Schumann and Old Pianists

[carlos]

I was a regular user of the tramway in Buenos Aires...
but it was cancelled nearly 35 years ago 

[m_gigena]

check here.

[Holden]

I am also prefer my Schumann from the older generation and would recommend the following:

Etudes Symphoniques - Richter, Cortot, Cziffra
Fantasy Op 17 - Fiorentino, Richter and a new fave - Ciani
Carnaval Op 9 - Rachmaninov, Rubinstein, Solomon
Fassingsschwank aus Wien - Richter
Papillons - Richter
Fantasiestucke Op 12 - Rubinstein
Kreisleriana - Horowitz, Cortot
Kinderszenen - Horowitz (the simplicity of his playing is awesome)

Please remember that all of these recs are of pianists who have passed on.

[Rabin_Fan]

Ivan Moravec - superb Schumann PC on Supraphon  - 10/10 rating on Classics Today.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

When it comes to Schumann from a generation ago my collection is fairly well represented by pianists such as: Cortot, Arrau ('47), Rachmaninoff, Cziffra, Edwin Fischer, Godowsky, Nat, Horowitz, Gieseking, Solomon...

Moving things up a generation my Schumann is also fairly well represented by pianists such as: Egorov, Andsnes, Argerich, Moravec, Richter, Vogt... 

So finding quality Schumann on disc needn't be as hard as all that. For me mixing and matching from every generation makes for easy pickings.

[rubio]

I am also prefer my Schumann from the older generation and would recommend the following:

Carnaval Op 9 - Rachmaninov, Rubinstein, Solomon

Solomon is a piano player I like a lot. Is this Carnaval from the Testament set?

[samtrb]

I am also prefer my Schumann from the older generation and would recommend the following:

Etudes Symphoniques - Richter, Cortot, Cziffra
Fantasy Op 17 - Fiorentino, Richter and a new fave - Ciani
Carnaval Op 9 - Rachmaninov, Rubinstein, Solomon
Fassingsschwank aus Wien - Richter
Papillons - Richter
Fantasiestucke Op 12 - Rubinstein
Kreisleriana - Horowitz, Cortot
Kinderszenen - Horowitz (the simplicity of his playing is awesome)

Please remember that all of these recs are of pianists who have passed on.

Papillons - Richer, too bad that the live performance is a bit noisy
i would add Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli for Fassingsschwank aus Wien and Carnaval Op 9

[mjwal]

I can only agree about the Davidsbündlertänze - it's my favourite Schumann, too. When I was younger I thought I was a freak because it seemed to be totally ignored by pianists & critics but I loved it to death because of a distorted recording on a cheapo lable, Saga, by Walter Gieseking. I have a better transcription of that performance & it's still my favourite. Cortot's is subtle & fine but Gieseking is transcendently passionate & innig. I'm sure it's been reissued lately. It's also worth listening to Fanny Davies (on Pearl) in this, because she was a Clara Schumann pupil, which is as old as you get!
By the way, to pronounce, just say Dahveedsbeundlertentseh, stress on the "veed", the "eu" one sound like the French "u" with pursed lips.

[Holden]

Solomon is a piano player I like a lot. Is this Carnaval from the Testament set?

Yes, this is the one I'm talking about which I originally had on LP coupled with the Waldstein. Because this was my first Carnaval I'm very fond of it but On recent listening it still compares very well with the others I mentioned.

[George]

I can only agree about the Davidsbündlertänze - it's my favourite Schumann, too. When I was younger I thought I was a freak because it seemed to be totally ignored by pianists & critics but I loved it to death because of a distorted recording on a cheapo lable, Saga, by Walter Gieseking.

It's also here for a pittance:

http://www.classicalmusicmobile.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=58&products_id=635

Does this sound better or worse than yours?

[mjwal]

"Does this sound better or worse than yours?"
It's a very short extract, Holden, & I haven't got good reproduction with the computer, but it sounds more or less the same - perhaps MP3 has leached out some of the warmth, I can't really tell. There's a bunch of G's Schumann from the 40s, 2 CDs from Archipel, I think - difficult to see on Amazon.fr. They are wonderful performances - I have them from another source. For a quid, the DBT looks like a no-brainer - except you'll want the others.

[George]

"Does this sound better or worse than yours?"
It's a very short extract, Holden, & I haven't got good reproduction with the computer, but it sounds more or less the same - perhaps MP3 has leached out some of the warmth, I can't really tell. There's a bunch of G's Schumann from the 40s, 2 CDs from Archipel, I think - difficult to see on Amazon.fr. They are wonderful performances - I have them from another source. For a quid, the DBT looks like a no-brainer - except you'll want the others.

Thanks, my name is George though. 

[ezodisy]

On Youtube I came across a track from Maria Tipo's Symphonic Etudes. Can anyone tell me if this has been released on CD? I can't find it anywhere.

The Youtube posts compare particular pianists in one piece from the work

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KW_cDgXv3NY&feature=related

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fsDf_pEzMU4&feature=related

[helios]

Another vote for Michelangeli's Faschingsschwank... superb! 

[Timmyb]

I love Kempff's understated way with Schumann.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgHf3xu8ElI

[ezodisy]

I love Kempff's understated way with Schumann.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgHf3xu8ElI

where are the thematic and emotional contrasts? 

[orbital]

where are the thematic and emotional contrasts? 

Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgcm-6gWAJI

[Herman]

A  more curious question for me is how come there are so few recordings of Davidsbundlertanze 

Absolutely. Whenever it's about Schumann, everyone is talking about Carnaval or Kreisleriana. Late this summer someone told me she's playing Davidsbundlertanze on the piano, and I was just awestruck.

Michel, in case you're still there, you should also keep an eye out for Gieseking.

[Josquin des Prez]

Yves Nat is the most under-rated Schumann interpreter, and one of the best around. His recordings are old too. Odd indeed.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Yves Nat is the most under-rated Schumann interpreter, and one of the best around. His recordings are old too. Odd indeed.

Yes, Nat is fabulous.

I don't have a great deal of his Schumann - Fantasiestücke, Kinderszenen, and Faschingsschwank aus Wien only - but it's exceptional.