How Conductors Explain Conducting

by Janet Horvath, Interlude

When audiences are transported by a concert, they imagine that a kind of magic happens onstage attributed to the conductor. Sometimes that is true. But many other attendees wonder: what does a conductor actually do?

We’re in luck. Several conductors have shared their theories about how to conduct. Richard Strauss for example, who was not only a wonderful composer but also an exacting conductor, published these instructive Ten Golden Rules for the Album of a Young Conductor in 1927. We published them in 2015 but many of them bear repeating here:

• Remember that you are making music not to amuse yourself, but to delight your audience.

• You should not perspire when conducting. Only the audience should get warm.

(My teacher Janos Starker used to say, “Don’t be so moved. Move your audiences.”)

• Never look encouragingly at the brass except with a brief glance to give an important cue.

(Richard Wagner quipped, “Never look at the trombones…It only encourages them.” This quote is also attributed to Strauss!)

• But never let the horns and woodwinds out of your sight. If you can hear them at all, they are still too strong.

• It is not enough that you yourself should hear every word the soloist sings. You should know it by heart anyway. The audience must be able to follow without effort. If they do not understand the words, they will go to sleep.

• When you think you have reached the limits of prestissimo, double the pace.

Some conductors do accelerate to unplayable tempos. I’ve experienced it! Strauss later, in 1948, changed his mind: Today I should like to amend this. Take the tempo half as fast.

Conductor and legendary pianist Daniel Barenboim seconds that notion:

“The tempo is the suitcase. If the suitcase is too small, everything is completely wrinkled. If the tempo is too fast, everything becomes so scrambled you can’t understand it.”

Herbert von Karajan, the famed conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic added, “Quick music sounds dull unless every note is articulated.”

Renowned composer and conductor Gustav Mahler agreed, “If you think you’re boring your audience go slower not faster.”

Gustav Mahler

There are a lot of opinions on how to interpret music and there are often differences in timing and tempo. Take Beethoven’s famous opening to his Symphony No. 5. I think you’ll be surprised by the versions of the first four bars from Carlos Kleiber, Claudio Abbado, Herbert von Karajan, Pierre Boulez, Bruno Walter, and John Eliot Gardiner. Carlos Kleiber with Vienna plays in a refined style, while Pierre Boulez leads a diabolically slow opening to the 5th.

Comparing 5 conductors VERY different openings of Beethoven 5th Symphony (& why they chose that) 

Aside from being a timekeeper, what more does a conductor do? During an interview when asked this question, Sir Simon Rattle responded, “It’s one of the great fake professions…We are nothing without the orchestra…”

Sir Simon Rattle

Simon Rattle | What Does A Conductor Actually Do?

South Korean pianist and conductor Myung Whun Chung recently elaborated,

“A conductor almost by definition is a strange animal; he is the only musician on stage that makes no sound, yet he is responsible for everyone else’s. I often would like to think of myself as just a colleague or collaborator with the other musicians, but ultimately, we must come together to be the truthful messengers of the composer we play – and make their music come alive!”

Like other professions, sometimes there’s a domineering and controlling boss. We orchestral players have been subject to heavy-handed conductors, ones we disagree with, or even incapable ones we must ignore.

We’re surprised that Herbert von Karajan, the maestro with a legendary sound, who was an autocrat, once said, “The art of conducting consists in knowing when to stop conducting to let the orchestra play.”

And this is fascinating. Simon Rattle on Karajan:

Simon Rattle on Herbert von Karajan 

Leonard Bernstein, who was the music director of the New York Philharmonic from 1957-1970 and recorded with them until the end of his life, puts it in a nutshell,

“Conducting is like making love to a hundred people at the same time.”

The wonderful thing about music-making is that each orchestra has a personality and will sound different depending on the maestro in front of them. And we can tell from the first upbeat in the music whether the leader is any good. One conductor will inspire a refined, polished sound while another will coax a more robust and aggressive quality, and everything is reflected through the different people onstage.

Conducting gestures vary. The stick or hand technique is essential, but every gesture, facial expression, and overall body language matters.

