Schubert: Piano Works, Vol. 9

Featuring

Gerhard Oppitz
Franz Schubert

Did you know?

1/7

Performer Biography

Gerhard Oppitz, the performer on this recording, won first prize at the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in 1977 and is known for presenting major work cycles, including all of Schubert's solo piano works.

Composition History

Schubert's Sonata in E Major D 459 was originally published in 1843 as 'Five Piano Pieces' by Carl August Klemm, a collection arranged by Schubert's brother Ferdinand, and only later identified as a sonata.

Critical Reception

Schubert's sonatas were long neglected, with only three published during his lifetime, due to the argument that he couldn't handle large-scale sonata form.

Recording & Production

This recording was made on May 13, 2009, at Historischer Reitstadel, Neumarkt/Oberpfalz, using a Steinway D piano, instrument number 49 38 25.

Composer Biography

Schubert, though not a brilliant virtuoso, was a skilled pianist who loved the instrument and composed nearly all typical genres of piano music of his time, including around 500 dances.

Composer Biography

Franz Schubert, born in Vienna in 1797, first turned to the sonata genre at the age of eighteen, composing 22 sonatas throughout his life.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Robert Schumann, a contemporary of Schubert, praised his piano music for sounding 'as if it came from the depths of the piano,' unlike Beethoven who borrowed tone colors from other instruments.