Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert profoundly admired Beethoven, and like the great man was something of a 'bridge' composer himself. Although we consider him to be a Romantic composer, Schubert's attention to form and proportion owe a lot to the Classical era. Schubert wrote over 600 songs and is thought of as one of the greatest melody writers - we can hear this clearly in the G flat Impromptu's beautiful line. Modulation is another hallmark of Schubert's writing, and the middle section of the A flat Impromptu is a great example of his incredible ease with slipping seamlessly and magically from major to minor, and from one key to another.