Schubert, Sonata in A Minor Arpeggione for Viola and Piano (Peters)
$37.95
Part song and part virtuoso chamber work, Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata in A Minor, D. 821 demands both lyrical freedom and technical discipline from the violist. Published by Edition Peters for viola and piano, this three-movement masterpiece has become essential advanced repertoire for serious students and performers.
Key Features:
• Music by Schubert for viola and piano
• Celebrated three-movement Arpeggione Sonata, D. 821
• Combines lyrical expression with advanced technical demands
• Ideal for conservatory study, auditions, competitions, and recitals
Schubert, Sonata in A Minor Arpeggione for Viola and Piano (Peters)
Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata in A Minor, D. 821 asks the violist to combine two very different qualities: the freedom and warmth of a singer with the precision and agility of an instrumentalist. Published by Edition Peters for viola and piano, this celebrated sonata was composed in 1824 for the arpeggione, a six-stringed bowed instrument whose popularity proved remarkably brief. The instrument may have disappeared from the concert stage, but Schubert’s music did not; the sonata has become firmly established in the viola repertoire and remains one of the composer’s most admired chamber works.
The three movements reveal very different aspects of Schubert’s musical language. The opening Allegro moderato combines expansive lyricism with flowing technical passages, while the intimate Adagio demands exceptional control of tone and phrase. The concluding Allegretto brings greater movement and lightness while preserving the work’s characteristic elegance. For the serious violist, the challenge lies in maintaining natural phrase direction through shifting, register changes, rapid passagework, and delicate dynamic transitions. This Edition Peters publication is valuable repertoire for advanced lessons, conservatory study, examinations, auditions, competitions, and recital performance.
Movements:
I. Allegro moderato
II. Adagio
III. Allegretto
Key Features:
- Music by Franz Schubert
- Published by Edition Peters
- Sonata in A Minor “Arpeggione”, D. 821
- For viola and piano
- Originally composed in 1824 for arpeggione and piano
- Three substantial and contrasting movements
- Combines lyrical expression with demanding technical writing
- Major work of the advanced viola and piano repertoire
- Ideal for conservatory study, examinations, auditions, competitions, and recitals
Musical Benefits:
- Develops sustained lyrical playing and sophisticated phrase shaping
- Refines shifting, intonation, agility, and bow distribution
- Encourages greater control of tonal colour and dynamic nuance
- Strengthens musical communication and balance between viola and piano
