Carl Loewe

Carl Loewe, often called the “North German Schubert,” was a prolific composer of ballads and songs but also left behind significant instrumental works, including five piano sonatas. Among them, the Zigeunersonate, Op. 107b (1847), stands out for its fusion of classical sonata form with vivid programmatic imagery. Written during his long tenure in Stettin, where he shaped musical life as cantor and conductor, the sonata reveals Loewe’s position between Beethovenian tradition and Romantic fantasy, coloured by the 19th-century fascination with exoticism. Though his reputation rests mainly on his vocal music, this ambitious work shows his capacity for large-scale instrumental writing. His music is especially rewarding for pianists seeking Romantic repertoire that balances narrative character with classical clarity, offering both interpretive depth and audience appeal.