Schubert Four Impromptus, D 899, Op 90 (Set 1)

Classical Music / Schubert Music

Franz Schubert's Impromptus are a series of  eight pieces for solo piano composed in 1827, published in two sets of four impromptus each:

The first two pieces in this Set 1 in D 899, Op. 90 - were published in Schubert's lifetime as Op. 90.  The third and fourth pieces were published in 1857 (although the third piece was printed by the publisher in G major, instead of G-flat as Schubert had written it, and remained available only in this key for many years).

I'm sharing two interpretations from two brilliant interpreters of Schubert's music, pianists  Maria João Pires and Alfred Brendel.







Note:  The second set, D. 935, Op. 142,  was published posthumously, as Op. 142 in 1839 (with a dedication to Franz Liszt added by the publisher. Three other unnamed piano compositions (D. 946), written a few months before the composer's death, in May 1828, are also known as both "Impromptus" and Klavierstücke ("piano pieces").


Video Credit:

Alfred Brendel - Franz Schubert - Four Impromptus, D 899.  YouTube, uploaded by Classical Vault 1. Accessed March 23, 2014

Schubert - 4 Impromptus, D. 899 / Op. 90 (Maria João Pires). YouTube, uploaded by MrPalika123. Accessed March 23, 2018. 


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Sydney Philharmonia Choirs - Bach in B Minor Mass

Choral Singing / Baroque Music

JS Bach's Mass in B Minor

Date: Saturday 31 March 2018, 1pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

At the pinnacle of Johann Sebastian Bach's artistry is one of his greatest choral works, the B Minor Mass. Composed over the course of 16 years, it is a compendium of every aspect of Bach’s genius and a profound testament of his faith.

This majestic performance by the  Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, with intimate solo arias and instrumental moments, marks the Easter weekend the timeless power of Bach's music.  

Johann Sebastian Bach was a deeply religious man with aesthetic convictions. On July 28, 1750, less than a year after completing B-minor Mass, he died in Leipzig, due to complications from treatment following eye surgery. His body in a humble oak casket was buried in a site unmarked until the mid-19th century. Mozart found revelation in Bach's work reflected in the younger composer's famous unfinished Requiem. But it was not until 1829, during Mendelssohn's revival of Bach's work, in particular, Mendelssohn’s momentous performance of the St. Matthew Passion that secured Bach’s place in history.

Bach's Mass was published in 1845, nearly 100 years after the composer's death. Complete performances followed in Europe.  Bach's B-minor Mass is a masterful combination of sublimity and profundity.




From the choir’s first call for God’s mercy, to its final prayer for peace, the B Minor Mass is a trove of musical riches. Weaving together moments of overwhelming majesty with intimate solo arias decorated with intricate instrumental filigree, and outbreaks of dancing joy, the Mass has everything that gives Bach’s music its timeless power.