Piano Sonata in G major, D 894 (Schubert)

[4] Pianist Mark Taratushkin, in his analysis of Schubert's Piano Sonata in G Major, D. 894,[5] points out that the original concept for the second movement was quite different from the version known today.

The original manuscript, which has survived and is currently digitized in the archive of the British Library, reveals that after completing the minuet, Schubert decided to rewrite the second movement.

The preserved fragment reveals a theme that is rhythmically characteristic of Schubert’s music, though it was ultimately replaced by a more dynamic orchestral episode in the final version.

Peter Pesic commented on Donald Francis Tovey's observation that Schubert used a "circle of sixths" series of key signatures in the fourth movement of this sonata, in the sequence G → E♭ → B = C♭ → G = A.

[7][8] The former is notable for his extremely slow interpretation of the first movement,[9] and solemn account of the work, making the whole sonata usually last over 45 minutes in total.