Search - Robert Schumann, Boris Berezovsky :: Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze; Piano Sonata, Op. 22; Toccata, Op. 7

Delightful Schumann

carol France | 04/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always known Geza Anda as the greatest interpreter of Schumann's Davidsbuendlertaenze, but this recording has charmed me with the young Russian pianist, Boris Berezovsky.
His interpretation is not as strong, masculine, and exciting as Anda's. He is more romantic and sensitive, and yet has his astonishing moments. Berezovsky's sonata No.2 is magnificent, moving and powerful. The sound is well recorded, with a high dynamic range.If you enjoy this pianist, there is another superb recording by him: Rachmaninov's Variations on a Theme of Chopin and sonata No.1.(Teldec 1994)"

Incomparable schumann

drollere | Sebastopol, CA United States | 09/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this is a beautiful disc. in the romantic piano repertoire, schumann's music is especially difficult to intepret because the musical ideas are sometimes so simple or quirky, while the emotional meaning underneath the music is so complex and deep. berezovsky speaks schumann like his native tongue.i don't think there is a performance of the davidsbundlertanze quite like this. berezovsky shapes these pieces afresh, adhering to the earliest version of the music, unpublished until after schumann's death. berezovsky's range of tone, touch, accent and tempo is original, apt and persuasive. a few passages are quite unconventional -- the transition from "wie aus die ferne" to the final movement is made slowly and quitely, not as a fortissimo crescendo -- and the last movement is played very haltingly, "with tears in his eyes." i think only kempff and haefliger match the characterfulness and nobility of this recording.that said, the performances of the finger twisting second sonata and toccata are virtuosic and impassioned; no halting over technical problems in this playing. the sonata starts out with an unconventional feeling of reserve, which makes the movement's later climaxes even more effective. spectacular!"