The exposition continues with a series of elegant, waltz-like passages, featuring chord progressions that expand on the tonic-dominant relationship. Schubert uses secondary dominants and appoggiaturas to add color and depth to the harmony. For example, in measure 13, a V7/IV chord (E-flat major 7th with a D-flat in the bass) leads to a beautiful IV chord, creating a sense of surprise and contrast.
However, to dismiss this impromptu as mere “finger work” is to ignore Schubert’s genius for harmonic subterfuge. Beneath the relentless surface of staccato chords and racing scales lies a labyrinth of tonal ambiguity, chromatic mediant relationships, and surprising modulations that foreshadow the harmonic language of late Romanticism, and even Impressionism. schubert impromptu op 90 no 2 harmonic analysis
The piece ends with a forceful descent and two chords in E-flat minor . This "tragic" ending symbolizes the traveler's inability to find home, a recurring theme in Schubert's final year. The exposition continues with a series of elegant,
The transition to the B section is a daring harmonic move. Schubert prepares the listener for C-flat major (the flat submediant) but instead pivots enharmonically to B minor for the Trio. However, to dismiss this impromptu as mere “finger