Schubert Piano Recordings

[SonicMan46]

Here's another PI performance of the Impromptus and the Moment musicaux. Melvyn Tan plays. Has anyone had a listen?

Navneeth - I've decided to keep the Lambert Orkis set despite my lesser enthusiasm for the second disc - but would be quite curious about he performance mentioned in your post - would like to hear from those who may own this set; I just don't trust listening to short snippets of recordings on websites - so, please any comments on Tan? Dave 

[Scarpia]

Have gotten most of the way through Uchida's recordings of the Schubert Piano works and I must say I am not pleased.  I mainly know these works through Pollini's recording of the final three sonatas, which I find spectacular (particularly 958, 959).  The Uchida recordings left me unimpressed with Schubert's Art, until I reached these late sonatas and find the performances similarly unengaging.   If I can manage to sell it I will replace it with Zacharias, or Kempff.

Note added, I just noticed that reviewers on Amazon report that the Zacharias set has the wrong content on several of the discs in the set (despite the fact the labels on the disc indicate they belong in the set).  Score another one for EMI (Every Mistake Imaginable).

[kishnevi]

Have gotten most of the way through Uchida's recordings of the Schubert Piano works and I must say I am not pleased.  I mainly know these works through Pollini's recording of the final three sonatas, which I find spectacular (particularly 958, 959).  The Uchida recordings left me unimpressed with Schubert's Art, until I reached these late sonatas and find the performances similarly unengaging.   If I can manage to sell it I will replace it with Zacharias, or Kempff.

Note added, I just noticed that reviewers on Amazon report that the Zacharias set has the wrong content on several of the discs in the set (despite the fact the labels on the disc indicate they belong in the set).  Score another one for EMI (Every Mistake Imaginable).

I don't know if he did a complete cycle of the Schubert sonatas, but I like this one by Brendel--they are live recordings, btw

[Drasko]

Alexei Lubimov has new recording of Impromptus on Zig Zag. HIP I believe. Clips sound somewhat interesting.

http://www.zigzag-territoires.com/article.php3?id_article=2557&lang=fr

[Verena]

Have gotten most of the way through Uchida's recordings of the Schubert Piano works and I must say I am not pleased.

Neither was I. Some of the most uninspiring Schubert recordings I have listened to.

..  If I can manage to sell it I will replace it with Zacharias, or Kempff

Kempff is, along with Sokolov, my favorite Schubert interpreter. Very lyrical, songful interpretations. Kempff does have technical limations, though, which show in more challenging movements. My favorite Kempff CD and perhaps my favorite Schubert piano CD is the DG two-fer containing the D 960, impromptus and moments musicaux.

[Gurn Blanston]

Alexei Lubimov has new recording of Impromptus on Zig Zag. HIP I believe. Clips sound somewhat interesting.

http://www.zigzag-territoires.com/article.php3?id_article=2557&lang=fr

Thanks for the tip. I will have this disk, looks very nice. I like Lubimov in Beethoven and Mozart, let's see how his Schubert works.



----------------
Listening to:
Andreas Staier - Dussek Op 65 Sonata in Ab Return to Paris 2nd mvmt - Molto adagio con anima ed espressivo

[Scarpia]

I don't know if he did a complete cycle of the Schubert sonatas, but I like this one by Brendel--they are live recordings, btw

Do they include applause?

I have a studio cycle from Brendel on Philips, only available on German Eloquence, although there is a 2-fer of late sonatas on Philips.

[Holden]

Placed a small order this morning for late Schubert sonatas which may get your approval:
Unfortunately as Bunny would say these were a bit molto caro....

 

This is where Perahia really shines in Schubert.




and here you can have Lupu as well.

[kishnevi]

Do they include applause?

I have a studio cycle from Brendel on Philips, only available on German Eloquence, although there is a 2-fer of late sonatas on Philips.

There is certainly some venue noise and applause, but fairly limited.

The first two sonatas on the set were recorded at the Salzburg Festival  1984 by ORF; the rest were recorded in Frankfurt (1998), The Maltings (1999), and London (1997)--at least one of the last two by the BBC.

If you have the full cycle, then you probably don't need to hurry and grab this one, although apparently Brendel (to go by the very measured mini essay that is part of the liner notes) picked concert recordings that he considered superior to, or which gave alternative readings from, his studio releases.

