Schubert - Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat major, D. 960 (PDF Sheet Music / Digital Download)

Franz Schubert’s Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat major, D. 960, is widely regarded as his ultimate masterpiece for the keyboard and one of the most profound works in the entire Western canon. Completed in September 1828—just two months before his death—the sonata feels less like a final struggle and more like a serene farewell to the world. It is characterized by its expansive proportions, lyrical wandering, and a sense of "heavenly length." The first movement is famous for its ethereal opening theme, which is periodically interrupted by a low, trilling G-flat in the bass—a haunting gesture that many listeners interpret as the distant knocking of death or a reminder of the abyss beneath the music's calm surface.

This edition is a reissue of music originally published by Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig.