Piano Sonata in A-flat major, D 557 (Schubert)

Franz Schubert's Piano Sonata in A-flat major D 557 was composed in May 1817.

Movements

The work is relatively short and a performance takes somewhat between 10 and 15 minutes. The sonata is cheerful and uncomplicated, and carries remembrances of Mozart and the Baroque era.^[1]

I. Allegro moderato: A-flat major; The beginning resembles the opening of the menuetto, D. 380, Nr. 3.^[2]

II. Andante: E-flat major

III. Allegro: E-flat major; This movement has a dance-like character.^[1]

The fact that the last movement is in the key of E-flat major rather than the tonic key of A-flat major is evidence in favor of Schubert possibly intending to add a fourth movement, although the extant third movement has much of the character of a finale. At the time this was written it was quite unusual to end a composition in another key than its tonic, however Schubert did do this in some of his early works, e.g. D. 553 ("Auf der Donau", beginning in E-flat major and ending in F-sharp minor).^[3]

Score

The sonata was first published in 1888, in the Breitkopf & Härtel complete edition.

Manuscripts

The autograph of the sonata, dated May 1817, is incomplete — it stops at the 28th measure of the third movement, but there is a contemporary complete manuscript.^[2]

First publication — Alte Gesammtausgabe (AGA)

D. 557 was first published in 1888 as No. 3 of the Piano Sonatas volume (Series X) of the Kritisch durchgesehene Gesammtausgabe.^[2]

Urtext Editions

Both Paul Badura-Skoda (Henle) and Martino Tirimo (Wiener Urtext) published an Urtext edition in 1997.^[3]^[4]

Neue Schubert-Ausgabe (NSA)

In the New Schubert Edition D. 557 is given in VII/2/1.^[5]

References

1 2 David Doughty in album notes of Brilliant Classics Nr. 99678/4 (2001)
1 2 3 Deutsch 1978, pp 323-324
1 2 Badura-Skoda 1997, p VII
↑ Tirimo 1997
↑ Litschauer 2000

Sources

Franz Schubert's Werke: Kritisch durchgesehene Gesammtausgabe (AGA): Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel:
- Julius Epstein (ed.) Serie 10: Sonaten für Pianoforte — No. 3 (1888).
Urtext editions:
- Paul Badura-Skoda (ed.) Franz Schubert: Piano Sonatas — Volume III (Early and Unfinished Sonatas). G. Henle Verlag (1997).
- Martino Tirimo (ed.) Schubert: The Complete Piano Sonatas — Volume 1 Vienna: Wiener Urtext Edition (1997). ISMN 979-0-50057-223-7 ISBN 978-3-85055-584-5
Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke (NSA): Kassel, Bärenreiter:
- Otto Erich Deutsch. Series VIII: Supplement — Volume 4: Franz Schubert, thematisches Verzeichnis seiner Werke in chronologischer Folge — pp. 323-324 (1978). ISMN 9790006305148 — ISBN 9783761805718
- Walburga Litschauer (ed.) Series VII: Piano Music, Part 2: Works for Piano Two Hands — Volume 1: Klaviersonaten I (2000). ISMN 9790006497119

External links

VII,2/1: Klaviersonaten I at the Neue Schubert-Ausgabe website

Piano sonatas (2 hands) by Franz Schubert
Preceded by Sonata in C major (D. 279)	AGA, Series 10 (15 sonatas) No. 3	Succeeded by Sonata in E minor (D. 566)
Preceded by Sonata in A minor (D. 537)	21 Sonatas numbering system No. 5
Preceded by Sonata in A minor (D. 537)	23 Sonatas numbering system No. 6

Scores

D. 557: Piano sonata in A-flat major

Manuscript	autograph incomplete, but there is a contemporary manuscript copy

First edition	AGA 1888

AGA at IMSLP	Series X, No. 3

Urtext editions	Henle: Piano Sonatas — Volume III (1997) Wiener Urtext: The Complete Piano Sonatas — Volume 1 (1997)

NSA	VII/2/1, Klaviersonaten I: No. 5 (2000)

Piano compositions and sonatas by Franz Schubert

Two hands

Sonatas	E major–B major, D 157 C major–A minor, D 279 E major, D 459 E minor, D 769A A minor, D 537 (Op. posth. 164) A-flat major–E-flat major, D 557 E minor–A-flat major, D 566 D-flat major, D 567/568 E-flat major, D 568 (Op. posth. 122) F-sharp minor, D 571 B major, D 575 (Op. posth. 147) C major, D 613 F minor, D 625 C-sharp minor, D 655 A major, D 664 (Op. posth. 120) A minor, D 784 (Op. posth. 143) C major "Reliquie", D 840 A minor, D 845 (Op. 42) D major "Gasteiner", D 850 (Op. 53) G major "Fantasy", D 894 (Op. 78) C minor, D 958 A major, D 959 B-flat major, D 960

Fantasies	Wanderer Fantasy, D 760 "Fantasy" Sonata, D 894

Piano pieces	Allegro in E major, D 154 Minuet in A minor, D 277A Rondo in C major, D 309A Allegretto in C major, D 346 Fünf Klavierstücke (Five Piano Pieces), D 459 Drei Klavierstücke (Three Piano Pieces), D 459A Adagio in D-flat major, D 505 Rondo/Allegretto in E major, D 506 Scherzo/Allegro vivace in D major & Allegro in F-sharp minor, D 570 (Andante) in A major, D 604 Adagio in E major, D 612 Moments musicaux, D 780 (Op. 94) Impromptus, D 899 (Op. 90) & D 935 (Op. posth. 142) — Impromptus/Klavierstücke, D 946

Variations	Vaterländischer Künstlerverein II: Variation No. 38 on a waltz by Diabelli, D 718 Impromptu, D 935 (Op. posth. 142) No. 3 "Rosamunde"

Dances	Minuet in A minor, D 277A Valses Sentimentales, D 779 (Op. 50) — Valses Nobles, D 969 (Op. 77)

Four hands

Sonatas

violin and piano	Violin Sonata in A major "(Grand) Duo", D 574 (Op. posth. 162)

arpeggione and piano	Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D 821

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