At the age of twenty, Franz Schubert entered a new phase of life: he left his demanding job at his father's school and moved into the elegant home of his friend Franz von Schober. There, he also abandoned his studies with Antonio Salieri, who had tried to discourage him from using German. Despite Salieri's cosmopolitan outlook, Schubert wrote around 250 songs in 1815 and 1816 alone. Supported by the baritone Johann Michael Vogl, his name began to gain recognition in Vienna, but from 1817 onward, Schubert increasingly focused on composing piano sonatas, and song composition receded into the background.
Having left behind two sonata fragments in 1815, Schubert rediscovered the piano sonata genre. The modern instrument in the Schober household may have inspired him, and he aspired to establish himself with sophisticated instrumental works. Although he lacked the virtuosity of a concert pianist, Schubert composed sonatas for a broad, non-professional audience. Three of these works were written in 1817, and he hoped for their swift publication, which, however, did not materialize.
The first completed piano sonata, in A minor, demonstrates Schubert's ability to mediate between classical tradition and Romantic expressiveness. Traces of Beethoven can be discerned in the first movement, but Schubert soon begins to subvert tonal certainty. The second movement, a tranquil rondo in E major, leads to a finale that reprises the main theme in A minor.
Despite Schubert's declining health, he worked with great intensity. In September 1828, he completed four major works, including the famous String Quintet in C major. His last sonatas—D958, D959, and D960—represent the pinnacle of his output and attest to his stylistic versatility. These compositions reflect profound emotions such as pathos, pain, and joy.
Johannes Brahms later grappled with the question of how something new could emerge after Beethoven. The differences between Schubert and Beethoven are clearly evident, especially in Schubert's lyrical style and harmonic development. Despite similar motifs, their musical expressions differ significantly. Schubert's late sonatas reveal great depth and complexity, demonstrating his extraordinary legacy.