and secondo bass, modulations and major/minor modes alternate.

This can be described as Schubert's improvisational quality and his technique of fusing melody and accompaniment. Due to frequent modulations, performers should firmly grasp the tonality and consider the nuances. Also, consider the sound production.

From measure 54, the codetta (E) begins. The rhythm of Episode B occasionally appears.

From measure 69, Development section. The continuing rhythm from the codetta (F) or the rhythm of the episodic section (B) appears. Since the primo and secondo parts engage in the same rhythmic interplay, listen carefully to the movement and play with good balance. The movement in the secondo's right hand should be considered as chordal accompaniment. The tonality here is ambiguous, but by enharmonically shifting F-sharp to G-flat, it can be identified as E-flat minor at measure 73. It then modulates to B-flat minor, F minor, and C minor. While not a clear dominant-to-tonic cadence modulation, the scalar movement subtly shifts with chromatic alterations as it modulates.

The secondo's right hand plays repeated chords and is marked ff, but ensure it doesn't become noisy; listen carefully to the bass's scalar movement and the primo's upper voice, and respond accordingly.

At the downbeat of measure 84, it modulates from a flat key to a sharp key. Harmonically, it is interpreted as an augmented sixth chord with chromatic alteration in A-flat major at measure 83. This E-G-sharp-B-D enharmonically becomes F-flat-A-flat-C-flat-E-double-flat.

The dominant chord and dominant seventh chord of A major from measure 87 are E-G-sharp-B-D, thus considered an enharmonic modulation. From measure 87, a new melody appears in unison. The melodic movement here seems to progress from the tonic chord through an augmented triad to D major, but instead, it raises A by a semitone to A-sharp, leading to the dominant chord of B minor (containing A-sharp). Immediately, A-sharp is converted to B-natural, leading to B-flat major, and then to its parallel minor, B-flat minor (m.99).

Since enharmonic modulations are used extensively, especially at the transition points, carefully consider the timbre and resonance nuances of the "enharmonic notes" in relation to the preceding and succeeding keys when producing sound on the keyboard.

From measure 99, the F note is sustained in the secondo bass, leading to the recapitulation. The recapitulation is largely a restatement of the exposition.

Second Movement: Andante con moto

A very beautiful slow movement, beginning softly in D minor. The primo and secondo parts are considered to unite, creating a moist and beautiful sounding melody. The chromatic alteration on the second beat of measure 1 is an augmented sixth chord, and right from the start, one will likely feel the tension and nuanced artistry here. The 8-measure phrase modulates to F major. Following the previous melodic movement, the next 8 measures settle into F major, A minor, and D minor. Due to the repeat, Section A spans 32 measures.

From measure 17, the secondo accompaniment pattern changes, and a broken chord figure continues over a sustained B-flat bass note. The primo has a two-voice melody, which, while not a canon, seems to be chasing itself. From measure 33, the bass changes to D, showing signs of modulation, and the phrase ends on the dominant of G minor.

From measure 37. The melody here has the same movement as melody A, with slight variations. The tonality begins in E-flat major, then G-flat major, its parallel minor F-sharp minor, A major, and ends semi-cadentially on the dominant of D major.

At measure 69, it is recapitulated in D major, the parallel major of D minor. From measure 76, the theme shifts to the lower voice of the primo, i.e., the left hand, while the upper voice has an obbligato feel.

From measure 101, it concludes with a Coda.

Third Movement: Allegretto

Part I (~m.73)

The piece begins abruptly, but it is in B-flat major. The fluent first theme section in 6/8 time continues for 16 measures. This rhythm can be considered a Siciliano. Next, the secondo bass takes over and imitates the latter part of the thematic melody's figure. And then the melody transitions back to the primo. Characteristic of Schubert, the "King of Lied," melodies flow one after another, and the movement of notes from primo to secondo is natural, supporting the harmony while coexisting with and responding to the melody. In this section, play while carefully listening to the balance within the interplay of the parts.

