Lepidopterology

[Florestan]

Robert Schumann is the archetypal romantic composer.  No one, not Berlioz, not Chopin, not Wagner, not even Liszt quite matches him.  (Well, maybe Liszt.)  He couldn't be bothered with constraining himself with tired old forms,

And yet he wrote 4 symphonies, 3 string quartets, 3 piano trios and 3 violin sonatas --- more than Berlioz, Chopin, Wagner and Liszt taken together ever if at all wrote in those genres.

[Todd]

And yet he wrote 4 symphonies, 3 string quartets, 3 piano trios and 3 violin sonatas --- more than Berlioz, Chopin, Wagner and Liszt taken together ever if at all wrote in those genres.

[Todd]

Varduhi Yeritsyan, she of enjoyable Scriabin sonatas, and presented in well recorded sound presenting a big ol' beefy sound, starts off with a standard introduction and moves into a rhythmically solid, bright first waltz.  The second waltz sounds pretty nifty, but perhaps too low register rich.  The Pomposo benefits from this, but the first Polonaise does not, and here, too, the somewhat low energy playing starts to detract, not least because it is not accompanied by something to offset it, like, say, extraordinary or even notable tonal luxuriance.  The whole thing sort of bops along decently enough, but never catches fire.  C tier.

[Todd]

Whenever a pianistic pick-me-up is needed, Vladimir Ashkenazy is as reliable as they come.  Even if his interpretation is not the best, his playing as playing usually is pretty darn tootin'.  So it goes here.  In addition to being reliably polished technically, Ashkenazy rarely offers highly individualized or idiosyncratic interpretations.  Here, that translates into a large-scaled take, complete with flawless and wide dynamic control, spiffy rhythm, moments of tender beauty, and a clear demarcation between Florestan and Eusebius.  It's not bold interpretively, but for what it offers, it works.  B tier.

[Todd]

Philippe Bianconi starts with judicious tempi and a big, bold sound.  Also, from the first waltz, his rhythmic acumen stands out, and that's something that becomes more evident in the larger scaled dances.  To be sure, it's not really dancy, it's rather just plain effective.  The clear fingerwork and color just serve to draw the listener in as each piece proceeds.  The Eusebius playing, when Bianconi decides to make his instrument sing and serenade is filled with delights.  But the harder hitting music really just rocks, in a supremely refined way.  This recording marries refinement and impact in a near perfect blend.  A tier.

[Todd]

The worst recorded sound in the group cannot mask Vladimir Sofronitsky's mastery of Schumann.  Whether playing bold and loud, or quiet and nuanced, Sofronitsky effortlessly navigates the music.  A big, bold Pomposo waltz hits the spot, while hushed, singing playing in, say, the Semplice waltz, hits the spot just as assuredly.  Rhythmic acuity is top flight, but in an at times exaggerated, theatrical manner.   Dynamic contrasts, at least in a macro sense, are likewise top flight.  (The sound quality prevents appreciation for finer nuances.)  The nearly strummed arpeggios in the Allegro con brio border on making the listener giddy.  This is a large concert hall take, and it's a corker.  S tier.

[Todd]

There's no better way to end the survey than with three Billy K recordings.  Stripped to the bone in terms of repeats, Kempff's mono recording brings the work in at a super-lean 12'21", and given the smallish mono sound for the era, the entire work flits along start to finish.  Voicing is clear and no-nonsense, but also has enough whimsy to evoke fancy folk in the Old World enjoying a fancy dance party.  In the quietest music, one gets the sense of Schumann's pure romanticism, with some of the playing coming off as a gentle serenade with a dance rhythm.  In the Vivo, Kempff revs up, though, adding some nice contrast.  The finale has a fine valedictory feel, and sort of just glides to a becalmed ending.  A tier.

[Brian]

Sorry, wait, you're ending the survey without Casadesus?

[Todd]

Sorry, wait, you're ending the survey without Casadesus?

It will have to be tacked on as an addendum, yielding a slightly unsatisfying 41 versions.  I revisited my ripped collection, and the reason it was excluded initially is that it was misspelled when ripped, so it evaded my rigorous Ctrl+F search methodology.  It's paired with Dichterliebe and the Fantasie in the long box.

[Brian]

The more recent box has a live recording from Amsterdam in March 1960, a live program that also included Chopin's four ballades and the Fantasie. So you could get to 42.

[Todd]

Kempff's stereo recording sounds tonally rich thanks to some beefy lower registers, while the highest registers have a bright, crisp sound, in a pianistic equivalent of the boom-tizz design of bookshelf loudspeakers.  As is Kempff's wont, even in a studio setting, Schumann's music comes off as whimsical and freewheeling, though not as much as his live BBC recording.  Indeed, while each short movement has a sense of freedom, they also sound sectionalized, and one can tell that some, many, or all of the movements are separate takes.  The dancy rhythms come off decently enough, and the dynamic range here impresses more than one typically associates with Kempff.  The finale comes off fairly dreamy but also fairly straight-ahead, in a sleight of Kempffian digits.  C tier.

[Todd]

Kempff's live recordings all have a certain something to them, a magic touch of sorts, that elevates everything.  Here, from a 1969 recital, Kempff is free as all get out and magic results.  Repeats fall away, tempo are flexible but tend toward the snappy, and a sense of dreaminess pervades all.  Sure, he imparts dancy rhythms as he should, but the music flits along.  The C Major Waltz, for instance, while remaining taut and quick, starts plucky, then bursts forth into nearly aggressive playing, then falls into a state of dreaminess, with a short burst of energy thrown in.  In ninety-six seconds, Kempff packs in all of the mercurialness of Schumann's soundworld.  The finale sounds light and unburdened by what has been while also moving into the ether of transcendental sound, while still finding room for outbursts and one giant left-hand chord.  Great stuff.  S tier.

[Todd]

The Bobby C addendum.  A poised and clean introduction segues smoothly to a rhythmically solid but not pushed first waltz.  Casadesus does not hold back in the Pomposo waltz, but he doesn't overdo it, either.  Throughout this live recording, Casadesus displays fine control, with only minor deviations from perfection, and he maintains an energetic pulse.  Perhaps his Eusebius could be dreamier, but that is it in terms of not even substantive beefs.  Indeed, this is a beefless recording.  A tier.

[Todd]

Interwebs tiering: