Schubert's sonatas avoid acrobatic virtuosity, instead speaking with the intimate and meditative language of a lyric poet, where emotional outbursts drive the music.
Critical Reception
Until well into the 20th century, Schubert's piano music, particularly his sonatas, faced prejudice and was often reduced to arbitrarily chosen individual movements performed as small popular pieces.
Composition History
The Sonata in A major D 664 was composed in July 1819 at Steyr, almost at the same time as the famous 'Trout' Quintet, and was dedicated to Josefine 'Pepi' Koller.
Composer Biography
Franz Schubert, the composer, did not perform in public concerts, playing only for a private circle of friends and supporters, sometimes unwillingly.
Compositional Technique
The Sonata in E flat major D 568, originally in D flat major, was reworked and expanded by Schubert in the last weeks of his life for publication, including the addition of a minuet with a ländler trio.
Composition History
The Sonata in A major D 664 was composed during one of Schubert's summer tours in Upper Austria with his friend Johann Michael Vogl, a Viennese lawyer and star singer.
