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The short answer
An 1827 Impromptu that reached print decades later. Impromptu in A-flat major, D. 899 No. 4 is an impromptu by Franz Schubert from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 8, an estimate.
- impromptu
- Romantic
- Key of A-flat major
- dreamy
Also known as Impromptu in A-flat major, D. 899 No. 4 (Op. 90).
History
Schubert's D. 899 set dates from 1827, but its third and fourth pieces reached print about thirty years after the first two. Schubert Online catalogues this No. 4's first edition in 1857 with Carl Haslinger. The composition year and the publication year tell different parts of its story.
Sources
What to listen for
Arpeggios keep the outer section moving
Hear the moving arpeggios in the main section before the trio changes the support.
Repeated chords support the trio melody
Compare the trio’s repeated-chord accompaniment with the earlier moving arpeggios.
The main texture returns to close
Recognise the outer arpeggio texture again as the return closes, without expecting a separate coda.
How to practise it
Keep the descending C-flat arpeggios fluid above the tied lower harmony.
- Practise the descent in small linked cells, then finish on the paired eighth without carrying sound into the rest.
- Play the detached bass and held chord separately, then add one upper arpeggio while preserving both durations.
How hard is it
Cascading figures and contrasting lyrical writing require evenness, voicing and controlled transitions.
About this piece
- Licence
- Public Domain
- Source
- mutopiaproject.org
More by Franz Schubert
- German Dance in A-flat major, D. 365 No. 1Level 3, estimatedWith Maestro
- Moments Musicaux No. 3 in F MinorLevel 5, estimatedWith Maestro
- Impromptu No. 4 in F minor, D. 935 (Op. 142)Level 9, estimatedWith Maestro
