Schumann, who excelled in free variations and fantastical creations rather than adhering to strict forms, completed three sonatas during his lifetime: No. 1 Op. 11 (F-sharp minor), No. 3 Op. 14 (F minor), and the last, No. 2 Op. 22 (G minor). All of these were worked on in the 1830s and published successively between 1836 and 1839. Among them, the Second Sonata, originally conceived as Op. 12, took the longest to publish and has a complex creative process. (The Third Sonata, in its first edition of 1836, was titled “Concerto without Orchestra,” and only became a “Piano Sonata” in the strict sense after a major revision in 1853.)  

Drafts of the first to third movements date back to 1833, with the opening movement written to be extremely virtuosic and the scherzo having an elegant character. For the second movement, a piano adaptation of “Im Herbste” (No. 8 from the unfinished song cycle “11 Lieder,” which he had worked on five years earlier) was used.  

Two years later, in October 1835, the first draft of the four-movement sonata was completed. However, Schumann continued to revise the opening movement. During his stay in Vienna in December 1838, at the suggestion of his fiancée Clara Wieck (1819-1896), he discarded the already completed final movement, “Presto passionato,” and replaced it with a “Rondo.” (Her argument was that the original finale was too demanding for both performer and audience, and a simpler one would be better.) Regarding the opening movement, he also discarded most of the revisions made over several years and ultimately decided to adopt the version completed in 1833. Despite such a long period of creation, involving various substitutions and revisions, the four movements of this sonata maintain a surprisingly close connection.  

Thus, Sonata No. 2 was finally published in September 1839 by Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig. The work was dedicated to Henriette Vogt (1808-1839), wife of Karl Vogt, a local merchant and known patron of the arts. (Though known as a piano virtuoso, she passed away from tuberculosis a few weeks after this dedication.)  

Ten years after Schumann’s death, in 1866, the original final movement, “Presto passionato,” was published thanks to the efforts of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). However, the manuscript Brahms possessed was from an early stage of Schumann’s composition, and the “completed” finale, in 6/16 time and 478 measures, was not published until 1981.

First Movement

G minor, 2/4 time, sonata form.

• After a strong chord on the G minor tonic, the first theme begins, fierce and urgent in character.
• The transition already moves to the relative major (B-flat major), leading directly into the introspective second theme.
• The development section is primarily based on motives from the first theme.
• The tempo marking at the beginning of this movement is “So rasch wie möglich” (As fast as possible), but at the start of the coda, where 16th-note unisons continue, it is marked “Schneller” (Faster), and from the point where the first theme partially recurs, “Noch schneller” (Even faster).
• These tempo indications are logically peculiar but align with the constantly driven character of the music.

Second Movement

Andantino, C major, 6/8 time, variation form + coda (or ABA’ ternary form).

• Following the theme presentation, the first variation (A) adds ornamentation to the inner voices.
• The second variation (B) features the main melody in the inner voices, unfolding a fantastical world.
• The third variation (A’) is closer to a recapitulation of the opening theme.

Third Movement

Scherzo, Sehr rasch und markiert (Very fast and clearly marked), G minor, 3/4 time, A-B-A C B-A ternary form.

• Begins with chords of a distinctive rhythm, regaining the intensity of the first movement.
• In the trio, a continuous syncopated rhythm creates a unique sense of meter (reminiscent of the rhythm of the second theme in the opening movement).
• Though very short at 64 measures in total, it is a dense movement shaped by memorable melodies and characteristic rhythms.

Fourth Movement

Rondo, Presto, G minor, 2/4 time, A-B-A-C-A-B-A-C-A-Coda rondo form.

• A, like the opening movement, presents an intense urgency with 16th notes.
• B, in contrast, shifts to a slower tempo, with an interplay between soprano and tenor voices providing a moment of solace.
• C is characterized by a dynamic descending melody with strong accents.
• Despite being rewritten to be “simpler,” this movement still demands the virtuosity and expressiveness suitable for concluding a virtuoso sonata.