Here’s an illustration:

Breaking down orchestra conducting gestures to show you what they mean 

Many conductors have an affinity to certain music and a predilection for conducting those works. Our former music director Osmo Vänskä, for example, was terrific with the works of Jean Sibelius but not comfortable with French music. The Minnesota Orchestra’s complete recordings of all the Beethoven Symphonies are considered one of the best, especially of the 4th and 5th symphonies. Other wonderful interpreters include Otto Klemperer, Riccardo Chailly, with Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestra, and Carlos Kleiber. Wilhelm Furtwängler’s Beethoven No. 9 performance at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus live in 1951 is notable, and Karajan of course.

Watch this rare live video of excerpts of Beethoven Symphony No. 9 being rehearsed and performed by Herbert von Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker. It’s their New Year’s Eve concert of 1977 and was the first ever to be broadcast live.

Excerpts of Beethoven’s 9 rehearsal and performance by Herbert von Karajan (1977) 

Some composers inspire controversy, and Maher was certainly one of them. Gustav Mahler, the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna Opera conductor from 1898-1901 and beyond, is quoted as saying, “A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything.” Admired Mahler interpreters include Leonard Bernstein, who was critical in reviving Mahler’s music.

Claudio Abbado, Klaus Tennstedt, Rafael Kubelik, and Sir Simon Rattle, who says, “The Mahler virus is incurable,” are also noted Mahler interpreters. But here’s a caveat from von Karajan.

“Mahler’s music is full of dangers and traps, and one of them, which many fall into, is over sensualizing the thing until it becomes sort of …kitsch.” (‘Kitsch’— when art is considered in poor taste due to garishness or sentimentality.)

From Maestro: Encounters With Conductors of Today
Helena Matheopoulos book “Maestro” consisting of interviews with the world’s twenty-three top orchestral conductors.

Conductors tend to disagree on this subject too. One’s tasteless interpretation is another’s deep revelation.

Strauss even said so, “Must one become seventy years old to recognize that one’s greatest strength lies in creating musical kitsch?”

You might ask, can an orchestra play without a conductor? Of course we can.

I recently came across an outstanding orchestra that plays without a conductor. Now don’t get me wrong. There is a long tradition of smaller ensembles, chamber orchestras, that play without a conductor. In fact, we have one here in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul—the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Their stellar performances often lead me to say, “they must be psychic!” as they do not only relegate themselves to so-called classical repertoire of Haydn and Mozart, but they play challenging contemporary works such as Bartók Divertimento, with aplomb and brilliance.

The Going Home Project Orchestra based in Korea plays large-scale works without a conductor including, Stravinsky Rite of Spring, an exceedingly complex work with difficult rhythms and tempo changes. Uncanny. I was flabbergasted at their brilliance as well as their impeccable ensemble. The famous bassoon opening is gorgeous, and the playing of the orchestra throughout is virtuosic.

Self-conducted Live Performance of “Le Sacre du Printemps” 

But the maestro can make magic happen onstage and then it’s inexplicable even to us. Whatever the interpretation we agree with von Karajan,

“To be involved professionally in a thing as creative as music is a great privilege and we have a duty to make in such a way that we can help bring pleasure and a sense of fulfillment to those who are not so fortunate {to be able to play music}.” From Osborne’s Conversations.

I hope this explains conducting. But if you’d like to know more, here is a delightful interview with Simon Rattle, who speaks candidly about his art.

Variations on the Goldberg I

by Maureen Buja, Interlude

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) published his well-known Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, in 1741, in the 4th part of his Clavier-Übung (collection of keyboard music). Its creation story, as told by Bach’s biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel (1749–1818), wrote that Count Hermann Karl von Keyserling, president of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg and Russian ambassador to the court of Saxony in Dresden, had commissioned the work in 1738 for performance by his protégé, the young harpsichordist Johann Gottlieb Goldberg (1727–1756), to amuse him during his nights of insomnia.

