The most beautiful Schubert sonata (in my opinion) #piano #schubert #sonata

Played by Andras Schiff at the Louis Vuitton Foundation Schubert's piano sonata no.21 in B flat Major, is his last composition for piano. The 21st sonata is interpreted by many to contain Schubert's reflections on his life in retrospect - the piece was finished in September 1828, just two months before his death in November at age 31. The first and second movement especially feature an introspective tone, a sense of looking back on something already done. The whole sonata is extremely intimate and personal, and Schubert's genius in melody and harmonic modulation shine throughout. Andras Schiff's performance of this sonata was the first I listened to, and it remains my favorite (maybe Brendel's is tied for number one). Schiff's tone is always even and well-regulated, but most importantly, it doesn't sound shy in any way. Often, interpreters of this sonata mistake the introverted manner of the piece (and the frequent pianos and pianissimos) for timidness, which (in my opinion) dilutes its staggering emotional power. Schiff plays every melody and every note, even those marked triple piano, with clearness and intent. The 21st piano sonata is one of the greatest pieces in Schubert's repertory. It's a divulgence of one's sorrows, regrets, nostalgias, fears, satisfactions, fulfillments, and hopes in the face of death.