Musical Analysis and Performance Practice in Schubert's Piano Sonata in A Major, D. 664: A Study of Form, Style, and Technical Solutions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18063/lne.v3i6.1159Keywords:
Schubert, Piano, Performance Technique, Romanticism, Musical AnalysisAbstract
This paper conducts a comprehensive musicological analysis and performance technique study of Schubert's Piano Sonata in A major, D. 664. The article first outlines the compositional background of the work, noting that 1819 marked a crucial transitional period in Schubert's piano sonata composition. The piece was completed during Schubert's trip to the Steyr region of Upper Austria with the singer Vogl and was dedicated to the local 18-year-old woman Josephine von Koller. Building on this foundation, the article then conducts a detailed formal analysis of the first movement's sonata form structure, including the exposition (bars 1–47), development (bars 48–79), recapitulation (bars 80–126), and coda (bars 127–134). The thematic structure follows an A+B+A' layout, with the tonality seamlessly shifting between A major and related keys, fully showcasing Schubert's distinctive musical language. However, the analysis of performance techniques constitutes the main focus of this article, which proposes specific solutions to the technical difficulties of each section: the exposition emphasises balance between the left and right hands and triplet technique; the development emphasises alternating octaves and pedal use; the recapitulation requires emotional control and stylistic contrast; and the coda emphasises tone control. Additionally, the article specifically discusses the handling of dotted rhythms, triplet rhythms, and the principles of pedal technique during the Romantic period, thereby providing performers with systematic technical guidance and musical expression suggestions.
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