Wanderer Fantasy C-Dur op. 15
Impromptus op. posth 142 D 935
Impromptus op. 90 D 899

VIVIANA SOFRONITSKY – SCHUBERT on period instrument Viviana Sofronitsky counts as one of the worldwide leading artist playing on period instruments. The Russian born expert for historical keybords, living these days in the Czech Republic, is challenging a fortepiano by Conrad Graf (No. 319 - 1819), (re-) built by the worldwide known piano maker Paul McNulty, to make sound a brilliant, fulminant Schubert. Not only the vivacity but also the sound colours and the coherent tempi, the dramatic impulse of the works – all appears in a new light – pieces which Schubert himself may have only played soso lala („….may the devil play it, I cannot“).

The Piano Fantasy in C Major (written 1823 in the same year as the Unfinished) serves as further proof that we should not generalize Schumann’s observation [“heavenly length”] in spite of its correctness. After several years spent repeatedly trying his hand at opera, Schubert returned to purely instrumental music with a work notable for its “lean” structure. Although clearly reminiscent of artsong, this piano fantasia was setting his course in the direction of the “Great” symphony as well.

Only Franz Liszt playing the Wanderer Fantasy in his concerts many times helped to leverage this piece on the concert stage. The technical settings of the „Sonata in four movements“ – which in reality is a single movement work – are extraordinary and a major challenge for each pianist. Similar as the Impromptus the Fantasy ‚lives’ from unique ideas of tunes and melodies, unbelievable harmonic pluralism and shows modernity in the period of early 19th century. The pianoforte and Schubert – a synthesis of great music and a beautiful and heady sound