Recommended Schubert Pieces to Play on Piano (Beginner to Intermediate)
Franz Schubert, a leading composer of the early Romantic era, left behind an enormous body of work in his short life of just 31 years.
It goes without saying that he produced masterpieces that have gone down in music history across a wide range of genres: songs found in school textbooks such as “Heidenröslein” (Wild Rose) and “Erlkönig,” piano pieces like the Four Impromptus and Moments Musicaux, and symphonies such as Symphony No.
7, the “Unfinished.”
In this article, we’ve compiled a selection of Schubert’s many famous pieces that are relatively accessible for pianists, including not only original piano works but also songs that can be played in piano arrangements.
If you’re a beginner to intermediate pianist who finds the famous sonatas too challenging to tackle, start here and step into the world of Schubert!
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[Beginner to Intermediate] Recommended Schubert Pieces to Play on Piano (21–30)
Serenade from SchwanengesangFranz Schubert
This is a piece included in Franz Schubert’s renowned song collection Schwanengesang, which he worked on from August 1828 onward.
Its sweet yet heartrending melody is striking, as if whispering hidden feelings to a beloved in the stillness of the night.
The delicate piano accompaniment captures the protagonist’s trembling heart and even the touch of the night breeze, drawing listeners into the world of the story.
It is also known for its use in the 1933 film Gently My Songs Entreat.
The wistfulness that pervades this work gently accompanies nights when one is overwhelmed by sorrow, making it a masterpiece you should listen to when you wish to indulge in sentiment.
Three Ecossaises, D.816Franz Schubert
Three Ecossaises, D.
816, composed using the rhythm of the Scottish folk dance “ecossaise,” which was popular in France and England from the late 18th to the early 19th century.
With its lively duple meter and bright character, this piece is invigorating whether you play it or listen to it.
To convey its briskness, it’s important to align the vertical timing of the left and right hands and reproduce the rhythm accurately.
Be sure to depress the keys all the way to the bottom and aim for a crisp, snappy tone when you play!
Trout (arranged by Liszt)Franz Schubert
This piece is a piano solo arrangement of a song by Franz Schubert, made by Franz Liszt.
Through the story of a trout swimming in a clear stream and the fisherman who aims to catch it, it conveys a lesson about life.
Liszt adds brilliant, piano-specific virtuosity without diminishing the original’s beauty.
Arpeggios and ornaments that evoke the flow of the river and the movements of the trout are used effectively, rendering visual scenes through sound.
It is recommended for those interested in the beauty of nature and the morals of human society, as well as for listeners who enjoy technically dazzling piano performances.
TraumereiRobert Schumann
Woven in F major with a gentle 4/4 pulse, this beautiful, dreamlike melody softly envelops the listener’s heart.
Born from the album Kinderszenen, the piece was published in Leipzig in February 1839 and is a memorable work used in both the opening and ending of the film “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” (Tenkōsei).
Its calm, transparent tone seeps into the soul, as if awakening the pure emotions of childhood and the nostalgia felt in adulthood.
Over eight repetitions of a four-bar melody, shifts in harmony and an expanding register brilliantly portray the changing scenes of a dream.
Though it occasionally shows a pensive expression, it concludes with a warm afterglow.
With a leisurely performance duration yet profound emotional impact, this highly artistic work is recommended for those who wish to immerse themselves quietly in music.
In conclusion
As mentioned at the beginning, Franz Schubert, in his short life of just 31 years, created many masterpieces, and whether songs or piano works, his beautiful melodies resonate with listeners’ hearts in any era.
If you’ve been thinking you’d like to try tackling his challenging piano sonatas someday, why not start by choosing a piece from those introduced here that matches your level and try playing the beautiful melodies Schubert left behind? Each piece is like a piano work with a sung quality, and by the time you finish practicing, you’ll likely have developed a strong sense of lyricism.