Op. 90 No. 3. A long, singing melody floats over a constant ripple in the same hand, the whole piece in one breath.
The story
Schubert wrote his first set of Impromptus in 1827, the year before he died at 31. Only the first two were printed in his lifetime.
In the third, the right hand has to play both the melody and the rippling accompaniment at once, which is the whole challenge of the piece.
Two things to know
- When it was first published, in 1857, the publisher moved it into G major to make it easier to read.
- It is written in 4/2: four half notes to a bar, so the bars are long and slow.
How to play it
The melody notes are the top of each ripple. Bring them out with the outer fingers and keep the rest whisper-quiet.