Franz Schubert

Many writers have heard Hungarian influences in the first and the last impromptus in the second set of Schubert's impromptus. Although the Hungarian influences on the first are debatable, the fourth Impromptu does sing in a Hungarian accent. Although both movements are in F minor, the Allegro scherzando Op. 142, No. 4 (D. 935/4), has a melody whose accented grace-note embellishments and harmonic motions certainly echo the minatory music of Hungary, and the rushing passages growing out of trills for the right hand at the end of the opening sections threaten to unseat the music. While both trios begin much more peacefully, the first's A flat major often turns to darker minor keys with more fiery embellishments, and the second's tonic minor seems to exist only to build to the blazing return of the opening melody in F minor.