From measure 30, after a 3-measure bridge in the primo, the second theme is considered to begin at measure 33, with modulations to G-flat major, D-flat major, and F major. Although these are distant modulations, if one considers the Neapolitan sixth chord of F major, the chord B-flat-D-flat-G-flat emerges, suggesting a connection to the Neapolitan key. In this section too, the rhythms of the primo and secondo coexist.

From measure 54, the F major melody before the codetta appears polyphonically, concluding at measure 62. Although improvisatory, the light movement of the sixteenth notes is natural and does not interrupt the flow. This is considered a technique that combines improvisation with a consistent Siciliano rhythm, creating a sense of unity.

Part II (m.74~111)

It inherits the sixteenth-note figure that appeared in the previous codetta. Chordal, scalar, and arpeggiated figures appear in both voices. This is a development section, unusually for Schubert, where no clear melody is discernible. The tonality is also simple, only D minor and B-flat major. And the Siciliano rhythm is also absent. In this section, try to play while feeling Schubert's music, which lies at the boundary between the Classical period and Romantic periods, ensuring it does not become mechanical.

Part III (m.112~)

This is a recapitulation of Part I. The C-flat major of the second theme, in relation to the first theme, is indeed a Neapolitan key. The harmony of Schubert's era was standard, but it feels as though he maximized variation with augmented sixth chords and Neapolitan sixth chords. His modulations are thought to be characteristic of Schubert. Haydn, belonging to the Classical period, also used sudden modulations that seem surprising, and going further back, Scarlatti, active in the Baroque era, also employed abruptly distant modulations. From this, one can see traces of composers not merely staying within established norms but challenging and pioneering various experiments within acceptable boundaries.

Author : Hori, Tomohei

Last Updated: March 12, 2018
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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

Schubert's Piano Dances

The early 19th century was a period when the aristocratic minuet, popular in the 18th century, gave way to more popular and dynamic German dances and Ländler, before eventually transitioning to the flamboyant waltz. Schubert's piano dances, numbering approximately 650 pieces for both two and four hands, are also primarily preserved in these triple-meter genres. Schubert also loved the waltz rhythm, which gained prominence after the Congress of Vienna (1814–15), but judging from the surviving scores, the composer used the name "Waltz" only once. This fact suggests that the characteristics of each dance were not so clearly distinguished.

For Schubert, piano dances were primarily a genre that provided background music for intimate gatherings of friends, creating a convivial social atmosphere. As his skill became known to the public, he increasingly had opportunities to be invited to large public dance halls to play the piano. It seems he would later transcribe into scores the pieces he particularly liked from those he improvised to suit the atmosphere of the occasion. The dances thus accumulated became, alongside his Lieder, central to his early publishing activities.

Schubert's playing of piano dances was one of the most frequently and vividly recalled scenes among the numerous testimonies of his friends. It is an interesting fact that these testimonies are concentrated from December to February. Although in the south, Vienna's winters are harsh. They would gather on cold evenings to warm their bodies and spirits. There even remains a poem depicting how Schubert's improvisations on one such night healed a close friend weary of life. Such scenes form the original landscape of Schubert's music, and the dances born there sometimes developed into tightly knit cycles (collected works) imbued with spiritual drama. Robert Schumann was well aware of this characteristic. Some of Schubert's dance cycles became such tightly structured collections that they eventually led to works like the Davidsbündlertänze (1837).

Gently traversing these three domains—friendship, social interaction, and spiritual journey—Schubert's piano dances warm the hearts and bodies of people.

Writer: Hori, Tomohei

Author : Hori, Tomohei

Last Updated: March 12, 2018
[Open]
Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

Schubert completed only two sonatas for four hands, and this work is the only one of them published during his lifetime. Although the autograph manuscript is lost, Anton Schindler states that its composition dates back to 1818. Similar to the Four Polonaises (D 599), it can be assumed that it was written during the summer of the same year, on the occasion of his teaching the two young ladies at the Esterházy estate in Hungary. It was published in 1823 by Sauer & Leidesdorf. The name "Grand Sonata" originates from its designation as "Première Grande Sonate" (in French) upon publication. The composer himself must have been involved in this naming, as six years later, Schubert composed the C major sonata, the last in this genre (Grand Duo, D 812), and referred to it as "Große Sonate" (in German) in letters to his brother and acquaintances. From these facts, it can be inferred that Schubert aimed to develop the four-hand sonata genre from around 1818, and regarded this B-flat major sonata as its momentous first work.

