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This sonata is the first of the last three sonatas (D. 958 in C minor, D. 959 in A Major, D. 960 in Bb Major) published after Schubert’s death. Comparable to Beethoven’s last sonata trilogy, Schubert wrote these monumental works merely a few weeks before his death on November 19th, 1828. Similar to many composers, Schubert sums up his life and legacy to music in ways that are characteristic to each of the three last sonatas.

This sonata captures emotions of desolation, melancholy, reminiscent joy, and acceptance of fate. Somewhat reflective of his own life, many consider this work to be autobiographical in nature. The ominous chromatic scales in the development of the first movement foreshadow a murky, dark, yet certain and not-so-distant future while the triumphant minor chords in the opening and the recapitulation resemble the struggle and the battle of the inevitable death.

The second movement is a quartet-like melody alternating between major and minor modes, characteristic of Schubert’s writing. The repeated triplets in the bass interrupt the song-like melody and warn us of a storm soon to wipe out any resemblance of previous tranquility. Soon the melody returns over the triplet figure in the bass to disrupt the music one last time with successive octaves alternating between the right and left hands.

The minuet and trio is in typical dance form structure but Schubert inserts interruptions of subito (sudden) dynamics, silent measures, and accents on the last beat that create instability and uncertainty as if one is trading dance partners between life and death.

The last movement, one of the longest movements Schubert wrote (by measure numbers), experiences rapid left hand accompaniment figures while the melody is rhythmically disjunct with occasional interruptions of sforzandi and fortissimo single note octaves leaps.

Whether programmatic or not, this sonata represents one of Schubert’s final and greatest musical contributions to the world.



Dedicated to Mademoiselle la Comtesse de Lobau and published in 1837 with the opus number 29, the first impromptu represents Chopin as a remarkable composer. Improvisatory in its style, the impromptu in A-flat Major nonetheless has a very structured A-B-A ternary form. The A sections contain melodic flourishes supported by similar harmonic figures while the B section in f minor contrasts the outer sections with a noble and stately theme.

His second impromptu in F-sharp major, is written in 1839 as opus 36. It has a nocturne-like beginning, with similarity to the F-sharp Major Barcarolle, op. 60 (note the key!). The dream-like melody at the end is once again revisited by a chordal passage heard previously, ending the piece with a sense of unity, balance, and structure.




As the last work Chopin wrote for piano and orchestra (his two piano concerti and Krakowiak), his Op. 22 Grand Polonaise Brillante was written in 1830-31 in Vienna. He later added Andante Spianato as a piano solo introduction to the grand polonaise which opens with a fanfare. This work exemplifies idiomatic piano writing with virtuosic passages contrasted by Polish dance rhythm and lyrical melodies.




The recordings below were made on The Bösendorfer Imperial Model 290 Piano owned by Martin Cohen.

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Rachmaninov "Prelude No. 2 in C Sharp Minor" Op. 3
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata - 1st Movement
Schumann Kinderszenen - Traumerei