Search - Franz [Vienna] Schubert, Sviatoslav Richter :: Schubert: Piano Sonatas

SCHUBERT ANEW

Melvyn M. Sobel | Freeport (Long Island), New York | 01/17/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded live---very!!--- by Richter in March, 1979, at the Royal Festival Hall in London, these are incredibly vibrant and rich performances of incredibly vibrant and rich Schubert piano sonatas. Richter is in rare form here, restraining his usual tempestuous virtuosity in lieu of the more deeply-nuanced substance abiding within every measure of this glorious music. This, of course, is not to say that Schubert's inner turmoil is subdued. No. Not at all. What predominates is Richter's masterly awareness of architecture and emotional content throughout--- and the delicate balance of each upon the other. Familiar as I am with all the Schubert sonatas, which I have loved in so many renditions by various artists, these Richter interpretations still surprise and delight and move me anew.



The B major, D. 575 retains a magnificent ebb and flow, its central Andante the lyrical gravitas; the F minor, with its forward-looking opening and ominous Allegro, its curious Scherzo, and even more curious Adagio, and its march-like, roiling finale is a wonder. But truly exceptional is the A major, D. 664 (Op. 120), which resonates a deeply-felt melancholy, especially poignant in the Andante, that is only mitigated by the third movement Allegro. This is pianism that defies criticism. The D. 780, No. 1 (fr. Moments Musicaux) is a fitting conclusion to the CD, offering quiet closure--- hushed and beautifully played.



A word of warning, though: As this is a live performance, the coughs, sneezes and general scuttling about is all too "live," as well, but luckily most apparent during movement breaks. Disruptive, however, are the bursts of applause after every sonata. When remastered, BBC producer Erik Horsman should have at least deleted these. Otherwise, the sound is remarkably fresh and transparent, as might be expected from a concert, rather than studio, recording. Most impressive and memorable, though, is the fabulous voice Richter gives to Schubert.



[Running time: 78:02]"

The art to play Schubert successfully!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 12/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most of actual pianists have been unable to decipher the refined elegance and spirit purity about Schubert' s music and have decided by themselves to replace it by a hedonistic frivolity. That fact not only demerits the intrinsic qualities of his compositions, but reveals an absolute disregard about the relevance of Schubert in the music of the past Century.



If Beethoven reached a colossal peak respect the symphonic genre, Schubert opened a gate and showed us an universe of infinite possibilities where the piano not only expressed a different lexicon, but a true sort of sonorous horizons filled of febrile modernism anticipating himself to the postmodernism echoes of the late XIX.



Richter was one of the worthiest pianists in the History of music who knew to recreate and explore atmospheres through his untiring skillfulness, remarkable imagination, notable musicality, astonishing lyricism without affectation and devoted inspiration.



So, please don' t hesitate just a second at the moment to decide yourself about the interpretative merits of this renowned artists. You will listen unknown facets of the Schubertian language.

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