Schubert Piano Recordings

[Mandryka]

I completely agree. I had written off Horowitz, as I had heard mostly his late stuff. Then I happened to hear some of the early recordings from the 50s, 40s and earlier. They are excellent! I will seek out that early D 960. What year was that performance? EDIT -  I see that it is a 1953 Carnegie Hall Performance.

f=10&t=37906&sid=b3b72616d03950e87e238c0531324526]more info here.[/url]

That's the one which I thought was the worst D960 I had ever heard. Brutal. Hard driven. Relentlessly agitated and edgy. Badly recorded. Do say what you think of it when you get it.

I thought the later one on DG was slightly better.

[George]

This item seems to be included in this box which are to be released in a couple of weeks.

Thanks, but I got it another way and yes, Howie, it's poor.

[Mandryka]

In and around mn 5:26 of the Fantasia there is one of those passages that only Schubert and Beethoven were capable of and that would make death a sweet and joyful experience if those passages were played to us while we are engaged in the activity of dying...
T
he Fantasia is supposed to be a four-hand piece but in this recording the two other hands seem to belong to a ghost...

It's a two handed arrangement -- she made the arrangement herself. The best bit of the Fantasia for my money is the fugue.

Good post Toucan. It's always nice to be prompted to go back to her recordings as they are full of unusual ideas and are often very successful in their own terms.

[Leo K.]

The Uchida set remains my favorite Schubert.

I was excited when I first heard Uchida was going to record Schubert's sonatas, because personally her Mozart is revelatory, especially her conception of Mozart's Piano Concerto No.18, Rondo in A minor and Sonata in F Major K.533.  These Mozart works, under her hands, were profound meditations, which could turn towards humour or anger on a dime.  My estimation of Mozart really grew with these interpretations.

I discovered her Schubert to be just as personal, reflective and well constructed conceptually.  The tonality of the piano is well considered and her not-too-dramatic but fierce concentration add to the sublime, pastoral wandering of these works. 


My other favorite Schuberterians are Brendel, Richter, Tan, and Kempff.

[mjwal]

I have to say that I was slightly disappointed by Uchida's recorded D.960, which I found too smooth, too - moderate; I have only listened once, however - I do not know the other two last sonatas.
This winter I went to hear her playing all three last sonatas in Berlin, where I winter, and it was a revelation. D.960 came as the culmination of the set (I believe Schubert's manuscripts were labelled 1,2 and 3) - and the repeat in the first movement that had Mandryka worrying in an earlier post, with its "unmotivated" outbreak, seemed perfectly justified by the magical tension she created within the "moderate" calm of the exposition (sometimes in music you have the stillness in the eye of the tornado; this was the tornado within the stillness). This work has never left me with tears streaming from my eyes before. I so wish her live recordings of Schubert in particular would become available, by hook or by crook.

[Bogey]

Now playing:



I find this recording very warm.  Almost vinyl like, but flirting with a gray dullness that I enjoy.  Calm, quiet, and without bravado.  Enjoyable to these ears.

[Bogey]

What is the extent of Goode's output of Schubert?  Any box sets out there?

[Leo K.]

I have to say that I was slightly disappointed by Uchida's recorded D.960, which I found too smooth, too - moderate; I have only listened once, however - I do not know the other two last sonatas.
This winter I went to hear her playing all three last sonatas in Berlin, where I winter, and it was a revelation. D.960 came as the culmination of the set (I believe Schubert's manuscripts were labelled 1,2 and 3) - and the repeat in the first movement that had Mandryka worrying in an earlier post, with its "unmotivated" outbreak, seemed perfectly justified by the magical tension she created within the "moderate" calm of the exposition (sometimes in music you have the stillness in the eye of the tornado; this was the tornado within the stillness). This work has never left me with tears streaming from my eyes before. I so wish her live recordings of Schubert in particular would become available, by hook or by crook.

Thanks for sharing that!

I would LOVE to hear a live recording of her Schubert.

[Antoine Marchand]

Thanks for sharing that!

I would LOVE to hear a live recording of her Schubert.

Did you listen to some HIP interpretations, Leo? I mean Badura-Skoda, Bilson, Vermeulen... Considering your usual tastes, at least the first two are mandatory. BTW, I also love Uchida's Mozart and Schubert. I also think highly of András Schiff's set, recently re-released. 

[Leo K.]

Did you listen to some HIP interpretations, Leo? I mean Badura-Skoda, Bilson, Vermeulen... Considering your usual tastes, at least the first two are mandatory. BTW, I also love Uchida's Mozart and Schubert. I also think highly of András Schiff's set, recently re-released.

