Schubert, Fantasia for piano four hands

Little Franz in love, in his early twenty

In just over eighteen years, Franz Schubert could write almost a thousand works. In this almost miraculous abundance that his catalog presents, about fifty pieces written to be performed by two musicians at the piano stand out: they are his pieces for piano four hands.

From the Fantasia in G minor of 1810 (when he was thirteen years old) to the Sonatina D 968 composed the same year of his death, Franz Schubert did not cease to compose works in this format and in very diverse genres, ranging from transcriptions of his own orchestral works to those written for the nascent salon music that was beginning to enchant an incipient middle class that also wanted to make music in their own homes.

In the years 1818 and 1819, Schubert, in his twenties, spent the summer in the castle of Szeliz, about 150 km from Vienna, hired as musical preceptor of the daughters of Count Johann Esterházy, cousin of Haydn's protector.

The girls were two: Carolina, 13, and Maria, 15. With Maria, the lessons were more interesting because she showed a more advanced level than her sister. Still, in the second summer, little Schubert began to be sentimentally interested in Carolina, who, of course, was now fourteen.

Countess Caroline Esterhazy

But his proverbial shyness worked against him, not allowing the little master to make much progress in the field of seduction. However, ten years later, Franz will remember his former pupil and dedicate to her, Carolina Esterházy, now a twenty-four-year-old countess, his masterpiece for piano four hands.

Fantasia for piano four hands, Op 103, in F minor
It was composed between January and April 1828 and performed for the first time on May 9 of that year, on the occasion of one of the last "schubertiades" held with his friends, among them the composer Franz Lachner, who played his part on the piano, accompanying Schubert.

It was published posthumously the following year.
We will never know whether Countess Caroline ever acceded to Franz's solicitations, but today more than a few performers have noted that it is not at all whimsical to hear in the yearning love duet of the central section "the idealized expression of a relationship that social differences alone made impossible."

Considered his best work, among many, for piano four hands, the work is structured in four movements that are played without pause, connected by a lyrical melody.

Movements:
I     Allegro molto moderato
II   Largo
III  Scherzo. Allegro vivace
IV  Finale. Allegro molto moderato

The performance is by the brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Dutch pianists.