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Play — Alfred Brendel - Schubert - Piano Sonata No 22 in A major, D 959 · Classical Vault 1 (the player loads on click)
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Play — Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959: II. Andantino · Franz Schubert, Eric Lu (the player loads on click)
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Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.
Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.
Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.
The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.
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One rarely plays the whole work. We do not yet have a level specific to each of these movements: they carry the opus's level, which does not say which one is the most approachable.
Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.
The safest next step.
A genuine step up, without a jolt.
A useful leap with guided practice.
This A major Sonata, D.959, presents a lucid lyrical surface punctuated by darker, dramatic episodes, alternating singing cantilenas with moments of inward tension that require sharply contrasted shaping of the musical line. Technically and musically, Knowledge of form (Connaissance des formes, 3.6/5) is essential to articulate the large phrases and thematic transitions—you will need to shape long-span transitions as formal events so repetitions and developments read clearly; Harmonic analysis (Analyse harmonique, 3.6/5) requires following and projecting the subtle modulations with precise touch and voice-leading so the harmonic pivots remain audible. The work occupies an important place in Schubert's piano output, reflecting a move toward more expansive and introspective sonata writing within his catalog. I do not give a recommended interpretation here to avoid citing a recording or performer unless I can be completely certain of its appropriateness for this specific sonata.