Writer: Hori, Tomohei

Author : Hori, Tomohei

Last Updated: March 12, 2018
[Open]
Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

The musical content amply conveys the composer's ambition. The most prominent feature throughout the work is that relationships based not only on the circle of fifths but also on keys a major third above form its framework. That is, D major (or minor) forms the antithesis to the tonic key of B-flat major. This key demonstrates its presence in the development sections of the first and final movements, and also becomes the main key of the second movement. Schubert gradually developed his unique sound by utilizing this tendency, already clear in Beethoven's early sonatas, in conjunction with the principle of the circle of fifths.

First Movement

The first movement is, at first glance, elegant music with a Rococo-style introduction and a Mozartian theme. In his diary entry of June 14, 1816, Schubert expressed fervent admiration for the “bright and cheerful beautiful beyond” opened up by Mozart. However, as the piece progresses, a sound that can be called “Schubertian” becomes apparent. Two factors can be pointed out as contributing to this, both important devices that extend to his later instrumental works. Firstly, just when one expects to reach the dominant key (m. 31), the legato second subordinate theme flows in D-flat major, the submediant key, spreading a unique lyricism. Secondly, related to this drama of tempo and mood, is the ingenuity of the transition sections. The first transition section (m. 20ff.), with its first “f” in the piece, provides the initial contrast to the elegant flow of sound through a brave yet stable E-flat minor. This is diatonic. In contrast, the second transition section (m. 45ff.), following the lyrical D-flat major, is melodious and chromatic, moving through distant sharp keys before returning to the dominant. Generally, Schubert's sonatas have clear formal divisions, and the waves of motion and stillness are distinct. The waves of motion and stillness based on the transition sections show even greater amplitude in the development section. This is evident in the contrast between the development based on the first transition section (m. 73) and the development based on the second transition section (m. 87ff.). Both are in diametrically opposed relationships not only texturally but also tonally (E-flat minor / A major tritone). A minor detail: the parallel fifths occurring in m. 62 (and the corresponding passage in the recapitulation) are likely a composer's error.

Second Movement

The second movement is a slow movement with a sentimental theme. The melodic pattern of ascending a minor sixth and then descending stepwise was favored in the 17th–18th centuries, and Schubert frequently used it in his Lieder. For example, it often accompanies poignant lyrics such as in “Die Liebe hat gelogen” (D 751), which may offer a hint to the fundamental emotion of this movement. The movement as a whole consists of three parts: A (D minor) – A' (D minor → A major) – A'' (D major). The frequent use of sextuplets in the middle section A'' foreshadows the intense emotional expression heard in the slow movements of his late sonatas (e.g., D 958).

Third Movement

The beginning of the third movement is striking for its device of gradually returning to the tonic key while utilizing the key of the second movement (D major). This is likely a technique inherited from Haydn. The sextuplets lightly soaring into the high register also build upon the content of the second movement, transforming it to suit a finale. It adopts a clear sonata form, but as noted at the beginning, it also builds upon the preceding movements by centering not only on the dominant key but also on D minor. Thus, the confidence of Schubert in calling this work a “Grand Sonata” seems to be reflected in the way all three movements are interconnected in various ways.

Writer: Hori, Tomohei

Movements (3)

Mov.1 Allegro moderato

Total Performance Time: 8 min 00 sec 

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Mov.2 Andante con moto

Total Performance Time: 5 min 30 sec 

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Mov.3 Allegretto

Total Performance Time: 5 min 30 sec 

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Sheet Music

Scores List (1)