Gattaca to this day remains one of my favorite movies, a story about determination and hard work overcoming physical and societal limitations. A “12 finger” variation of Schubert’s Impromptu in Gb major was performed in the movie which a high school friend and I quickly determined was impossible to play even with the extra digits.
I never took the time to learn the piece well until just recently when I decided as my next musical project to play the Schubert original and add the duet part on top of it.
The Impromptu has a similar style to Sospiro in that it has fast flowing background lines on top of which the pianist plays a distinct lyrical melody with just the pinky of the right hand. The most difficult part of the piece – the section where it gets loud, tense and angry – was also the most enjoyable and satisfying to learn. This variation is also one of the times where I find the extra part adds to the original Schubert in a good way.
Because of its association for me to the movie, whenever I hear this piece, I think about goals and sacrifice. I feel encouraged and at the same time sad. I see of a journey marked with struggle, but ultimately hope and peace.
