Robert Schumann Piano Music sets

Started by Ratliff, March 04, 2020, 09:56:33 AM

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Ratliff


The question at hand, Le Sage or Demus, for a complete set of Schumann Piano music recordings. I love my Kempff, my Pollini; I like my Perahia, my Uchida. But if I want to hear it all, which do I choose?

Florestan

Quote from: Baron Scarpia on March 04, 2020, 09:56:33 AM
The question at hand, Le Sage or Demus, for a complete set of Schumann Piano music recordings. I love my Kempff, my Pollini; I like my Perahia, my Uchida. But if I want to hear it all, which do I choose?

With Le Sage you have better sound and not only the complete solo piano music but also the complete chamber music with piano. Looks like a no-brainer to me (Fwiw, I have them both).
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

North Star

I'd probably go with Ciocarlie, but I've only heard about a third of it and none of Demus.

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Ratliff

Thanks to all for the replies. Now I seem to remember a fairly lively discussion of Ciocarlie here some time ago.

j winter

The postman literally just delivered the Demus box yesterday, so I have no comment as of yet.  I chose it after greatly enjoying his Bach WTC... similar to you, I have partial Schumann sets from Kempff and Ashkenazy, and lots of superb single discs from Rubinstein, Richter, Arrau, etc..  But I like the idea of having everything by one pianist as a reference, and the price for Demus was certainly right....
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.

-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

JBS

I don't have Le Sage or Ciocarlie. I have Demus and the Brilliant multi pianist box. Demus is very good. The Brilliant set is fairly good, but not worth the price Amazon MP thinks it's worth. [$898!  And $75 for the set with a different cover.]

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

amw

The Claves multi-pianist set featuring Cédric Pescia, Finghin Collins and a few other people is also definitely a contender in terms of quality, but not necessarily price (and also not complete yet I don't think).

Ratliff

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I've decided to give Le Sage a try, taking into account comments on performance quality, recording quality, convenience, price, etc. The bottom line is that I am not seeking to find revelatory recordings of pieces I already love, but to satisfy my curiosity about the pieces that rarely get recorded or performed. What is missing from them? I have come to hold Schumann in high enough regard that I want to know.

SonicMan46

Now listening to selective discs from the two boxes in my collection, i.e. Le Sage and Ciocarlie - I enjoy both performances and hard to pick one to eliminated if I wanted to - BUT just saw a new box w/ Florian Uhlig (with even more discs!) - any comments on this new set?  Dave

P.S. note Uhlig is not cheap, $60+ USD on Amazon (similar on JPC & $100 at Presto).

   

Todd

Quote from: SonicMan46 on March 03, 2024, 10:09:54 AMP.S. note Uhlig is not cheap, $60+ USD on Amazon (similar on JPC & $100 at Presto).

Uhlig can be had for under $20 as a download from Qobuz: https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/r-schumann-complete-works-for-piano-florian-uhlig-deutsche-radio-philharmonie-saarbrucken-kaiserslautern-christoph-poppen/bcyjatkvsqmpb

I've finished around eleven discs, and so far it's meh.  Ciocarlie remains my favorite complete set.  I own the three pictured sets and also used to own the Demus.  Schumann does not seem to benefit from complete sets.  Even Chopin fares better that way.  For a while, it seemed like Maurizio Baglini was on his way to a complete Schumann set, and perhaps he is, but for now it has stalled.  He could prove to be an exception and seems poised to deliver a fine complete set if he so chooses.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Mandryka

The main point of a complete set is for the non-warhorse music. I mean, we're not short of fabulous Symphonic Etudes or Fantasiestucke.

I listened to Le Sage playing the three op 118 sonatas recently, I really enjoyed it.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Todd

Quote from: Mandryka on March 03, 2024, 11:05:44 AMThe main point of a complete set is for the non-warhorse music.

Not really.  For instance, people can buy Uhlig's individual discs if they so choose, and other lesser works are available here and there.  The purpose of complete sets is to offer all the music in a survey context, and Ciocarlie does that best.  Nowadays, one need not buy anything to hear Schumann's lesser works if that's the goal.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Mandryka

Quote from: Todd on March 03, 2024, 11:12:45 AMNot really.  For instance, people can buy Uhlig's individual discs if they so choose, and other lesser works are available here and there.  The purpose of complete sets is to offer all the music in a survey context, and Ciocarlie does that best.  Nowadays, one need not buy anything to hear Schumann's lesser works if that's the goal.

Actually it was you who put the thought into my head!

Quote from: Todd on February 29, 2024, 04:44:19 AM

Wrapping up a first listen of the whole set.  The more famous works sound good, but as with other comprehensive surveys, even with something like Schubert's piano sonatas, the value in this set is to be found in the lesser known works.


Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Brian

This inspires the (very much off-topic) question of whether there were works in that Albeniz box that stuck out as "finds" or deserving additions to the handful of frequently-performed mature stuff. I remember being positively impressed by Sonata No. 4's cheery optimism, for instance.

Todd

Quote from: Mandryka on March 03, 2024, 11:38:50 AMActually it was you who put the thought into my head!

Different composers, different music, differing levels of greatness.  Schumann wrote many masterpieces for piano, starting with Op 2.  However, a decent chunk of the piano music is not particularly compelling, nor was it even meant to be.  Schumann was very uneven.  For a cycle to succeed, the pianist must nail some of the bigger works.  Albeniz wrote one universally recognized masterpiece, and a handful of other great or near-great works, and then a lot of music which almost no one performs or records, hence the greater relative value in the lesser works.  Schubert wrote a lot of average/above-average sonatas before D664, when he then started writing only masterpieces.  His lesser works are well represented in the catalog, and more recordings allows their relative quality to become better appreciated.  So, apples and apricots.


Quote from: Brian on March 03, 2024, 11:46:05 AMThis inspires the (very much off-topic) question of whether there were works in that Albeniz box that stuck out as "finds" or deserving additions to the handful of frequently-performed mature stuff. I remember being positively impressed by Sonata No. 4's cheery optimism, for instance.

No large works stand out, but some one-off miniatures do.  Rapsodia Cubana, Azulejos, and the T114 Berceuse would all make for fantastic encores.  Sanchez, Block, and Larrocha covered enough Albeniz between them that all the best works are recorded.  Really, the Sanchez threefer offers the best one-shot survey of Albeniz out there.   
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya