ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a close reading of the third Klavierstuck with particular emphasis on rhythmic-metric design. It addresses two broader, yet pertinent topics: the compositional genesis of the Klavierstücke and the position of rhythm in Schubert scholarship. Essays on Schubert's late piano sonatas by Charles Rosen and Roy Howat also focus on rhythmicmetric design, though principally on hypermeter-as does this study of the third Klavierstuck. For Feil, rhythm encompasses dimensions such as phrase length, meter, accentuation, and directional impulse; rhythm frequently participates in long-range structural processes; and in Lieder rhythm relates closely to the meaning of the text. Detailed analytical study shows that apparent repetitions—a well-known aspect of Schubert's style—can have different hypermetric contexts and that these changes are musically meaningful. Sensitivity to hypermeter can reveal large-scale thematic developments, and the chapter suggests the importance of rhythm, hypermeter, and phrase structure for a rich appreciation of Schubert's music.