Herman Karl von Keyserlingk

Count Keyserlingk discovered the extremely talented Goldberg when the boy was only age 10 and sponsored him to study with both Johann Sebastian Bach and his oldest son, Wilhelm Friedmann. According to Forkel, writing in 1802, ‘Count Keyserlingk was often ill and suffered from nights of insomnia. During such periods, Goldberg, who lived in his house, had to spend the nights in the next room to play for him. Once the Count told Bach that he would like for his Goldberg some harpsichord pieces of such a light and cheerful character that he, Keyserlingk, could be entertained a little during his sleepless nights. Bach thought that he could best fulfil this wish by writing variations…. The Count later called them only “his” variations. He could never get enough of them, and for a long time, whenever sleepless nights came, he always repeated: “Dear Goldberg, play me one of my variations”.’

Bach composed the work with the idea of Goldberg as the performer, but rumours to the contrary aside did not dedicate the work to either Goldberg or Keyserlingk. The Goldberg Variations takes its name from Goldberg as its first performer.

Goldberg was a talented performer from an early age, and after his study with W.F. and J.S. Bach, his own compositions showed their influence. As the young Goldberg took up the new galant style, his compositions also anticipated works by J.S.’s son, C.P.E. Bach. Goldberg died at the age of 29 of tuberculosis and was declared to be a great loss to the Dresden court. Being in close proximity to his teacher, J.S. Bach, who had been appointed ‘Royal Court Composer’ to the Dresden Court in 1736, Goldberg disparaged his own compositions, often tearing them up, but current reassessment of works such as his harpsichord concertos has done much to show him as an outstanding composer, albeit one who died too young.

The Goldberg Variations, as published in the Clavier-Übung IV, noted the quality of the work: ‘Keyboard exercise, consisting of an ARIA with diverse variations for harpsichord with two manuals. Composed for connoisseurs, for the refreshment of their spirits…’.

J.S. Bach: Clavier-Übung IV, 1741, title page

As described on the title page, the work is a variation set, beginning with an original aria composed by Bach and followed by 30 variations. The aria first appears in 1725 in the Clavierbüchlein copied by Bach’s second wife, Anna Magdalena, and opens with a chaconne bass in its first 8 bars. 

The variations that follow ‘are derived from the harmonic structure and the bass line of the aria and are grouped in threes, every third variation a canon at a higher numerical interval, with the final variation a quodlibet, a hotch-potch seemingly remote from the original aria, which follows in conclusion’.

When heard on harpsichord, the work has a slightly different feel than the more common modern piano recordings. The softness of the piano is replaced by the more brittle sound of the plucked harpsichord, which may explain why Goldberg was described as playing it from a room separate from that holding the insomniac Count. 

We will be looking at the other versions of this work, i.e., the Goldberg in the hands and sounds of other instruments. As a teaser for what will be coming next, here’s the first variation done not by a keyboard instrument but by a vocal group:

SLIXS – “Quer Bach” – Goldberg Variationen, BWV 988, Variation Nr. 1 

This performance is by the German group SLIXS, who describe themselves as an ‘a cappella band’, and who bring all sorts of modern styles to our Baroque familiar.

Slithering into Fortune: Happy Chinese Year of the Snake

by Hermione LAI 

Get ready to slither into the most exciting, vibrant, and mystical year ahead! The Chinese New Year is almost here, and we’re embracing the wisdom, charm, and elegance of the snake. This year is all about shedding old skin, stepping into fresh opportunities, and moving forward with grace and determination.

This year promises to be filled with transformation and growth, and whether you are looking for big changes or small wins, there is a magical energy in the air. The snake may be mysterious, but it is also very powerful, resourceful and ready to lead us towards a new beginning. 

The Wood Snake

In the Chinese zodiac, the snake occupies the sixth position, and it is associated with wisdom, charm, elegance, and transformation. People born in the Year of the Snake are supposed to be intuitive, strategic, and intelligent. In 2025, the Year of the Snake starts on 29 January and ends on 16 February. 2025 is the year of the Wood Snake, associated with growth, creativity, and expansion.

People born under the influence of the Wood snake tend to be highly creative. Highly innovative and artistic, they have a natural ability to create new ideas and come up with solutions. Individuals also exhibit a strong sense of nurturing and caring, making them more emphatic and concerned about others. And since wood can bend without breaking, Wood Snakes are uniquely capable of adapting and can go with the flow when necessary. 

