PENTATONE is delighted to announce that pianist Francesco Piemontesi, is releasing his first album with the label. This album features Piemontesi’s interpretation of Schubert’s last three piano sonatas, arguably among the most existential music ever written for the piano.
OTHERWORLDY AND HIGHLY EXPRESSIVE
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.
“Schubert’s last three sonatas D958, 959 and 960 were written in 1828 during the last months of his life, but first published ten years after his death. Like his other sonatas, they were almost forgotten for nearly a hundred years. From today’s perspective, it amazes me how long it took for these pieces to finally take their rightful place in the piano repertoire. The three last sonatas represent the most existential music ever written for the piano and are full of beauty and sadness, full of life and the premonition of death. But above all, full of humanity. They are part of the most personal music that Schubert composed. I have been engaged with these works for more than a decade and have frequently performed them cyclically. The long musical journey that connects me with them is reflected in this recording.”
– Francesco Piemontesi
This album will be released as 1 CDs and in digital formats for streaming and high-resolution downloads. (Article number: PTC 5186742)
