The Unfinished Piano Sonatas of Franz Schubert Javier ... - Ethesis

V Auf dem Weg zur großen Sinfonie
By this stage, Schubert was achieving the integration of his personal musical
language into the larger instrumental forms. The C major Sonata was far removed from
the fragmented musical nature of the early extended ballads or fantasies. Schubert’s
lyrical genius had always been present, but his craftsmanship as a composer had, over
the preceding years, developed in an extraordinary manner. Now he was ready to tackle
the grand instrumental forms he had long desired to master, including a ‘grand
symphony’ worthy of Beethoven. It is interesting to note that Schubert’s themes in the
‘Reliquie’ and other works of the same period are less lyrical than before; and yet they
offer a great deal more potential for development, thus emulating one of Beethoven’s
key practices in the technique of melodic invention. This new motivic approach is one of
the most important characteristics of Schubert’s late instrumental works: the ability to
fragment and transform thematic material whilst also managing to combine it with the
unique features of his own musical language derived, to a great extent, from poetry.
The slow movement of this sonata, an Andante in the tonic minor, is a work of
symphonic proportions. Thematically it has direct links to the first theme of the opening
movement; while structurally it is a kind of rondo. However, by cross-referencing ideas
between the sections, Schubert creates a piece which is more sophisticated than
conventional rondos. His musical material in this movement recalls the variation
movement from the ‘companion’ sonata in A minor (D845), which he played to an
enthusiastic audience in the summer at Steyr. 14 For instance: the general pulse (6/8 in
the ‘Reliquie,’ 3/8 in the A minor Sonata); the embellished elaboration in bars 66-71
(analogous to the second variation in the A minor Sonata); the strong contrast between
lyrical and rhythmical passages in octaves in bars 55 ff. (similar to the third variation);
or the ‘transfiguration’ into the major mode in bars 75 ff. (final variation of the Andante
poco moto of the A minor sonata). In terms of sound conception, this movement is
strongly orchestral, although we find different kinds of textures, ranging from clearly
‘orchestrated’ passages (bars 10-13 and 19-22, for example) and non-pianistic gestures
(bars 71-73, left hand) to transitions of a quasi-improvisatory nature that look forward
in time to Liszt’s rhapsodies (bars 38-39; Ex. 4.).
88
Ex. 4. Schubert: Piano Sonata in C major (D840).
II. Andante, bars 38-39.
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