Schubert | Song and Dance (for Orchestra)

I've found myself in that interstitial space between arrangement and composition again (ok, I admit I have a really odd way of procrastinating). An old friend of mine once described the music of Schubert in a single word, something I didn't think was possible to do about any music, but here it is: generous.

Last year, I completed a set of arrangements exploring Beethoven's music that focused on his legacy in the generation(s) that followed. This set is simply focused on indulging myself in Schubert's generosity. All repeats are observed (even if written out), tempos are mostly relaxed. I wander as freely between pieces as he modulates between keys.

I used (mainly) 4 pieces from his late piano/chamber repertoire to play around with the fundamentals of music composition.

0:00 | Melody (Klavierstück Nr. 2 in E-flat, D.946.2)
— A faithful transcription of the original, though there are some pretty wild tempo and dynamic deviations which were largely inspired by Grigory Sokolov's live performance in Berlin (2013). I recommend checking it out. It is as beautiful as it is idiosyncratic... much like this piece. The harmonic and motivic framework here sets up the relationships between the remaining pieces in this set.

14:16 | Pulse (Piano Sonata No. 18 in G Major – 3rd Mvt., D.894.3)
— This charming minuet from the 18th Sonata has some famous (and not so famous) similarities with material from his Piano Trios. The minuet & trio are presented first unadulterated, but at the minuet's reprise, its relatives crash the ball. Hijinx ensue.

24:26 | Harmony (Moment Musical No. 6 in A-flat, D.780.6)
— A masterclass in harmony and voice leading. And proof that—with the right colouring—major keys are always the saddest keys. Chopin makes a sudden appearance in the middle; it just seemed to fit.

38:09 | Form (Piano Sonata No. 19 in C Minor – 4th Mvt., D.958.4)
— A complete restructuring of this finale to integrate the Beethoven sonata which so obviously directly inspired it. I won't say which - either you know it or you don't. Beethoven aside, I've never encountered a tarantella from this era that comes even remotely close to capturing the frenetic energy of the original folk genre. The opening might sound something like Mendelssohn, but barely 30 seconds in and it might as well be Shostakovich.

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There’s another remark about Schubert’s music—attributed to Brahms—that I think is also particularly apt at describing him. I’m paraphrasing here, but something like “the friendliest of the giants, though also the most terrifying one.”

Let’s end it on that.
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2025 | Sibelius 7.1.3 | Note Performer 3.3.2