Piano Sonata in E minor, D 566 (Schubert)

The Piano Sonata in E minor D 566 by Franz Schubert is a sonata for solo piano written in June 1817. The original manuscript appeared to lack a finale.^[1] Ludwig Scheibler (1848-1921) was the first to suggest in 1905 that the Rondo in E, D.506 might be that movement.^[2] The British composer and musicologist Kathleen Dale produced the first edition using this suggestion in 1948.^[3] The 1976 Henle edition by Paul Badura-Skoda followed the same practice.^[4]

Movements

I. Moderato

E minor

Harald Krebs has noted the use of Charles Fisk's "search for thematic identity" in his discussion of the sonata's opening theme.^[5]

II. Allegretto

E major

III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace - Trio

A-flat major

(IV. Rondo: Allegretto, D 506)

E major

D 506 has been associated with the last piece of Fünf Klavierstücke (D 459A/3) and the Adagio D 349 too as a set of movements that might form a sonata.^[6]

The work takes approximately 20 minutes to perform or 25–30 minutes with the rondo finale.