Search - Schubert, Beethoven, Liszt :: Sonatas & Impromptus

A Spectacular Schubert Interpretation

Gideon Pisanty | Israel | 09/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is comprised of two different entities, quite opposed in their artistic value, at least to my taste. The first disc contains the wonderful Schubert recital from Vienna, 1993. This is Barenoim at his best, and it is definitely the best performance I have heard of Schubert's last sonata (you can read my detailed review of this disc elsewhere, where it is published seperately [ERATO]). The second disc brings us the most recent Barenboim, and one that is disappointing. The choice of the noisy Liszt piece reflects this change. Throughout the disc, Barenboim forcefully attacks the piano whenever there is a forte or fortissimo, and at some places I even had the impression he is brutally attacking the right pedal! He seems to has lost much of his sensitivity and delicacy, in favour of a more bravura approach. The Beethoven Pathetique sonata (not one of my favourite), is interpreted in a new, somewhat artificial manner, and the Brahms sonata isn't any much better. Still, I rank this album a five-star rating, since it contains such a rare-to-find wonderful interpretation of Schubert's last sonata, and since the Vienna Schubert recital is no longer available seperately, at least as new."

Nobody

J. Kim | 03/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I must agree with Gideon from Israel.

This one is worthy of purchase for the Scubert sonata alone."