Schubert - Piano Sonata 21 [Schiff] 2010 was a good year for this Sonata, it appeared in my Blog 4 times, with the likes of Perahia, Kovacevich, Pollini, and Pires, and now Schiff, he is in illustrious company, this is not just my favourite Schubert Piano Sonata but the very best Piano Sonata of all!, the first movement has that sublime opening, full of the utmost refinement and gravitas, it perfectly introduces his closing statement in the piano medium.
Andras Schiff keeps popping up in my Blog, he's a Hungarian Pianist, born in 1953, this recording was made in 1993, and this is a reissue of 3 individual discs of the last three Piano Sonatas of a Decca Double package, the booklet is very pleasing indeed, looks like a bare beech tree forest, it's artistically well laid out, two pictures in essence, with the right one whitened out, nice use of the lettering, especially the logo box, and the sideways 'Double Decca', and of course the colour scheme of reddish brown is wonderful and fitting.medium.
Like i said above, it's the first movement i truly love, it has an opening which i almost feel Schubert reserved for his 'goodbye' to the world and his beloved piano, it has that utmost refinement i was talking about, for me it's full of tenderness and pathos, i can't speak highly enough of it,
Here's Alfred Brendel playing the first movement on YouTube.
