5 comments about Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin.

1. Cuento con varias versiones (entre Cd y Lps) de estas obras maestras. Entre las interpretaciones mas destacadas estan las de Kuijken, Milstein, Heifetz, Menuhin, y finalmente Grumiaux y Szeryng, estas dos ultimas son las que mas me han satisfecho personalmente. La version de Grumiaux es de una gran belleza acustica, virtuosismo y elegancia musical. La version de Szering no se queda atras en todo esto, quizas solo un punto abajo en lo que respecta a lo que yo llamaria "dulzura melodica" que se disfruta en ocaciones un poco mas en la grabacion de Grumiaux. Sin embargo la interpretacion de Szering sobrepasa en la profundidad espiritual y en el sentido trascendente y hasta religioso de la obra, en su ejecucion no hay una sola nota que no este cargada de intencion respecto al todo estructural de la obra, no cae en el virtuosismo por el puro virtuosismo. Sin ser en nada inferiores las otras extraordinarias grabaciones de estas obras para violin solo, para mi, la de Szering, es la mas sincera y profunda de las interpretaciones que se han grabado de estas Sonatas & Partitas para Violin Solo del "quinto evangelista" Johann Sebastian Bach .



2. Ugh, I wish I hadn't bought Szeryng's recording. His tone is scratchy, his phrasing is uneven and choppy (dominated by bow changes and shifts), and his dynamics seem rather arbitrary. This was such a disappointment!



3. Henryk Szeryng's "choked up", unembellished sound makes for a spot-on, highly profound and emotionally charged interpretation. He really gets to the heart of the matter here that leaves all other performances of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas that I have heard in its wake.



4. I have owned the Millstein recording on LP since ancient times. While Szering is excellent, I think Millstein has greater warmth and lyricism; his recording remains my first choice for these pieces.



5. It is not easy to meet a CD that listen over and over again these days. Recently I met it. When I listen the sample on the Amazon page the sound just caught me, "What is it?" "Different!".
   
   Szeryng is not a present player, unfortunately he passed away for years ago. I am sorry I didn't know him until now. Because he spent his later life in Mexico, or he did not get a good manager, or he did not care about it, anyway he did not seem to get fame as he deserved it.
   
   I like Bach solo violin set, especially the first sonata and the second partita. I have listened by some famouse violinists but I wonder I could meet beyond this in my rest of life.
   In this CD, I love the first sonata, the first partita. Overall, the violin sound is brilliantly wonderful. I don't know why but when listening this CD the sound impresses me before music, that is not usual, I always care music before sound.
   
   In Japan, his playing is often referred as great nobility or dignity, and he rarely makes mistakes, someone says the performance is like even silience after playing pleases me.

5 comments about Joshua Bell. Kreisler, Brahms, Paganini, Sarasate, Wieniawski..

1. Dealing with pain is hard work, and slower, gentle music is very healthy for those of us dealing with disease. Consequently I'm always on the lookout for soothing sounds. Joshua's violin music is breathtaking; I forget my pain while his violin sings.



2. Joshua Bell showed up on my TV screen, for the New Year's concert in which he was the soloist to perform popular pieces, such as those of Fritz Kreisler. I was watching him with weary, suspicious eyes. What can this young man (notice the reverse age discrimination on my part) teach me about these old popular virtuoso pieces? How can this "kid" from Indiana soothe my nostalgia for these pieces that I associate with "the good, old Europe"?
   By the time the concert was over, I have found out that Joshua Bell, now Maestro Bell rather than "the kid from Indiana", not only captured, but improved these old violin favorites! I rushed immediately to order his records.
   On the double CD "Violin Favourites & Virtuoso Showpieces", Maestro Bell plays Kreisler, Brahms, Paganini, Sarasate, Wieniawski and other composers.
   This phenomenal violinist plays these pieces with an unprecedented elegance and sophistication. Most importantly, he does not suffocate his listeners with his emotions, but instead he offers a refined performance with lots of musical space for the listeners to put their five cents worth of musical emotions. He has completely rejected the idea of any schmaltz, which has unfortunately become a signature for many of these pieces. Instead, he concentrates upon and captures the intrinsic beauty of this music.
   I must address his virtuosity. He is so phenomenal, that I think that Paganini could not do it any better. Maestro Bell, I feel, is not really interested in dazzling his audience (although it happens automatically), but is simply exploring the limits of what violin as an instrument and he as a performer can offer. His left- and right-hand pizzicatos, double stops, harmonics, and staccatos at a very fast pace, make violin sounds so much more exciting. His virtuosity is in service of the interpretation of the pieces he plays.
   Listen carefully to Maestro Bell! You can hear every note separately, no matter how fast he plays. You may wonder how fast Maestro Bell can play. In my opinion, if he played any faster, my ears could not detect the separate notes! His playing deserves an Olympic Gold Medal!
   He plays popular pieces, such as those of Kreisler, which some listeners, who consider themselves sophisticated, look down upon. And yet, these may be the pieces that they often enjoy the most, out of the entire concert, when they are played as an encore. They would never admit it! Maestro Bell's sophisticated performance of these pieces has given such listeners an opportunity to come out of their closets and enjoy Kreisler openly. They can then join the rest of us who think that there is nothing wrong with the pretty music that many generations of listeners love.
   This recording is an absolute must for anybody who ever played the violin. It will make you recapture your youthful love for this beautiful instrument, which Maestro Bell shows at its best! Thank you, Maestro Bell!
   Needless to say, I give Maestro Bell five stars!



