3 Facts About Schubert’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in A Minor

Schubert composed the sonata in February 1823 while suffering from syphilis. The illness likely influenced the work’s dark, introspective mood.

It is one of Schubert’s few sonatas in a minor key. The A minor tonality gives the piece a somber, restless character.

The sonata remained unpublished until after Schubert’s death. It was not widely performed until the 20th century.