[George]

The first two sonatas on the set were recorded at the Salzburg Festival  1984 by ORF; the rest were recorded in Frankfurt (1998), The Maltings (1999), and London (1997)--at least one of the last two by the BBC.

That Maltings 1999 D 959 is excellent!

[Todd]

My latest adventure in Schubert sets is Georges Pludermacher's "complete" cycle recorded live in 2001 and 2002 for Transart Live.  A couple things set this cycle apart from others.  First is that Pludermacher plays a completed version of D840.  Pludermacher himself completed the work based on existing sketches.  Second, as with his Beethoven cycle, Pludermacher uses a modified Steinway with a fourth, "harmonic" pedal. 

Overall, this is an enjoyable set.  Pludermacher's approach is somewhat cold, analytical, and detached, making him somewhat like Kuerti, Brendel, or Zechlin.  This impression is reinforced by the somewhat thin, metallic sounding piano.  Pludermacher is most at home in some of the more challenging pieces.  His D850, for instance, is riveting.  He also, somewhat counterintuitively, sounds at home in some of the earlier sonatas.  His D568 is among the more enjoyable I've heard, for instance.  And if he misses the depths of, say, D960, he makes up for it in clarity, control, and superb pianism.  The completed D840 is interesting.  The two traditional movements are very well executed, but hearing two more is odd.  The last two movements don't really seem to blend with the first two, the last movement especially.  (That's the one that Pludermacher had to do more work on from what I gather.)  It's an interesting exercise, but hardly essential.

The modified piano, which was better deployed in the LvB cycle, doesn't really seem to add much here.  A few times throughout the cycle the additional sustain sounds intriguing, but again, it's hardly essential.  This set does not match up to my big three in complete or near-complete cycles (Kempff, Endres, and Zacharias), but it offers unique insights and unique sounds and superb piano playing. 

[Mandryka]

Can someone recommend a good  D784? It's my favourite Schubert sonata.

I have Zhukov (I like it, despite the majestic style), Gilels (it's very good really, but a bit unspontaneous in the long first movement) Sofronitsky on Vista Vera (bad sound) and a couple of Brendels (Perfectly OK)

There are so many performances out there that I suspect I have missed something special.

[George]

Can someone recommend a good  D784? It's my favourite Schubert sonata.

Richter's Schubert D 784

Tokyo 7 February 1979 (Regis) – This recording is one of two live performances available by the pianist. The other, recorded in London, would come 7 weeks later. The Regis reissue that I have sounds excellent, with a full, yet slightly veiled piano tone that benefited from a bit of added treble on my stereo. Richter played the first movement in a dramatic style, with sharp dynamic contrasts, bold crescendos and mysteriously beautiful quiet passages. Audience noise was not an obstacle to my enjoyment. In fact, I barely noticed them. The central movement was played with a reflective tenderness that acted as a perfect contrast to the first movement's tension. The finale brought a sense of playfulness and joy to the performance. This is one of those memorable, extra special Schubert Richter performances.

Amazon Link

[Todd]

I've read some good things about Michel Dalberto's Schubert over the past several years, so I figured I might as well sample some.  Or rather all of it.  (Well, all of the Denon recordings at any rate.)  Mr Dalberto is one of those very few enterprising pianists who undertook to record all or nearly all of the piano music.  The recordings in the set span fourteen discs in the most recent Brilliant Classics box, and were available previously on Denon, though the recordings are apparently owned by a company called Union Square Music, Ltd, so who knows, this may end up reissued again at some point.  While I wouldn't be surprised if there are other pianists I do not know about who've also recorded this much of Schubert's piano music, the only pianist who readily comes to mind is Michael Endres, who has recorded almost everything, with only the Moments Musicaux (and perhaps a few smaller pieces) not committed to disc yet.  But this is about Dalberto's set.

It's a fine set.  Not that things start out perfectly.  Disc one starts with less than perfect recordings of D845 and D157.  The playing is technically very fine, the sound most appealing, if perhaps a bit bass-shy and upper register tilted but certainly dynamically wide ranging, but Dalberto plays around with tempi in some unusual ways.  It's usually subtle, but it's undeniable.  Anyway, after that it's largely smooth sailing.  Throughout, his approach focuses more on a lyrical, singing approach rather than a more aggressive or spiritual or metaphysical approach.  The major works up to the late sonatas are all quite good, with D850 and D894 standouts.  Like Pludermacher, Dalberto plays a "complete" D840, and in many ways he is more successful, especially in the scherzo.  The other major works (Impromptus, Moments Musicaux, Wandererfantasie) are all quite well done, and the various dances, miniatures, and collections of miniatures are also quite well done.  Only in the last sonatas does Dalberto suffer in comparison to some Big Names, but I expected as much.