I once had two Melvyn Tan disks of Schubert's last three, but unfortunately I lost them. I really enjoyed those disks, and he remains a top favorite. I was about to replace them but instead found Vermeulen's set, and have been astounded and love the sound of the fortepiano. Someday I'll return to Tan though, if just to relive the wonderful magic of first hearing Schubert on the fortepiano.

My most recent HIP Schubert is three disks of Bilson's set, and eventually want to get his whole set. So far, I've heard his D.850 and like his rather rough, rustic abandon, at least in that work.

Sounds like Badura-Skoda is right up my alley. I have his Beethoven (fortepianos) cycle and I'm sure I'd enjoy his Schubert too!

[Bogey]

BTW, I also love Uchida's Mozart...

Yup.

[Antoine Marchand]

Yup.

No surprise, I guess, my Tatrai brother. 

[Antoine Marchand]

I once had two Melvyn Tan disks of Schubert's last three, but unfortunately I lost them. I really enjoyed those disks, and he remains a top favorite. I was about to replace them but instead found Vermeulen's set, and have been astounded and love the sound of the fortepiano. Someday I'll return to Tan though, if just to relive the wonderful magic of first hearing Schubert on the fortepiano.

My most recent HIP Schubert is three disks of Bilson's set, and eventually want to get his whole set. So far, I've heard his D.850 and like his rather rough, rustic abandon, at least in that work.

Sounds like Badura-Skoda is right up my alley. I have his Beethoven (fortepianos) cycle and I'm sure I'd enjoy his Schubert too!

I would like to listen to Tan. People usually talk quite rudely about him, but your support make me curious.

[Bogey]

No surprise, I guess, my Tatrai brother. 

Angelic....cool that the Tatrai worked out for you.  Shows you openess to different interps.  Lovin' the music, not the player.

[Scion7]

Got this one - no excusing the cover.    

Gramophone was lukewarm about it - saying he took much of them too fast.

[Bogey]

Got this one - no excusing the cover.    

Gramophone was lukewarm about it - saying he took much of them too fast.

They should of used your avatar for the cover....not relevant, but at least it would have been stinkin' cool.

[Leo K.]

Bogey,

You mentioned Goode's Schubert, and that brought back a memory of hearing his D.960, as that was my first hearing of that work! I'd like to track down that recording too, along with Tan's disk, seeing how cheap they are on Amazon

In the meantime, I'm just discovering Schnabel's Schubert, I have sampled around his recordings and feel I'm going to love these recordings

[liuzerus87]

Reviving an old thread:

Based on the recommendations in this thread, I went ahead and ordered (what Myriam Scherchen at Tahra says was their last copy of) Erdmann playing the D894 and 958-960:


I haven't given the whole set a run through, but from what I've heard, it's compelling stuff. He tends to be a bit on the brisk side, definitely less sentimental than what most pianists give us, but I hear intensity, energy, and a wonderful grasp of the architecture. Some movements work better for me than others, and these recordings are to me not definitive (I think I still prefer Schnabel and Annie Fischer in at least D960), but I'm glad to have gotten a hold of a copy.

[Mandryka]

Reviving an old thread:

Based on the recommendations in this thread, I went ahead and ordered (what Myriam Scherchen at Tahra says was their last copy of) Erdmann playing the D894 and 958-960:


I haven't given the whole set a run through, but from what I've heard, it's compelling stuff. He tends to be a bit on the brisk side, definitely less sentimental than what most pianists give us, but I hear intensity, energy, and a wonderful grasp of the architecture. Some movements work better for me than others, and these recordings are to me not definitive (I think I still prefer Schnabel and Annie Fischer in at least D960), but I'm glad to have gotten a hold of a copy.

The D960 is maybe the most  difficult performance to understand there. It's as if the first movement is a sort of prelude for the other three in Erdmann's conception of the music. ii, iii and iv are the main business of the sonata.

Erdmann's nervousness makes these performances special for me. The anxious uneasy  tenseness seems absolutely right for Schubert. I prefer Erdmann to Schnabel for that reason. Schnabel's Schubert is too beautiful.

[liuzerus87]

Mandryka,

After giving another listen through the sonata, I'm almost certain you're right. For example, the finale sounds a lot more brooding and dark to me in Erdmann's hands, a less of a happy-go-lucky time. It's definitely an interesting approach... I'm glad we don't have to choose just one recording.

I also got my hands on Leon Fleisher's reading in his Two hands album yesterday. My thoughts: it's very good, gorgeously played, gentle and reflective, filled with serenity. I also like the added weight and clarity of the left hand in I, doubtless from his years of playing only left hand repertoire. But I don't think it's really top tier reading on the level of Erdmann... certainly if you think Schnabel is too beautiful, I don't think you'll rate Fleisher. But my girlfriend was a big fan of this recording, so I'd thought I'd see what others think.