Love Life

It has been predicted that individuals born under the zodiac of the snake will experience a particularly vibrant and fulfilling love life. Their natural charm and allure will make it easy for them to attract members of the opposite sex, leading to a year filled with romantic opportunities and excitement. Wood Snakes tend to be more reserved in the beginning stages of a relationship, so it may take time for attraction to turn into something more lasting.

However, it is advisable to exercise caution and avoid indulging in their romantic pursuits. Excessive behaviour can complicate relationships and lead to unintended consequences, such as unwanted pregnancies. By setting boundaries and using their intelligence and judgment, Snakes can enjoy romance without facing complications. Your best matches are the Rooster, Ox, and Dragon, but you should absolutely stay away from Monkey and Tiger. 

Money

2025 looks quite promising for Wood Snakes in terms of wealth, income, and family growth. There might be opportunities for financial growth through strategic investments, planning, or business ventures. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to take a financial leap, such as investing in stocks, real estate, or starting a business, this may well be a good year to move forward, but only after careful consideration and planning.

It has been predicted that 2025 will be particularly beneficial for individuals in the communication sector and that collaborations with foreign companies may lead to additional income. However, Wood Snakes can be drawn to indulgent spending, especially on luxury items. Be mindful of your financial habits in 2025, especially when it comes to unnecessary purchases. Set a clear budget and stick to it, ensuring that you prioritise your financial goals over momentary desires. 

Health

Even though the physical energy might be high, the Wood Snake might be vulnerable to stress and mental fatigue in 2025. Sometimes, individuals born under that sign tend to overthink and strategise, leading to excessive worrying. Please be careful, as emotional health might be impacted.

It’s always a good idea to incorporate relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep-breathing exercises into your daily routine. Allow yourself moments of downtime to decompress from the mental and emotional pressures you face. And if you are prone to anxiety, you might find that stress manifests physically, such as tension headaches, digestive issues, or muscle strains.

2025 will likely be a wonderful year if you are born under the sign of the Snake, as you will experience significant growth and transformation driven by a balance of strategic planning, emotional awareness, and a deepening of both personal and professional connections. You will navigate all challenges with patience and resilience.

Happy Chinese New Year! May the Year of the Snake bring you wisdom, prosperity, and endless joy!

Life of Chopin: The Controversial Chopin Biography by Liszt

by Emily E. Hogstad, Interlude

A Mysterious Envelope Arrives.

On 14 November 1849, Ludwika Jędrzejewicz opened an envelope.

Ludwika Chopin Jędrzejewicz

Ludwika Jędrzejewicz was having a bad month. Her marriage was in shambles because she had left Poland to be at her brother Frédéric Chopin’s deathbed.

She had just attended his final illness and funeral and was going through his papers and other personal effects.

She was even preparing to smuggle his heart in a cognac bottle underneath her coat so it could be buried in Poland.

It turns out that the envelope had been sent by no one other than Franz Liszt.

Inside was a questionnaire full of various inquiries about Chopin’s life. Liszt wanted the answers because he was interested in writing a book about Chopin’s life.

On top of the inconsiderate timing, Liszt had included personal questions about her brother’s love life, such as his multi-year liaison with authoress George Sand.

It is believed that the gesture irritated her – or at the least overwhelmed her. She didn’t know what to do with the envelope, so she gave it to Jane Stirling, the wealthy woman who had been serving as Chopin’s concert agent and secretary and who had subsidised Jędrzejewicz’s travels and Chopin’s large funeral.

The fastidious Jane Stirling returned Liszt’s questionnaire to him, but she brushed over some facts in the process. Ultimately, Liszt never used Stirling’s answers.

The First Liszt/Chopin Meetings

Franz Liszt in 1870

Franz Liszt had known Chopin for many years.

We don’t know when exactly they met, but in December 1831, Chopin wrote a letter to his best friend back in Poland suggesting that he had met Liszt. Liszt would have been twenty and Chopin almost twenty-two at the time.

A few months later, Liszt was in the audience for Chopin’s Parisian debut, which happened at the Salle Pleyel in February 1832.

“We remember his first appearance in the salons of Pleyel, where the most enthusiastic and redoubled applause seemed scarcely sufficient to express our enchantment for the genius which had revealed new phases of poetic feeling and made such happy yet bold innovations in the form of musical art,” Liszt wrote years later in his biography. 

