Franz Schubert's Piano Sonata in A-flat major D 557 was composed in May 1817.
Movements
The work is relatively short and a performance takes somewhat between 10 and 15 minutes. The sonata is cheerful and uncomplicated, and carries remembrances of Mozart and the Baroque era.[1]
I. Allegro moderato
A-flat major
The beginning resembles the opening of the menuetto, D. 380, Nr. 3.[2]
The fact that the last movement is in the key of E-flat major rather than the tonic key of A-flat major is evidence in favor of Schubert possibly intending to add a fourth movement, although the extant third movement has much of the character of a finale. At the time this was written it was quite unusual to end a composition in another key than its tonic, however Schubert did do this in some of his early works, e.g. D. 553 ("Auf der Donau", beginning in E-flat major and ending in F-sharp minor).[3]
Score
The sonata was first published in 1888, in the Breitkopf & Härtel complete edition.
Manuscripts
The autograph of the sonata, dated May 1817, is incomplete — it stops at the 28th measure of the third movement, but there is a contemporary complete manuscript.[2]
