Sonatas, duos and fantasies by Franz Schubert

Sonatas, duos and fantasies by Franz Schubert includes all works for solo piano by Franz Schubert, except separate dances. It also includes a number of works for two players: piano four hands, or piano and a string instrument (violin, arpeggione).

Sonatas for piano solo

There are twenty-four Deutsch numbers associated to extant sonatas and sonata fragments, which can be organized in the following manner:

Complete sonatas 
The eleven works listed below are by all accounts complete and have always been taken as such:
Complete (?) sonatas 
The two works listed below are considered complete, but there is not an absolute consensus in this regard:
  • D 459 and D 459A, Piano Sonata in E major (1816 and 1816?; D 459 is a Sonata in two movements; it is usually paired with the "Three piano pieces" ["Drei Klavierstücke"], D 459 A to have either a five movement sonata or the work as it appeared in its first edition: "Five piano pieces" ["Fünf Klavierstücke"])
  • D 557, Piano Sonata in A-flat major (1817; there is not complete certainty that the third movement, in E-flat major, is the Finale of the work)
Incomplete sonatas and sonata fragments 
They can be divided into the following four categories:
Unfinished sonatas that have independent movements associated with them
The five works listed below are by all accounts unfinished, but have independent movements (either complete or fragments) that are generally accepted as forming part of their structure:
  • D 279, Piano Sonata in C major (1815, unfinished – first three movements are extant; the Allegretto in C major, D 346 fragment is probably the fourth movement)
  • D 568, Piano Sonata in D-flat major (1817, 1st version; the last movement is a fragment; the Scherzo in D-flat major, D 593 No. 2[1] possibly constitutes the third movement)
  • D 571, Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor (1817, unfinished – fragment of an "Allegro moderato" first movement is extant. The piano piece in A major, D 604, an Andante, as well as the Scherzo in D major and Allegro in F-sharp minor fragment from D 570 probably constitute the remaining movements)
  • D 613, Piano Sonata in C major (1818, unfinished – fragments of two movements are extant; the Adagio in E major, D 612 as well as the Minuet with Trio D 600/610[2] possibly constitute the remaining movements)
  • D 625, Piano Sonata in F minor (1818, unfinished – a completed Scherzo with Trio, and fragments of two "Allegro" movements are extant; the Adagio in D-flat major, D 505 is probably the second movement)
Unfinished sonatas (?) that have independent movements associated with them
The work below is considered unfinished, but if the Rondo in E major, D 506 is taken as its last movement, then the sonata would be complete:
  • D 566, Piano Sonata in E minor (1817, unfinished? – first three movements are extant; the Rondo in E major, D 506 is probably the fourth movement)
Unfinished sonatas with at least one complete movement
The two works listed below are by all accounts unfinished and have always been taken as such; they have at least one complete movement:
  • D 157, Piano Sonata in E major (1815, unfinished – first three movements are extant)
  • D 840, Piano Sonata in C major, Reliquie (1825, unfinished – first and second movements are complete; third and fourth movements are fragments)
Unfinished sonatas consisting of a single, incomplete movement
The three works listed below are by all accounts incomplete and have always been taken as such; only a fragment of the first movement is extant in each case:

Sonatas and independent sonata movements

Independent sonata movements

Piano Sonatas

I. Allegro (fragment)
I. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Andante
III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace – Trio
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andante
III. Menuetto. Allegro vivace – Trio
IV. Allegretto (D 346, fragment)
I. Allegro moderato
II. Scherzo. Allegro
I. Adagio
II. Scherzo. Allegro – Trio. Più tardo
III. Allegro patetico
I. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Allegretto quasi andantino
III. Allegro vivace
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andante
III. Allegro
I. Moderato
II. Allegretto
III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio
IV. Rondo. Allegretto (D 506)
1st version, in D-flat major [formerly D 567]
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andante molto
III. Scherzo. Allegro moderato – Trio (D 593 No. 2)
IV. Allegretto (fragment)
2nd version, in E-flat major
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andante molto
III. Menuetto. Allegro – Trio
IV. Allegro moderato
I. Allegro moderato (fragment)
II. Andante (D 604)
III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio (D 570)
IV. Allegro (D 570, fragment)
I. Allegro, ma non troppo
II. Andante
III. Scherzo. Allegretto – Trio
IV. Allegro giusto
I. Moderato (fragment)
II. Adagio (D 612)
III. Menuetto – Trio (D 600/610)
IV. Without tempo indication (fragment)
I. Allegro (fragment)
II. Adagio (D 505)
III. Scherzo. Allegretto – Trio
IV. Allegro (fragment)
I. Allegro (fragment)
I. Allegro moderato
II. Andante
III. Allegro
I. Allegro (fragment)
I. Allegro giusto
II. Andante
III. Allegro vivace
I. Moderato
II. Andante
III. Menuetto. Allegretto – Trio (fragment)
IV. Rondo. Allegro (fragment)
I. Moderato
II. Andante poco mosso
III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio. Un poco più lento
IV. Rondo. Allegro vivace
I. Allegro
II. Con moto
III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio
IV. Rondo. Allegro moderato
I. Molto moderato e cantabile
II. Andante
III. Menuetto. Allegro moderato – Trio
IV. Allegretto
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Menuetto. Allegro – Trio
IV. Allegro
I. Allegro
II. Andantino
III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio. Un poco più lento
IV. Rondo. Allegretto
I. Molto moderato
II. Andante sostenuto
III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace e con delicatezza – Trio
IV. Allegro, ma non troppo

Numbering of the Piano Sonatas

For the piano Sonatas, there is no official or uniform numbering system. Neither the Deutsch catalogue nor the Neue Schubert-Ausgabe edition number the sonatas (apart from the early sonatas in VII/2/1). There are several reasons for this, namely the fact that there is not unanimous consensus regarding the inclusion of independent movements as being part of incomplete or unfinished sonatas. This issue has proven to be troubling to scholars and performers of the works, who have to decide which of these movements, if any at all, should be included for a certain sonata. In some instances, it is also necessary to determine the order in which they are to be presented.

Unnumbered editions

The following two editions of Schubert's piano sonatas are incomplete and abstain from providing a numbering system:

The following edition of Schubert's piano sonatas is complete, but abstains from providing a numbering system:

Numbered editions

Other numbering systems

In addition to the two numbering systems found in the above named editions, one more can be cited. This numbering system can be found in two websites:[5]

This is a system in which twenty-three sonatas and fragments are numbered. In this system D 769A is numbered as No. 4.

Fantasies for piano solo

I. Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo
II. Adagio
III. Presto
IV. Allegro

Sonatas and Fantasies for piano four-hands

Sonatas and duos for a solo instrument accompanied by piano

Sonatas for three players

Scores

References

  1. Paul Badura-Skoda, ed. Klaviersonaten, Volume III. München: G. Henle Verlag, 1979-1989: V. Badura-Skoda states that "the Scherzo in D-flat major [...], the Trio of which is almost identical with the Trio of the Minuet of the E-flat major Sonata D 568, belongs most likely to the D-flat major Sonata, D 567, to be inserted before or after the Andante."
  2. Eva Badura-Skoda and Peter Branscombe. Schubert Studies: Problems of Style and Chronology. Cambridge University Press, 1982: 314. While the Adagio, D 612 has generally been regarded as the slow movement to this sonata, the suggestion of D 600/610 as the third movement has not carried as much weight. This inclusion was suggested by Reinhard van Hoorickx, who states that "it is not impossible that the Minuet in C sharp minor (D 600) and the Trio in E major (D 610) may also have been originally intended for this sonata: they would certainly fit in with the characteristic Schubertian key-scheme."
  3. Franz Schubert's Werke: Kritisch durchgesehene Gesammtausgabe – Serie 10: Sonaten für Pianoforte. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1888.
  4. Numbering of the piano sonatas according to the Wiener Urtext Edition, Schott/Universal Edition –Musikverlag Ges. m. b. H. & Co., K. G. Wien: Wiener Urtext Edition, 1997.
  5. Numbering of the piano sonatas as encountered in Franz Schubert: Catalogo delle composizioni at flaminioonline.it and at musiqueorguequebec.ca
  6. Deutsch 1978, p. XXI

Lists of (piano) compositions by Schubert

Other sources

External links