Frédéric Chopin

The two young men became friends and eventually near-neighbours, living a few blocks apart.

They also made a splash performing together in Paris. (Their debut as a duo happened in 1833 at a benefit concert for the bankrupt Harriet Smithson, the actress who Hector Berlioz had written his Symphonie Fantastique and who had since become his fiancée.)

However, they went through their rough patches, too. In 1835, Liszt asked Chopin if he could borrow his apartment while Chopin was away. Chopin agreed. When he returned home, he found out that Liszt had used it for an amorous encounter with the great pianist Camille Marie Pleyel, who had just separated from her husband on account of her infidelities.

On a professional note, there was a certain amount of jealousy, too. Chopin once wrote to a friend, “I should like to rob [Liszt] of the way he plays my studies.” However, he also protested against the way that Liszt added improvisatory elements to a performance of one of his nocturnes. Chopin was so upset that Liszt had to apologise. 

Liszt and Chopin’s Romantic Interests

Portrait of Marie d’Agoult by Henri Lehmann, 1843

In 1836, Liszt and his lover, the Countess Marie d’Agoult, hosted a party that would prove fateful to Chopin.

The countess was a great fan of Chopin and extended an invitation to him. She also invited another friend, the radical writer Aurore Dupin, better known by her pen name George Sand, who was arguably the most popular writer in Europe.

Although Chopin was initially put off by the strong-willed Sand, the two eventually fell in love and were a couple for ten years.

Not long after Chopin and Sand paired up, Liszt and the Countess Marie d’Agoult had a protracted and acrimonious breakup.

His next long-term partner was a woman named Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, an unhappily married noblewoman who fell in love with Liszt and remained his partner for forty years. Sayn-Wittgenstein was an extremely prolific author and letter writer, and she encouraged Liszt to also focus on writing, both prose and music.

The Origins of the Chopin Biography

Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein

It is believed that after Chopin’s death, Liszt and Sayn-Wittgenstein worked together on the manuscript of the Chopin biography.

The biography began appearing in installments in La France Musicale in 1851.

It turns out that the book was a bit of a disaster. The worshipful Jane Stirling, for one, wasn’t satisfied with how Liszt had described her former boss’s musicianship.

Meanwhile, his Polish friends and family were upset that a non-Pole had published a biography before them, gotten the subtleties of Chopin’s Polish identity wrong, and sucked up all the oxygen in the room when it came to the subject of a Chopin biography. It would be difficult, they believed, for a work by one of them to be taken more seriously than one by Franz Liszt, the internationally renowned musical celebrity…and they were probably right.

George Sand offered her measured thoughts about Liszt’s biography of her ex: “a little exuberant in style but filled with good things and very beautiful pages,” she allowed.

In 1879, Liszt and Sayn-Wittgenstein returned to the project, creating an even longer version, this time, with additional emphasis on Polish politics and identity.

Sayn-Wittgenstein was apparently the driver behind many of the changes, and unfortunately the changes – and her turgid writing style generally – has proven to be unpopular with modern scholars and historians. 

The Biography’s Legacy

Life of Chopin by Franz Liszt

Of course, given Liszt’s fame, some of the facts in his biography were distributed in other later biographies.

One of the ideas that gained traction was Chopin’s perceived aristocratic nature.

For instance, it was reported in Liszt’s book that Chopin’s education had been financed by Prince Radziwill (it had not been) and that the friends who he spent the most time with were members of the Polish aristocracy (they were not).

Conclusion

Today, the historians brave enough to wade into the messy, complicated subject of Liszt’s Chopin biography generally believe that while the biography is a helpful document for understanding how Liszt and his Parisian contemporaries viewed Chopin, there’s much about it that’s misleading or even flat-out wrong.

That said, as long as you keep all of that in mind, it’s definitely worth a read, as the English translation has long been in the public domain. So why don’t you download a copy and see what you think?

Intimate and Irresistible Schubert Piano Favourites

By Hermione Lai, Interlude

The piano music of Franz Schubert remains deeply beloved for its emotional depth, melodic beauty, and innovative use of harmony. Schubert blended lyricism with harmonic exploration, and his gorgeous and highly expressive melodies are enriched by a harmonic language overflowing with chromaticism and surprising modulations.

