V: Finale. Allegro guisto

Above all, Schubert had a knack for three things: harmony, melody, and scoring. Here in this movement he uses all three to great effect. First there is harmony; can anyone mistake Schubert's genius here? Unlike many other composers, he was not usually content to stay put in one key... like a restless child, his harmony seems to always be shifting around in a way that can only be described as "Schubertian". This movement is a great show of that; the harmony has been developed so thoroughly in the exposition that Schubert doesn't even feel the need to include a development section (for a clear explanation of the terms exposition and development, you can visit our page dealing with sonata form.)

If it's melody you want, Schubert does not fail to provide here either: from the trotting first theme, to the soulful second theme, to the rolling third theme, he has created some incredibly enjoyable melodies. More likely than not, you'll probably find yourself humming them for a little bit after you'e done listing to the piece. As a last note, we shouldn't neglect to point out Schubert's ability in scoring, the arrangement of multiple voices. Realizing that his ensemble was a tad bit different than the "standard" piano quintet, Schubert took great advantage of his broadened range. You can hear this during that third theme: while the melody scampers between the violin and cello, and the piano gives a nice countermelody as well, the viola and bass provide a steady buzz of harmony. Schubert manages to use the group to its fullest potential here.

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