Schubert Sonata No.17 in G major, D.894 I. Molto moderato e cantabile II Rachel Naomi Kudo, Piano

Schubert Sonata No.17 in G major, D.894 I. Molto moderato e cantabile
Recorded June 26-27, 2025
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Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Piano Sonata in G Major, D. 894, Op. 78, “Fantasie” (1826)

Composed in 1826, the Sonata in G major, D. 894, represents one of Schubert’s late and most accomplished works for piano. Often called the Fantasie Sonata, it combines expansive lyricism with harmonic sophistication, exemplifying Schubert’s mature style in the final years of his life. Robert Schumann famously regarded it as Schubert’s “most perfect in form and conception,” and its free-flowing, imaginative first movement later inspired composers such as Franz Liszt, who admired its rhapsodic lyricism and expressive freedom.

Although Schubert himself did not formally designate the work as a Fantasie, the title became associated with the sonata, particularly its opening movement. Early publishers highlighted the rhapsodic, improvisatory character of the Molto moderato e cantabile, emphasizing its flowing lyricism and expressive freedom. The movement’s song-like themes, flexible phrasing, and imaginative harmonic shifts evoke the early Romantic Fantasie tradition—music shaped more by poetic inspiration than strict formal constraints.

I. Molto moderato e cantabile – A luminous and serene opening movement of exceptional breadth and poise. Schubert’s long harmonic suspensions and repeated figurations create a contemplative stillness, momentarily broken by passages of darker intensity. In the development, the music swells to an unprecedented fff—the only such marking in his piano music—before dissolving into closing pages of transcendent quiet (ppp).

II. Andante – Reflective and deeply expressive, the slow movement unfolds with long-breathed melodic lines and subtle harmonic inflections. Its restrained lyricism and finely shaded dynamics suggest an inward meditation, ending in a hush of serenity.

III. Menuetto: Allegro moderato – Unusually set in B minor, the Menuetto extends the shadow of the Andante’s darker hues. Its poised rhythmic motion contrasts with the Trio, marked ppp, which shifts to B major and evokes a distant Viennese waltz—heard as if from memory.

IV. Allegretto – The finale radiates pastoral warmth and lyric charm. Crisp articulation, open intervals, and buoyant harmonic shifts convey both wit and poignancy, culminating in a delicate restatement of the opening’s serene character.

© 2025 Rachel Naomi Kudo
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Engineer: Federico Furnaletto
Piano Technician: Tomislav Spasojevic
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