Schubert composed his Arpeggione Sonata in November 1824, inspired by the novelty of the newly invented instrument.
The album's cover photo, taken on an isolated road in Iceland, was chosen for its imagery of metamorphosis from darkness into light.
Franz Schubert contracted syphilis at age 26, which he knew to be a death sentence, leading to a period of despair and physical suffering.
Schubert's Sonata D. 821 was originally written for the arpeggione, a bowed, guitar-like instrument with frets and six strings, invented around 1823.
Schubert wrote in his journal in March 1824 that his musical creations were a product of his understanding of music and his sorrows.
Cellist Matt Haimovitz made his debut at age 13 with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic, and his first recording at 17 for Deutsche Grammophon.
The Miró Quartet, formed in 1995, is named after the Spanish surrealist artist Joan Miró, whose works draw from memory and imaginative fantasy.
