Topic: Davidsbundlertanze

[Mandryka]

Also here's a short list of preferences from me

Top 5
Anda (either one, slight preference for DG)
Kempff/EMI (not DG)
Pollini (either one)
Ugorski
Zacharias

Other recommendations
Arrau
Biss/Wigmore Hall Live
Ciani
Collard
Cortot
Haefliger
Hough
Uchida
Zhu

Surprised not to see Gieseking in this list.  Did you ever hear Stephen Osborne?

[vers la flamme]

The Romantic Generation is overall more difficult than The classical style, I'd say. But it is very different in such that it has almost nontechnical chapters that are closer to general cultural history (Mountains and Song cycles)  and some very technical ones (on Chopin etudes or so). So as a layman one can skip (most of) the latter ones and still profit from the earlier ones whereas in The classical style one tends to need scores and a pretty good familiarity with the respective pieces to follow the argument at all.

Thanks for the warning! I find The Classical Style a bit of a challenging read due to the density of technical and theoretical discussion, and I was suspecting no less from The Romantic Generation. I read through the "Mountains and Song Cycles" chapter this morning and found it fascinating. I hope to track down the book and read it in full eventually.

[Ratliff]

Maybe I just haven't heard the right recordings, but for some reason I don't put Davidsbündlertänze in anywhere near the same category as, say, Carnaval or Kreisleriana. It just doesn't seem to be as coherent, or as good, as those other two works. Does anyone want to show me the light with a recording that's so good, I won't be able to deny its greatness? 

For what it's worth, the ones I've heard include Perahia, Hewitt, and Zacharias.

For Schumann the foundation of my collection is Kempff and Pollini, although there are others I like a lot, such as Perhia and Egorov, who have been more recent discoveries.

[vers la flamme]

For Schumann the foundation of my collection is Kempff and Pollini, although there are others I like a lot, such as Perhia and Egorov, who have been more recent discoveries.

Pollini, eh? I have his C major Fantasy and don't much remember it, but the Schubert Wanderer it's coupled with is damn good. I'll have to give it another listen. So he did a pretty good Davidsbundlertänze, then?

I've been thinking of picking up that Kempff 4CD, as I love his pianism, but I'm not sure whether I would find it well-suited to my personal tastes in Schumann.

[Ratliff]

Pollini, eh? I have his C major Fantasy and don't much remember it, but the Schubert Wanderer it's coupled with is damn good. I'll have to give it another listen. So he did a pretty good Davidsbundlertänze, then?

I've been thinking of picking up that Kempff 4CD, as I love his pianism, but I'm not sure whether I would find it well-suited to my personal tastes in Schumann.

I feel like we've been down this road before, maybe on another web site. Kempff's Papillons was the recording that opened my eyes to Schumann. After that I've never heard a Kempff Schumann recording that didn't impress me.

After listening to a Richter recording of Papillons I spent 10 years thinking I hated Schumann. I later discovered I hate Richter.

[amw]

Wow, what a resource—thanks! I intend to buy this book sometime, it actually looks like somewhat of an easier read than Rosen's companion book The Classical Style, which I have but have not yet been able to make my way through it. I'll have to check out Anda, if I can find it. As for Kempff, how do you feel about his DG recording? I have been vaguely considering that Kempff/Schumann box set.

I remember not being especially impressed with Kempff on DG (used to have MP3s of that box) but no longer remember why. I'll revisit it and see what I think now.

Surprised not to see Gieseking in this list.  Did you ever hear Stephen Osborne?

I do not remember what I thought of Gieseking (believe there's only the one recording...) although I have presumably listened to it at some point. I will also get back to you with my thoughts on the Osborne, which I believe you sent me a while back—have listened to it 3 times apparently, most recently in November, but did not take any notes.

Thanks for the warning! I find The Classical Style a bit of a challenging read due to the density of technical and theoretical discussion, and I was suspecting no less from The Romantic Generation. I read through the "Mountains and Song Cycles" chapter this morning and found it fascinating. I hope to track down the book and read it in full eventually.

If you have institutional access, you can read it online here: https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/cn69m447c

If you don't, it may be worth buying, or there may be a full PDF available from somewhere. Unfortunately I suspect sharing the entire book on my dropbox would get my account suspended.

[Florestan]

If you have institutional access, you can read it online here: https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/cn69m447c

If you don't, it may be worth buying, or there may be a full PDF available from somewhere. Unfortunately I suspect sharing the entire book on my dropbox would get my account suspended.

https://epdf.pub/the-romantic-generation-charles-eliot-norton-lectures.html

[vers la flamme]

I feel like we've been down this road before, maybe on another web site. Kempff's Papillons was the recording that opened my eyes to Schumann. After that I've never heard a Kempff Schumann recording that didn't impress me.

After listening to a Richter recording of Papillons I spent 10 years thinking I hated Schumann. I later discovered I hate Richter.

Oh yes, I do remember talking to you about this, and being amazed at your hatred of Richter's Schumann, which I adore. I remember you preferring Argerich, no? Well, I adore her Schumann likewise, so we can agree there at least.

[vers la flamme]

I remember not being especially impressed with Kempff on DG (used to have MP3s of that box) but no longer remember why. I'll revisit it and see what I think now.
I do not remember what I thought of Gieseking (believe there's only the one recording...) although I have presumably listened to it at some point. I will also get back to you with my thoughts on the Osborne, which I believe you sent me a while back—have listened to it 3 times apparently, most recently in November, but did not take any notes.
If you have institutional access, you can read it online here: https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/cn69m447c

If you don't, it may be worth buying, or there may be a full PDF available from somewhere. Unfortunately I suspect sharing the entire book on my dropbox would get my account suspended.

I don't at all mind buying the book. I'd prefer to read it in print vs screen anyway.

[Brian]

Thank you, amw - I just saved the big list file in case the forum crashes again soon...

And of course my computer died and won't turn on anymore  this thread is cursed

Jed Distler has a new rave review for a recording on your sheet, Marcin Fleszar on Rubicon: "Whatever led Marcin Fleszar to pair Rameau’s A minor Suite with Schumann’s Davidsbündlertanze, all I can say is that the idea is original and inspired."

[amw]

I have not listened to the Fleszar yet. I am going thru all the recordings of DBT that I personally have and assigning them a letter grade and one-sentence summary, but that will take a while (also in the middle of moving house) so don't hold your breath.