Schubert: Last Piano Sonatas

Piemontesi’s instinctive good taste means he never indulges in histrionics, and operates on the principle that understatement can carry more emotional power than its converse. This performance... — BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2019, 5 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 27th Sep 2019
Catalogue No: PTC5186742
Label: Pentatone
Length: 1 hour 56 minutes

BBC Music Magazine

Christmas 2019

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Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 19 in C minor, D958

Work length31:32

$8.00

$9.60

$14.00

Francesco Piemontesi (piano)

I. Allegro

Track length11:02

$3.00

$3.60

$5.25

II. Adagio

Track length8:06

$2.00

$2.40

$3.50

III. Menuetto. Allegro

Track length3:14

$1.00

$1.20

$1.75

IV. Allegro

Track length9:10

$2.00

$2.40

$3.50

Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 20 in A major, D959

Work length42:35

$10.00

$12.00

$17.50

Francesco Piemontesi (piano)

I. Allegro

Track length16:59

$4.00

$4.80

$7.00

II. Andantino

Track length8:02

$2.00

$2.40

$3.50

III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace

Track length4:56

$1.00

$1.20

$1.75

IV. Rondo. Allegretto

Track length12:38

$3.00

$3.60

$5.25

Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, D960

Work length42:20

Album only

Francesco Piemontesi (piano)

I. Molto moderato (Live)

Track length20:13

Album only

II. Andante sostenuto (Live)

Track length9:37

$2.00

$2.40

$3.50

III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace con delicatezza (Live)

Track length3:53

$1.00

$1.20

$1.75

IV. Allegro ma non troppo (Live)

Track length8:37

$2.00

$2.40

$3.50

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About

Swiss pianist Francesco Piemontesi interprets Schubert’s last three piano sonatas (D958-D960) on his PENTATONE debut album, after years of engagement with these extraordinary works. These sonatas continue to fascinate pianists and listeners until this very day. They are arguably among the most existential music ever written for the piano, full of beauty and sadness, celebrating life and at the same time anticipating the composer’s untimely death.

Even if Schubert was barely thirty years old when he wrote these works, they reveal the otherworldly and detached nature of what is often described as “late style”, while the music remains highly expressive and personal.

Reviews

Christmas 2019

Piemontesi’s instinctive good taste means he never indulges in histrionics, and operates on the principle that understatement can carry more emotional power than its converse. This performance of D958 is the best I have ever heard. His D959 exhibits the same virtues…and D960, recorded live and technically immaculate, is glorious.

December 2019

Piemontesi is an artist who very much puts the music first and the abiding sense of these readings is their naturalness. There’s no lack of imagination either…but while Piemontesi’s playing is always classically classy, I sometimes hungered for more drama.

January 2020

Here is confirmation that Francesco Piemontesi belongs to a small elite: he is a pianist that other pianists go to hear. He is awesome and speculative in the A major while in the B-flat he achieves greatness without recourse to idiosyncrasy or extremes. Even in a crowded field of celebrated recordings, Piemontesi’s performances are wholly exceptional, enlightening if exhausting at every level. They are crowned by Pentatone’s beautifully natural sound.

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