3. I've been listening to this at work every day and never get tired of it.



4. I am not a music critic nor do I "know" much about music but if you love lovely violin music you will love this.



5. The Kreisler pieces are played exceptionally well. The one disc alone is worth the price of the double disc collection. Great playing.

2 comments about Tango Notturno.

1. The first rate artistry of these performers is undeniable. This concept album, attempting to cover the tango not only as an Argentine art-form, has been superbly conveived. Everyone is at their peak, with due live passion to spare.
   My only quibble lies in Ms. Bayrakdarian unidiomatic Spanish. Granted, it is VERY diffult to sing 'argentine' tangos, those 'rrrrs' roll very uniquely (not too soft not too hard) and foreigners can hardly get it right. Also, the soprano's voice seems too beautiful for the built-up force of the last song (Rinascero) difficult to beat Milva here.
   My biggest satisfaction came from the arragements by pianist Kradjian. Truly wonderful, unobstrusive and TOTALLY idiomatic.
   All in all, a wonderful release worth having. Kudos to soprano & co and much deserved success.



2. She has done it again! Isabel with her extraordinarily luscious and versatile voice has added tango to her repertoire...
   
   I came across this latest of her CDs this evening after an exhausting and largely unrewarding day of teaching.
   
   Within moments of starting to listen to the MP3 extracts, a smile spontaneously announced itself, and I began to revive from my catatonic stupor. My pleasure was rather heightened than otherwise when, listening to 'La Cumparsita', I was involuntarily taken back to memories of Jack Lemmon in a black beaded thirties' cocktail frock, a rose between his teeth, dancing a stupendous tango with Joe Brown in the 1959 smasher,'Some like it Hot'. At this point I was positively Cheshire-cattish...
   
   This is a CD for complete detente and a CD for briskly lifting the spirits; a CD for remembering how good life is, and a CD for forgetting how dreadful it can be; a CD for drinking in lieu of a dry martini, and a CD for indulging with a dry martini; a CD when entertaining guests to dinner, and a CD for dining alone; a CD for cooling anger and a CD for raising passions, a CD for making love and a CD for making bread; a CD for subtle titillating tenderness and a CD for making the Earth move too. And, unsurprisingly, the music lends itself supremely to a damn good dance as well.

5 comments about Caprice - Alison Balsom.

1. I'd like to encourage anyone to try this cd, it's my favorite cd that I've owned. I like many genres of music, especially classical with its wide range of "musical colors" without words getting in the way. Classical is truly the most widely expressive in my opinion. This cd by Alison Balsom is most incredible to me each time I play it. Words aren't enough to describe it, you have to experience it. If I had to pick one word, it would be "sublime!"



2. She did a good job, but I do not know much about classical music. Saw this on youtube, heard it, I liked it. So I bought it.



3. Titling a collection of works CAPRICE ('a disposition to do things impulsively') is entirely in keeping with the magnetism and flair of the talented, beautiful, and intensely musical trumpeter Alison Balsom. For this listener the introduction to Miss Balsom was a recent Los Angeles Philharmonic performance of contemporary works, the one being played by Miss Balsom was the exceedingly beautiful and treacherously difficult Bernd Alois Zimmermann 'Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra: Nobody knows the trouble I see'. Witnessing the live performance of this gifted lass resulted in the immediate purchase of her recordings.
   
   CAPRICE is a terrific collection of works arranged for trumpet and while such collections don't appeal on every level, for this recording Balsom makes it work. She is equally at home with Bach (of course), Mozart, and Paganini as she is with Debussy, Rachmaninov, de Falla, the infectious Piazzolla, Lindberg, and Tomasi. It is a varied recital, ably assisted by Edward Gardner conducting the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and while not every 'transcription' feels right, the performances ring with an authenticity because of Balsom's assured technique.
   