Franz Schubert

Schubert composed extensively for the piano, with his oeuvre ranging from intimate miniatures to expansive sonatas. Actually, his piano sonatas are central to his piano repertoire. He composed 21 sonatas, combining lyrical, song-like melodies with intricate harmonic progressions. As some commentators have noted, “Schubert bridged the clear formal structures of Classical music with more exploratory and expressive Romantic tendencies.”

Schubert also composed several sets of character pieces, works that reflect his gift for melody and mood. Each work encapsulates a distinct emotional landscape, ranging from deeply introspective to playful. We also find shorter, more whimsical pieces that draw from folk-like rhythms and melodies, giving them a sense of charm and immediacy. To commemorate Schubert’s birthday on 31 January, we decided to dedicate a blog to his 10 most popular piano works.

Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3 (D. 899) 

Let’s get started with one of Schubert’s most popular and best-loved piano compositions, the Impromptu in G-flat major, Op. 90, No. 3 (D. 899). What a stunning exploration of lyrical elegance and expressive depth. Just listen how Schubert weaves together moments of tranquillity and exuberance!

From the opening notes, the piece introduces a melody that seems to shimmer and flow effortlessly, casting a spell of quiet beauty. The theme is delicate but imbued with a quiet longing, its long and sweeping phrases unfolding as if in a dream. But beneath its serene surface, Schubert crafts subtle harmonic shifts that add layers of complexity and intrigue, creating a sense of ongoing motion.

Schubert’s Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3 (D. 899)

The work takes a more playful turn in the middle section. Syncopated rhythms and rapid cascading figures inject a sense of sparkle and vitality. The music suddenly comes alive, even hinting at a joyful dance before returning to the opening’s more introspective and lyrical atmosphere.

Schubert effortlessly navigates between lyrical beauty and impetuous energy, with moments of delicate intimacy and sudden surges of emotion creating an engaging character. As with much of Schubert’s music, there is a sense of improvisation as each phrase feels spontaneous, yet it is carefully crafted. This gorgeous Impromptu is an intimate journey through the full range of human emotions, wrapped in Schubert’s unforgettable signature harmonic richness and melodic inventiveness. For me, it’s a musical miracle!

Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960 

Franz Schubert composed his B-flat Major Sonata, D. 960, during the final months of his life in 1928. It is a profound and introspective work that showcases the composer’s exceptional ability to express deep emotional complexity through his music. This sonata is often regarded as a summation of his compositional style, blending lyrical beauty, harmonic richness, and a kind of emotional vulnerability. It is a work that speaks with a quiet but unmistakable intensity, reflecting both the joy and the melancholy of Schubert’s final years.

Schubert’s Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960

The sonata is structured in four movements, each offering its own distinct emotional landscape while contributing to the larger narrative of the piece. The grand and restless “Allegro” is filled with tension and lyrical beauty, while the second movement “Andante sostenuto” offers a deeply introspective and meditative contrast. The “Scherzo” injects a playful and complex energy with darker undertones, the concluding “Allegro” reflects Schubert’s creativity and looming mortality.
It’s amazing how Schubert balances a sense of sweeping grandeur with profound intimacy in D. 960. The sonata is sometimes described as an elegy, filled with an almost palpable sense of nostalgia, resignation, and yet, at times, quiet optimism. It represents a musical reflection on the fragility of life and the passage of time, and it is regarded as a crowning achievement of Schubert’s career. It is a late masterpiece, one of the most emotionally profound and structurally sophisticated works in the piano repertoire.

Moments Musicaux, Op. 94 No. 3 

Schubert composed the “Moments Musicaux,” actually not his title, in 1827 when he was already dealing with his illness. Despite his health problems, he continued to compose music full of emotional depth, and each piece in the set captures a fleeting moment. The third piece of the set in F minor has an air of contemplation, almost like a musical sigh, and it is often seen as a window into Schubert’s more personal and reflective side.

Schubert’s Moments Musicaux Op. 94, No. 3

Op. 94 No. 3 is scored in a straightforward ABA structure. The opening section in F minor has a melancholy feel, as the mood is calm but carries an undertone of quiet reflection or remembrance. As the key changes to A-flat Major, the mood lightens, and Schubert offers a brief moment of relief. The opening section returns, but with some variations. The overall mood is still melancholy, but there is a sense of acceptance now as if returning to something familiar but with a fresh perspective and deeper understanding.

The piece has an air of contemplation, like a short reflection on a fleeting emotion. It is not overly dramatic but rather quiet and introspective. The music moves through subtle shifts in mood, balancing melancholy with moments of warmth, all while maintaining a gentle and understated elegance. It surely is one of the 10 most popular piano works by Franz Schubert.

Wanderer Fantasy D. 760 

Franz Schubert composed his Fantasie in C Major, nicknamed the “Wanderer Fantasy”, in 1822. It is a vast and ambitious piece that pushes the boundaries of both form and expression. With its blend of lyrical beauty, harmonic richness, and technical complexity, the “Wanderer Fantasy” is a deeply emotional and highly intricate work.

The title “Wanderer Fantasy” is actually referencing the “Wanderer motif,” which appears in many of Schubert’s songs and instrumental works. The image of the wanderer evokes themes of longing and transcendence, and Schubert’s own feeling of alienation brought on by relative obscurity and financial struggles is thought to resonate within the music.

Schubert’s Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy D. 760

The work unfolds in four movements, but it is considered a single large-scale entity unified by recurring motifs. The “Wanderer motif” appears throughout the piece in different guises, harmonically, rhythmically, and contrapuntally transformed. The emotional trajectory is highly varied, with sudden shifts in mood and the portrayal of tension and release. Schubert’s harmonic language is unpredictable, as frequent modulations shift between distant keys, creating a sense of movement and unpredictability. Without a doubt, this is one of Schubert’s most popular piano works.

Impromptu in E-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 2 (D.899) 

For our next selection, let us return to the set of Impromptus Op. 90. The E-flat Major piece of the set is known for its grandeur and lyrical warmth. It is often interpreted as one of the most elevated works in Schubert’s piano repertoire. Less introspective than the G-flat Major No. 3, it nevertheless possesses its own unique charm and emotional depth.

The lyrical and flowing theme in E-flat Major is characterised by long and sweeping phrases, and it almost feels orchestral. Schubert introduces subtle contrasts through modulations, enhancing the emotional expressiveness of the piece. The central section is scored in the minor key and sounds more agitated and complex. It is filled with chromaticism and harmonic tension, and the contrast between major and minor and between the lyrical and dramatic, is quintessentially Schubertian.

The return to the opening brings back the original lyrical warmth but it feels much enriched as it is now heard through the emotional contrast of the middle section. There is a gentle and peaceful coda that revisits elements from the opening, but it has become more introspective. Schubert’s expressive lyricism, his sensitivity to harmonic colour, and his mastery of form are all on full display in this work, making it one of the standout pieces in the Op. 90 set and a favourite in the piano repertoire.

Impromptu in A-flat Major, Op. 142 No. 2 (D.935) 

Published more than a decade after Schubert’s death, the set of four Impromptus D. 935 actually dates from the year after he had completed his “Unfinished Symphony.” Although these pieces are labelled “Impromptus,” they reach far beyond mere improvisatory charm. They are highly structured and emotionally profound, and demonstrate Schubert’s ability to blend technical brilliance with lyrical depth.

The Impromptu in A-flat Major (Op. 142 No. 2) stands out for its rich, song-like themes, its subtle use of counterpoint, and its dynamic contrasts. The piece has a relaxed, almost conversational quality, but beneath its surface lies a sophisticated exploration of form and harmony, making it one of the gems of Schubert’s piano repertoire.

The piece is a perfect balance of lyricism and elegance, with an effortless flow that disguises its underlying harmonic complexity. The piece moves from the warmth of the opening theme to the lively contrast of the B section before returning to the familiarity of the opening melody, enriched with new nuances. The coda provides for a peaceful resolution. Schubert blends spontaneity with deep emotional resonance and structural sophistication; it’s a miniature masterpiece!

Sonata in A Major, D. 959 

Like D. 960, the Piano Sonata in A Major, D. 959 was composed in 1828, shortly before his untimely death in the same year. It is part of a pair of monumental piano sonatas as both reflect Schubert’s deep maturity as a composer. Both display profound emotional depth, innovative harmonic progressions, and an intimate, lyrical style. D. 959 stands out for its elegance and sense of balance, juxtaposing light-hearted and classical elements with moments of profound lyricism and subtle harmonic complexity.

This sonata stands out for its lyrical richness and melody beauty. The harmonic language is rooted in Classical tradition, however, Schubert pushes all the boundaries. Shifts between major and minor modes and unconventional key relationships greatly enhance the emotional depth of the work. Schubert combines Classical forms like sonata, menuetto, and rondo with innovative developments and expressive contrasts. Despite moments of grandeur, the sonata retains an intimate, personal character, with subtle nuances and dynamic contrasts that invite deep reflection.

Surely one of the 10 most popular piano works by Franz Schubert, D. 959 is a beautiful example of his late style, combining lyricism, harmonic sophistication, and thematic inventiveness. With its graceful menuetto, elegiac second movement, and jubilant finale, this sonata is one of Schubert’s crowning achievements. Its warmth, depth, and emotional range continue to captivate pianists and audiences alike.

Moments Musicaux, Op. 94 No. 6 

I think we can safely feature one more Moments Musicaux, specifically Op. 94 No. 6 in A-flat Major. It is a delightful work that blends lyrical beauty, subtle harmonic twists, and an almost improvisatory character. It reflects Schubert’s deepening sense of introspection and his mastery of melody, yet it retains a certain lightness that is almost playful at times.

The melody has a singing, almost vocal quality. Its long, lyrical phrases are reflective of Schubert’s ability to craft deeply expressive lines. The melody is sweet and flowing but not without moments of chromaticism that lend a bittersweet edge to the otherwise peaceful character of the piece. However, it isn’t a melody that reveals all of its meaning immediately; instead, it invites the listener to explore its varied shades that often mirror a poetic, emotional landscape.

Franz Schubert

Schubert also provides a particularly engaging harmonic language. While the A-flat major key gives the piece a rich, warm colour, Schubert subtly shifts between major and minor modes and introduces some unexpected harmonic turns. These moments provide emotional depth without disrupting the overall calm atmosphere. Although it is not overtly dramatic or technically demanding, it feels like a brief but meaningful moment in time.

Sonata in G Major D. 894 

As with all Schubert’s late piano sonatas, D. 894 is often noted for its intimate, almost introspective character. It does not showcase a grandiose or virtuosic techniques but emphasises inner depth and provides a subtle personal connection with the performer and listener. With its lyrical melodies, rich harmonic textures, and emotional depth, this sonata blends classical form with the emerging Romantic sensibilities of Schubert’s time.

Robert Schumann called the G-Major Sonata “a poem in the form of a sonata.” This poetic reference highlights Schumann’s view that Schubert’s style was not only about structural mastery but also about emotional expression and lyricism. To Schumann, Schubert’s music seemed to convey an inner world of reflection and feeling, much like the expressions found in poetry.

Ländler D. 366

Let us conclude this blog on the 10 most popular piano works by Franz Schubert, with some delightful short pieces often associated with a folk dance. The “Ländler” is a traditional Austrian dance that was a precursor to the waltz, a dance with a slightly rustic feel. Schubert composed a substantial number of “Ländler” throughout his life, either as part of larger piano works or as standalone pieces. These pieces show Schubert’s deep connection to Austrian folk music, which was a key influence in his compositions.

Schubert’s Ländler D. 366

Schubert’s “Ländler” are beautiful examples of how a simple folk dance can be transformed into something rich, nuanced, and emotionally resonant. With their infectious rhythms, graceful melodies, and subtle harmonic depth, Schubert takes what might be seen as a humble dance form and elevates it into a moment of emotional reflection. These miniatures are windows into the emotional life of the composer, tinged with both joy and a quiet sense of melancholy.

I hope you enjoyed this little survey of the most popular piano works by Franz Schubert. Which ones are your favourite, and could you let us know which one should have been included?