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Compare and Contrast the Sonata Form as Used by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann

Introduction and History of the Sonata

This paper aims at comparing and contrasting the sonata form as used by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann. Sonata is an example of classical music typically played using an instrumental band (orchestra) or even as a solo instrument. This musical composition usually comprises two to four sections or movements, each in a connected key yet with a separate musical character. Sonata form identifies a unique method or style of musical organization, generally utilized in one or more multi-movement instrumental movement works written since the rise of the classical era. However, sonata form remains a great influential idea within the Western classical music history, and since its establishment in the 18th century, the practice has undergone considerable changes. Indeed, writing works using sonata form has experienced many changes, particularly within Beethoven's hands, as well as his successors within the Romantic Era. By itself, the Early Romantic period marked the source of official originality for the sonata.

Contributions of the Sonata to Western Classical Music

The early 19th century decades witnessed a transformation in whatever the sonata destined as a musical form. The revolution was also observable in sonata's role in more prominent musical compositions, such as concertos and symphonies. At this period, sonata came to stand for a code of writing large-scale works. Sonata was used in nearly all instrumental genres and observed as an essential way of organizing, understanding, as well as examining concert music. Regardless of the changes within the sonata music style from the classical period, a good number of 20th and 21st-century sonatas yet retain a similar structure. The late classical composers, including Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, utilized the sonata like a default style for several of their works, especially symphonies and string quartets. Consequently, this set the foundation for Schumann and Schubert, who adopted the style in two distinct directions.  

Comparison of Schubert’s and Schumann’s Approach to the Use of the Sonata

Differences 

Schumann is famous owing to his orchestral works, and he employed the sonata form as a way of passing on his multifaceted musical ideas. Most of his large-form works have stayed for generations successively. However, Schumann attempts have been criticized due to their apparent deficiencies when evaluated against equal works previously done by Beethoven. Lester mentions that this was a significant issue whenever approaching Schumann owing to the presumptions that several critics held of him; they labeled him a flabby composer.

 Quoting Schoenberg, Lester claims that the issue made sure that the audience would not offer Schumann the chance necessary so that his music could be listened to on its own but not merely as a weaker form of Beethoven (Lester 189-190). Further, Lester submits his claims by initially putting Schumann in his musical framework. Being an early romantic composer, Schumann’s work is exceptionally inclined to classical characteristics found within Haydn, Mozart, as well as Beethoven. Schumann’s style is, therefore, almost neo-classical as he integrates several thematic and tonal elements, which were employed by his predecessors. Besides, Schumann plays with tonal focal points, centering on the dominant and tonic, yet also disintegrates his themes plus explores different major changes that only draw together thematically. Undoubtedly, all these ideas had already been explored by his predecessors. 

However, the various sonata done by Schumann, develop their neo-classical characteristics aside, re-infer the style for clearly new ends, as they present structural issues separate from those from Beethoven’s. For Schumann, sonata form was a productive land within which he established many structurally effective and aesthetically convincing relationships between tonal, thematic, plus other processes. Every sonata form movement by Schumann is independent in conception, as each exclusively relates its major narrative and structural tactics to its thematic subject. Uniquely, Schumann initiates the recapitulation using the second theme, and this is often observed within his large-scale works; he maneuvers themes to present a personal story (Lester 210). Different from his predecessors, particularly Beethoven, Schumann’s sonata styles are separate and appropriate vehicles for his diverse creative ideas.

On the other hand, Schubert uses sonata forms with exceptional tones and structures by embracing tonal shifts as well as structural transformations from sonatas utilized by his predecessors. However, his key movements reveal tonal designs with no precedent within the sonata writing, whose key distinguishing characteristics are off-tonic thematic returns. These returns had their tonal levels integrated with the broader tonal structural designs of their movements via identical compositional strategies. Even so, the resulting models relate so differently to the sonata form architectural voice-leading standards. During the period, Schubert indeed pushed his way to new forms, and his sonatas were seen unique not merely for being structurally different compared to sonatas of other composers but as well for their application of tones. 

While studying Schubert’s sonatas, Sly claims lie on the way the tonal shifts in writings such as Quartett Satz and Great Symphony in C Major mirror structural changes in the sonata style itself. Different from Schumann, Schubert set aside most of his historical compositions for smaller-scale writings such as string quartets (Sly 120). In addition, Schubert demonstrated his most significant innovations, such as the degree to which sonatas can be influenced and stretched within his iconic novelties in his late piano sonatas. Nevertheless, these also represented some of the most challenging piano works that he experienced trouble playing. Thus, this explains of how Schubert viewed the sonata like an academic exercise nut, not simply a method to be executed whenever required.   

Even though Schumann and Schubert could have been similar generations, their opinions on what a sonata denotes and how sonatas should be utilized remained dissimilar. Although the two eventually employed the form to communicate personal viewpoints, their tonal, compositions, as well as thematic innovations show that they followed different paths; Schubert chooses to focus on smaller-scale sonatas while Schumann focused on larger ones.     

Similarities 

Both Schumann and Schubert utilized sonata as a means of conveying personal ideas within a musical form. All Schumann’s music bears a well-built personal content. In some of his works, reviewers have provided diverse and frequently persuasive details of extra-musical elements. Similarly, Schubert employs sonatas within his many songs and hall works to express himself generally precisely, accurately finding the source plus expression of every human experience, starting from pleasure to grief.       

Secondly, both added to developments and innovations in the employment of sonata within western classical music. Regardless of his short life, Schubert contributed a huge composition, including symphonies, secular vocal works, piano works, and many more. Schumann composed many piano, and orchestral music and his style influenced many other composers such as Brahms, Wagner, Liszt, and others.  

Conclusion

In conclusion, Schumann’s and Schubert’s ideas on what a sonata is as well as how sonata should be utilized differ noticeably. However, the two used sonata as a form to convey the personal idea, leading to advancements and innovations in sonata use within classical music in Western states. 

Works Cited

Lester, Joel. "Robert Schumann and sonata forms." 19th-century Music 18.3 (1995): 189-210.

Sly, Gordon. "Schubert's Innovations in Sonata Form: Compositional Logic and Structural

Interpretation." Journal of Music Theory 45.1 (2001): 119-150.