Schubert: Piano Sonatas D958 & D959

These two sonatas are full of that cosmic, timeless sadness that's such a feature of Schubert's last works. Mitsuko Uchida clearly identifies with their expressive intensity, and proves herself responsive to every melodic and harmonic twinge. Indeed, some might find her a bit hyperactive in her shaping of Schubert's exquisite melodies, particularly in such places as the C-minor Sonata's second subject. But there's no doubting her commitment to the music, or the poetry that imbues everything that she does with it. Ultimately, if you let her carry you along, you'll be captivated. --David Hurwitz