The ethereal nature of Franz Peter Schubert's piano music.

Greetings my fellow music lovers,

There is something *about* Franz Peter Schubert's piano music that constantly haunts me. Due to my strong synaesthesia and the intense images I receive, this is probably heightened for me, but I wonder if others feel the same sense of ghostliness about Schubert that I do.

When I listen to his piano music, I do not envision any earthly realm or place, nor any humans. I see a mixture of smokey visions, blurred and yet .. SOMEHOW very clear at the same time! Most prominent of all is the opening of his B-flat major piano sonata, the very last. In those purely ethereal opening chords, I see a darkened forest in the middle of winter with a single cabin sitting on an open area between the trees. As snow falls on this dark night, smoke rises from the small chimney, and a yellow light emanates from within, I feel a sense of such inner calm and perfection as to be nearly indescribable.

From the impromptus I feel yet more places of the imagination, solitary and peaceful places. I actually see the dark red carpets and the nostalgia-covered rooms of an old home in the country, or perhaps a small apartment in the midst of a bustling city. However, even at his most vivace moments, there is still a ghostliness about him, a deathly calm in the music. Schubert gives me the most intense and yet most fog-like visions - they seem unreal and disappear quickly. Other composers are more concrete, but Schubert, with his prominent major-minor contrasts and gigantic modulations, touches me so very deeply.

I would like to know how others see and feel for Schubert's piano music, whether it is a sonata, impromptu, dance, or moment musicau. Is he has beloved as I hope he is? :)

For me, some of Schubert's works are very evocative of images/colors, etc (though I don't always think that way) and others are not.

More often, I am enamoured of his effortless melodic writing. Also, that twinge of delicate sadness that permeates most of his textures touches me, and I agree with ou that the major/minor fluidity furthers this more candid, sensitive sound.

As a cellist, I particularly love to perform the B-flat piano trio, op. 99. The work is truly lyrical, often like a violin-cello opera duet. If you want perfect bliss mingled with pangs of longing, listen to the 2nd mvt.! It's a true arm-in-arm love scene right out of something like Boito's Mefistofele or Giordano's Andrea Chenier.

I must find this piece, then; the 'cello (as you might see from my profile ;D) is a truly amazing and perfect instrument in my ears. If this is as piercing as you say it is, I would love to hear it. However, I am not familiar with Schubert's opus numbers. How would "Op. 99" be translated as a Deutsch number? Perhaps I'll look it up somewhere :) Thank you!

D. 898 is the number.