Schubert: Piano Sonata in A Major, D. 664; in E Minor, D. 769a; in G Major, D. 894

Featuring

Stephen Hough
Franz Schubert

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Composer Biography

Schubert once proudly reported that people said the keys became 'singing voices' under his hands, contrasting with the 'accursed hacking' of some pianists.

Compositional Technique

The G major Sonata, D894, features rare 'fff' (fortississimo) dynamic markings, which are not found in Beethoven's solo piano music.

Performer Biography

Stephen Hough, the pianist on this recording, was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2001 and made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2014.

Composition History

The Sonata in A major, D664, was likely composed for Josefa von Koller, the daughter of a wealthy iron merchant, during Schubert's 1819 visit to Steyr, Austria.

Composer Biography

Schubert left more works incomplete than almost any other great composer, including the famous 'Unfinished' Symphony.

Composition History

Of Schubert's approximately fifteen completed piano sonatas, only three were published during his lifetime.

Critical Reception

Schubert's G major Sonata, D894, was originally published with a title page that omitted the word 'sonata', likely due to the publisher's marketing strategy.