Search - Schubert Schuman, Monteaux, Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra :: Arthur Schnabel: Schumann: Piano Concerto; Schubert: Trio in B flat

Pianist Artur Schnabel in live performances of Schumann and

M. Levitt | Philadelphia, PA USA | 07/06/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This Music and Arts CD contains live performances of pianist Artur Schnabel in the Schumann Piano Concerto, and the Schubert Piano Trio no. 1 in in Bb Major, D. 898, the former with the New York Philharmonic and conductor Pierre Monteux, and the latter with violinist Joseph Szigeti and cellist Pierre Fournier. The dates are June 13, 1943 in New York with the Schumann Piano Concerto, and October 1, 1947 in London in the Schubert.



At the outset, the listener should be forewarned that if sound quality is important, he or she may want to steer clear of this CD. The sound is muffled and somewhat boxy, particularly I thought in the Schubert Piano Trio. In the Schubert Piano Trio, both violinist Joseph Szigeti and cellist Pierre Fournier sound recessed and overshadowed by Artur Schnabel's piano.



On the other hand, if one is looking for a first rate performance of the Schumann Piano Concerto I don't know if a better (live or recorded) performance of the Schumann Piano Concerto exists. This wartime, probably outdoor performance is alternately songful, gripping, poetic in a manner that would leave the average regular concert goer ecstatic to be privileged to have heard it.



Regrettably it is harder to respond in the same way to the Schubert Piano Trio as did the London audience which heard it. Bravos are heard immediately at the performance's conclusion.



The sound is thick and more muffled than the Schumann; and I suspect that whoever recorded this performance sat some distance from the musicians and the stage. Violinist Joseph Szigeti and cellist Pierre Fournier seem so recessed and muffled behind Schnabel that it is hard to hear their individual lines in the way we might expect from a studio recording.



Not having heard either the classic, historical Cortot/Thibaud/Casals or Rubinstein/ Heifetz/ Feuermann performances of the Schubert Piano Trio, I can't compare them to this London based performance.



Music and Arts bill this I believe as "first recordings on CD" and we are to be grateful to them finding and making available these performances.



Recommended particularly for the Schumann Piano Concerto, as well as for those who love Artur Schnabel's pianism and those who value recordings of live performances.



TT = 64 minutes



Note: I subtracted one star in the rating solely because of the sound quality.









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