The 21th piano sonata, D. 960, by F. Schubert, was the last piano sonata he wrote. Finished, toghether with the other two late sonatas, in 1828 -the year of his death, this work was not published until 1839. Like the rest of Schubert's sonatas, they were neglected by the end of the 19th century, just to be taken into consideration again in the late 20th century. One of the reasons for this seems to be their dismissal as structurally and dramatically inferior to the sonatas of Beethoven. In fact, the last sonatas contain distinct allusions and similarities to works by Beethoven, a composer Schubert venerated, still maintaining a mature, individual style. Cyclically interconnected by diverse structural, harmonic and melodic elements, they are often regarded as a trilogy. A standard performance of D. 960 lasts 40 minutes.
