Correction for accuracy: In bar 162, Schubert slips in a on A-flat (A-flat, C, E-flat, F-sharp) that resolves deceptively not to the dominant (B-flat), but to a F-flat major triad (spelled F-flat, A-flat, C-flat). This is an astonishingly remote chord in E-flat major (the flat submediant of the subdominant? It doesn't matter—it’s pure color). This final harmonic gasp reminds us that even in victory, Schubert cannot forget the shadows.
A stark contrast in 3/4 time, featuring "bohemian" rhythms with widely spaced octaves and heavy, off-beat accents.
: Transformational theory highlights the parsimonious voice‑leading between the triads. The move from E♭ major to C♭ minor (B minor) involves only one voice moving by a semitone in each triad (the so‑called “L” and “P” transformations). Schubert’s entire harmonic plan can be modelled as a short cycle of such efficient transformations, which explains why the remote keys sound so “smooth” even when they are far apart on the circle of fifths. schubert impromptu op 90 no 2 harmonic analysis
sharps), we must look at the closing chords of the A section.
A. Opening measures (mm. 1–8)
minor and sequences of secondary dominants leading to climaxes. B Minor Enharmonically replaces the expected
The real “crossing of the edge”, however, occurs at measure 83. Here is how Schubert builds the modulation: Correction for accuracy: In bar 162, Schubert slips
Schubert’s way of connecting these far‑flung keys reveals his characteristic fondness for and for what musicologist Richard Taruskin calls “crossing the edge” from the tonic to the flat submediant region.