So, all things considered, I do rather enjoy this set and am glad I bought it.  Of course, to my ears Michael Endres' nearly as extensive Schubert recordings are better yet.  Very good stuff.

[mjwal]

Mandryka wrote

Can someone recommend a good  D784? It's my favourite Schubert sonata.

Apart from the Richter mentioned above - marmoreally dramatic, if that makes sense - I have somehow acquired the recording by Joao Pires (I didn't buy it) - she plays it for plangent sonority and a sense of the gaps betwen the notes, almost hesitatingly, rather mysterious; the feeling of progression is rather lacking, or more exactly, it is a painful progression, as John Berryman suggested in his Dream Song 258* . Then there is the Solomon, which I haven't listened to in yonks but is self-evidently worth a listen.
*"...:that was like a man
dragged by his balls,singing aloud 'Oh yes'
while to his anguisht glance
the architecture differs"

[Todd]

I've listened to Andrea Lucchesini's most recent recording, of Schubert's Impromptus, a few times now, and must say it's quite something.  As is always the case with this pianist, the piano tone is warm and beautiful, the playing lyrical and smooth.  Lucchesini takes his time with these pieces, too.  The C minor comes in at just over eleven minutes, the longest I've heard.  Rather than sounding bloated or dull, it sounds dark and beautiful.  The F minor and D935 B flat are taken slowly, though here the tempi aren't as comparatively slow.  (Zimerman takes about as much time, for instance.)  The smaller works are taken at a nice, zippier pace and demonstrate Lucchesini's effortlessly lyrical playing to good effect.  Lucchesini's Schubert is definitely more about beauty than angst, making him more like Kempff or Endres than, say, Kovacevich, but that's quite alright.  He still infuses enough darkness where needed.  I kind of hope he records a bit more Schubert.

Sound is close, but otherwise SOTA. 

[Franco]

I've got a set of all the Schubert keyboard sonatas by John Damgaard - mine is an older edition, but a re-issue came out in 2006. 

His name does not come up much but I consider the playing to be very good.  Have you heard his recordings?  If so, what do you think?

[Todd]

Have you heard his recordings?  If so, what do you think?

The only thing I've heard by John Damgaard is his Ravel, which I found leaden and dull.  Schubert, of course, is a totally different composer, and may be a better indication of what Damgaard is all about.  May be an interesting thing to hear.

[Gurn Blanston]

Earlier in this thread, the subject of period instrument versions came up. This had piqued my interest at the time, and I've been since searching for the Holy Grail of PI Schubert sets. So, I finally have it:

3 disk set


Volume 1 is a 3 disk set, the rest are singles for a total of 9 disks. I haven't had a lot of Schubert full cycles before (only Uchida and a whole lot of single disks) so I don't know how some of them may be laid out, but this is the only one I've seen that has all of the 'manufactured' sonatas, that is, the ones made from sonata movements that are in the right key and tempo to have gone together, but the manuscripts don't indicate whether they actually did. In any case, it is the full total of 20 sonatas, so there is some music here that I haven't heard before.

Badura-Skoda is at his best here, if you have his Mozart and Beethoven you know what I mean. There are few players on the fortepiano who could best him, and here he uses a variety of pianos, including several different Grafs and reproductions. Some of them have Turkish pedals that produce some truly remarkable sounds. Altogether an interesting experience.

[SonicMan46]

Earlier in this thread, the subject of period instrument versions came up. This had piqued my interest at the time, and I've been since searching for the Holy Grail of PI Schubert sets. So, I finally have it:

   


Badura-Skoda is at his best here, if you have his Mozart and Beethoven you know what I mean. There are few players on the fortepiano who could best him, and here he uses a variety of pianos, including several different Grafs and reproductions. Some of them have Turkish pedals that produce some truly remarkable sounds. Altogether an interesting experience.

Hello Gurn - those are some superb period recordings!  I was able to pick up the three 3-disc sets (images above) earlier this year for $22 each, so about $7 per CD - purchased directly from Allegro Music (Arcana's USA distributor) - please w/ the price and the performances; posted a number of times in the 'listening thread' but received little (if any) response - Dave