"Wanderer" Fantasy is the popular name for Franz Schubert's opus 15 (D. 760), a fantasy for piano solo in four movements, which follows the classical sonata form. It was written in November 1822. The key is C major. Franz Schubert. ... Look up Opus in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Opus is a Latin word for work. ... Otto Erich Deutsch (September 5, 1883 - November 23, 1967) was an Austrian musicologist. ... A baby grand piano, with the lid up. ... Look up solo in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In music, a movement is a large division of a larger composition or musical form. ... Sonata form is a musical form that has been widely used since the early classical period. ... 1822 (MDCCCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... In music theory, the key identifies the tonic triad, the chord, major or minor, which represents the final point of rest for a piece, or the focal point of a section. ... C major (often just C) is a musical major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Its key signature contains no flats or sharps. ...

The whole work is based on one single basic motif, from which all themes are developed. This motif is distilled from the theme of the second movement. This second movement (set in C sharp minor) is a sequence of variations on a melody taken from the lied Der Wanderer, which Schubert himself wrote in 1816. This set of variations gives the work its popular name. In music, a motif is a perceivable or salient reoccurring fragment or succession of notes that may used to construct the entirety or parts of complete melodies, themes. ... In music, a theme is the initial or primary melody. ... In music, variation is a formal technique where material is altered during repetition; reiteration with changes. ... Lied (plural Lieder) is a German word, literally meaning song; among English speakers, however, it is used primarily as a term for European classical music songs, also known as art songs. Typically, Lieder are arranged for a single singer and piano. ... Der Wanderer (D.493) is the name of a Lied composed by Franz Schubert in October 1816 for voice and piano. ...

All four movements follow each other without a break. After the first movement Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo in C major and the second movement Adagio, follow a scherzo presto in A flat major and the finale, which returns to the key of C major. This finale starts out as a fugue but later breaks into a virtuoso piece. In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... A scherzo (plural scherzi) is a name given to a piece of music or a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony. ... In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... A finale is a closing part, act or movement of a dramatic or musical composition, or more generally any event or procedure with a dramatically concluding effect. ... In music, a fugue is a type of piece written for counterpoint for several independent musical voices. ... A virtuoso (from the Latin virtus meaning: skill, manliness, excellence) is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability at singing or playing a musical instrument. ...

The Wanderer Fantasy is considered Schubert's most technically demanding composition for the piano. Schubert himself is reputed to have said "the devil may play it", in reference to his own inability to do so properly.