Schubert Impromptu Op 90 No 2 Harmonic Analysis _verified_ -
This harmonic rhythm—changing chords every bar, but keeping the pulsing eighth notes—creates a stunning kaleidoscope. The listener feels like they are spinning through different colored rooms.
Correction for accuracy: In bar 162, Schubert slips in a on A-flat (A-flat, C, E-flat, F-sharp) that resolves deceptively not to the dominant (B-flat), but to a F-flat major triad (spelled F-flat, A-flat, C-flat). This is an astonishingly remote chord in E-flat major (the flat submediant of the subdominant? It doesn't matter—it’s pure color). This final harmonic gasp reminds us that even in victory, Schubert cannot forget the shadows. schubert impromptu op 90 no 2 harmonic analysis
The recapitulation, which begins in m. 49, presents a restatement of the first theme in A-flat major. However, Schubert adds a few harmonic twists, including a brief detour to E-flat major (mm. 57-60): This is an astonishingly remote chord in E-flat
The opening establishes E-flat Major, though often with a chromatic "serpentine" scale that suggests restlessness. The recapitulation, which begins in m
Schubert's is a masterclass in contrasting musical characters, moving from a light, "moto perpetuo" (constant motion) opening to a dark, tumultuous minor-key conclusion. This harmonic shift is particularly famous because it subverts the era's expectation that a piece starting in a major key should end happily. 1. Formal Structure: Compound Ternary Form