Schumann solo piano music

[Atriod]

Found my all time favorite of Kreisleriana thanks to Mark Ainley. I have Brand's APR and Palexa albums where the Kreisleriana on them is quite good however I greatly prefer the performance on this studio recording. If I heard it blind without knowing who the pianist was I would have thought it's Claudio Arrau; the quality of this recording really shows off Natan Brand's round/rich tone and like Arrau is played with the perfect amount of sensitivity and brio when called for. I guess Horowitz's recordings are the most famous and might have even been the first I heard but I never loved the work when I heard him. The balance between "very slowly/intimate" and lively pieces lacks contrast with Horowitz.

[Mandryka]

Found my all time favorite of Kreisleriana thanks to Mark Ainley. I have Brand's APR and Palexa albums where the Kreisleriana on them is quite good however I greatly prefer the performance on this studio recording. If I heard it blind without knowing who the pianist was I would have thought it's Claudio Arrau; the quality of this recording really shows off Natan Brand's round/rich tone and like Arrau is played with the perfect amount of sensitivity and brio when called for. I guess Horowitz's recordings are the most famous and might have even been the first I heard but I never loved the work when I heard him. The balance between "very slowly/intimate" and lively pieces lacks contrast with Horowitz.

It's not just the sound that's so much better than the two live Kreislerianas, I think the performance is more thoughtful, in some sense more mature.  In a way that's not surprising I guess - you sound ideas out in concert and put your considered view down in the studio.

Thanks for reminding me of these recordings by the way, I hadn't heard them in a very long time.

[Mandryka]

Really enjoying op 118/2 here - not "great" music, but somehow rather agreeable

[Atriod]

It's not just the sound that's so much better than the two live Kreislerianas, I think the performance is more thoughtful, in some sense more mature.  In a way that's not surprising I guess - you sound ideas out in concert and put your considered view down in the studio.

Thanks for reminding me of these recordings by the way, I hadn't heard them in a very long time.

I don't like the studio recording more because of the recording the quality, on the studio Kreisleriana comes across as better balanced between the two styles of pieces.

I have been meaning to revisit all the pieces you suggested in the Schumann composer thread, every time we leave I forget to take the Eric Le Sage box with me. I need to solve this, maybe with Roon Arc or some other file sharing method that won't compromise our network.

[Leo K.]

Wow, the Peter Frankl complete Schumann (Menuetto Classics) piano works are a revelation to my ears, I am loving this set! Nice dark sound, gothic at times. So much character!