Franz Schubert

[the89thkey]

Just wondering if any of you think he has any great piano works...
I'd have to say the B-flat sonata, and also the C major Fantasy (Wanderer) are pretty enjoyable.

[stoudemirestat]

He absolutely does. The sonata you mention is a sublime work that is typically considered one of the greatest piano sonatas ever (the previous two Sonatas are also masterpieces). The Wanderer Fantasy is another great work, and a very important one. Liszt loved it and it influenced him greatly, especially in writing his Sonata. He also wrote some other terrific Sonata's (a favourite of mine is D.784), and some truly wonderful shorter pieces (the Impromptu's are also favourites of mine, especially the D.899 set).

[the89thkey]

Olga Kern played the F minor impromptu for the first round of the Van Cliburn 2001, which she won with a brilliant performance of Rach 3 in the last round.

[j_menz]

Rach 3

Do you get like 10 cents every time you work it, however irrelevantly, into a post?

[the89thkey]

Do you get like 10 cents every time you work it, however irrelevantly, into a post?

Hmm. Didn't really seem irrelevant to me-it was directly connected with what I had been saying. If she won with Bach (which is impossible, but let's ignore that) I would have mentioned that too.

[p2u_]

Just wondering if any of you think he has any great piano works...
I'd have to say the B-flat sonata, and also the C major Fantasy (Wanderer) are pretty enjoyable.

My opinion, not a factual statement: I think he is the greatest composer of them all. I would have to write a thick book, though, to explain why.

Paul

[the89thkey]

My opinion, not a factual statement: I think he is the greatest composer of them all. I would have to write a thick book, though, to explain why.

Paul

You definitely would...why not give us the summary?

[p2u_]

You definitely would...why not give us the summary?

Oh, I think I did that already in the One composer for the rest of your life thread: The quality of the singing lines, the purity, the emotional truth and the tenderness in his music.

Paul

[zezhyrule]

the F minor impromptu

There are two, last I checked.

[the89thkey]

There are two, last I checked.

The first one. It's much longer.

[j_menz]

There are two, last I checked.

Op 142, No 1

She also played Op 142 No 3, which is on her recording from the competition (the other isn't).

[rachmaninoff_forever]

His freaking sonata in A minor D. 784 is pretty kickass.

[zezhyrule]

Op 142, No 1

She also played Op 142 No 3, which is on her recording from the competition (the other isn't).

Ah, thanks. And thanks for not adding some pointless random comment about the length of them in relation to each other.

Edit: To add something to the thread, I must say that yes Schubert is amazing and has many great piano works

[symphonicdance]

Plenty of excellent piano works by Schubert of course.

Just to add.  His Sonata in A major, D664 starts with a sweet, lyrical, joyful melody.  Absolutely beautiful.

[andreslr6]

Do you get like 10 cents every time you work it, however irrelevantly, into a post?

It's his Alpha and Omega...

[evitaevita]

Just wondering if any of you think he has any great piano works...
I'd have to say the B-flat sonata, and also the C major Fantasy (Wanderer) are pretty enjoyable.

What about his Fantasy in F Minor for 4 hands, D.940? (Ok, it's not composed for piano solo, but I don't think that there is any limitation on the number of players...)
It is an amazingly beautiful piece as well as a very important and remarkable work of him!

[thesixthsensemusic]

To me Schubert is the greatest composer musically, of all, except maybe for Beethoven. He had an amazing gift for melody, harmony, and structure, and was the most gifted storyteller in his music.

He was just not an effective a piano composer as Beethoven or Chopin, because his skills as a pianist were really good, but not those of a virtuoso. I tend to look to his bigger works, like the late sonatas or the Wanderer Fantasie, as orchestral works written to be performed on the piano. Effectively all 3 of his last sonatas are keyboard symphonies. His piano music is, except for the Wanderer Fantasie, of a slightly more manageable difficulty level than Beethoven or Chopin's more demanding works. Which actually is a good thing for a hobbyist like me. Nevertheless, his more difficult works are a challenge to any pianist to master, especially because of the sheer size of them and because you have to treat the piano as if it were an orchestra.

My favourite piece of his is the D960 sonata, which I am currently learning myself.

[pianoman53]

Omg, enough already! If you're going to pretend to be a concert pianist, at least do it convincingly. No concert pianist whould ask such a extremely stupid question, and then to come up with such a dumb ass answer.

Everyone knows that Schubert wrote great pieces, and you mentioned the most obvious of them all.

Psst, you know who's got great coffee?! (promise to not tell anyone) Freaking Starbucks!
 

[zezhyrule]

Psst, you know who's got great coffee?! (promise to not tell anyone) Freaking Starbucks!
 

Wrong. I am an elite barista who makes and serves the best possible coffee every day to the most famous of people and I can assure you that Starbucks is not good at all. The true art of espresso eludes them. You amatuers wouldn't understand, but all real professional baristas would agree with me.

[pianoman53]

okay, you made my point even clearer. Only amateurs will mention something like that. I agree that I'm a complete noob on coffee, so I can accept that my taste is rather the bad. The89thkey should notice the same in himself...

[the89thkey]

I agree that I'm a complete noob on coffee, so I can accept that my taste is rather the bad. The89thkey should notice the same in himself...

Starbucks for me. Don't buy any of the crap they sell at Dunkin Donuts or other chains. Starbucks is the most popular "restaurant" in America, and rightfully so.
(Is this the first time I've mentioned something other than piano in a post on these forums?)