   With the technical skill Balsom possesses and the flair for interaction with not only the orchestra but also with the audience it seems obvious that she is secure on the ladder of success. She is an intelligent musician and a dazzling spirit! Grady Harp, January 08



4. Fans of the classical trumpet will find a large repertoire from the Baroque era and a few major concertos from the Classical period (Haydn, Hummel), but very little written for trumpet from the Romantic period and thereafter. To remedy this problem, virtuoso trumpeters of the past, such as Jean-Baptiste Arban and Rafael Mendez, transcribed pieces not originally written for the trumpet. On this CD, Alison Balsom follows in this time-honored tradition, making available transcriptions that supplement the regular trumpet repertoire. Only one selection comes from the Baroque period, not one that was originally written for trumpet, but a transcription of the second movement of Bach's first Violin Concerto. Mozart provides two selections from the Classical period, but most of the selections come from the Romantic era (Paganini, Bellini, Debussy, Rachmaninov, de Falla, Lindberg) or the 20th century (Tomasi, Piazzolla). Any trumpet fan who has wished to hear something a little more modern than a Baroque trumpet concerto will be grateful for this CD.
   
   Only one of these selections, the second movement of Tomasi's trumpet concerto, was originally written for trumpet. The rest are transcriptions made by either Julian Milone or Balsom herself. All are well done.
   
   Balsom gives a highly satisfying and enjoyable performance of these selections. She is a virtuoso trumpeter of the highest caliber. Her technique, tone, and musicality leave nothing to be desired. For most of the selections, she plays a C trumpet, though for two pieces she uses an E flat trumpet and for two others a piccolo trumpet. The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra provides admirable support.



5. A view which praises with-faint-damn - is too reminiscent of days in academia, and causes me to compose my first Amazon comment. On to Ms. Balsom (from a one who won a 'Silver Bugle(tm)' at a military academy / 8th grade (!) and went on with cornet/trumpet, for many decades since.)
   
   I have heard Nakariakov live, met the miraculous man - he is my Trumpet-God! (among demi-Gods like, newly: Ms. Balsom.) But *critical* comparison of 'technique?' is utterly inappropriate, once within or beyond that sublime level of virtuosity which includes Wynton M., earlier - Gerard Schwartz and.. the precious few.
   
   If you love music, especially brass / are still susceptible of wonderful Goose-bumps: you will not be disappointed in the divine Alison and 'Caprice'. IMHO Her pianissimo in *all* registers is second to none, her intonation flawless and her playing: Sublimely musical, in all senses of that vague but large word. Note that most selections are played on a C trumpet (same key as piano) - a bit different effect from B-flat, for those afflicted with perfect pitch.
   
   Bon appetit - be grateful that, amidst the external absurdities of this particular time - Love expressed in sound remains amongst us. And we can afford, ene, to "buy it"! Sorta

5 comments about Classic Yo-Yo.

1. I don't feel particularly qualified to comment on anyone's musicianship. However, I can tell the difference between an instrument well played and, well, the opposite. Love Ma's playing, and this is a nice representation of his repertoire.



2. The CD is very good quality, but I was not pleased with the selection of pieces. Moreover, Ma seemed to be a bit lethargic on this CD. His CD on Vivaldi is excellent. I would not say that about this CD. It passes muster, but we expect more from Yo Yo Ma.



3. I had never listened to Yo-Yo Ma before (that I knew of) and then I was at a dance recital a few months ago. Two little ballerinas danced to "Simple Gifts" with Alison Kraus, and I had to have that song. I really enjoy playing this album when my family is just hanging out reading or playing with the baby in the living room. Each piece is unique and beautiful in its own way. Simple Gifts is still my favorite piece on the album, I only wish it were longer!



4. I recently got this CD as a birthday gift. I've been wanting this CD for a while. The first track is a wonderful song in all reality the entire CD is a wonderful experience. The prelude by Gershwin is unique sounding with the cello. The jazz quality is still there and has a bit of classical influence intertwined among it. Yo-Yo Ma's recording of Simple Gifts is a good song and when they had the lyrics sung by Alison Krauss it was a wonderful choice. Her vocals matched the cello incredibly well. Track 8 is a wonderful song that I love to hear being played on the cello. For any person who loves classical music or cello music this CD is a good choice to buy. It will be well worth your money.



5. While most people on this site see the "classic" in the title of the album as referring to classical music only, they are mistaken. Classic Yo-Yo refers to his style, not the genre into which his music choices fall. The list of tracks alone should have been a big enough clue that the music isn't all classical. Judging this album, or any album for that matter, on just its title is simply foolish. And while this is technically a solo album, the way Yo-Yo brings in guest artists to perform with him shows his flexibility as an artist. His version of Simple Gifts is so much more than a school chorus; it is an amazing cellist playing the accompaniment on a song that is meant to be sung.
   
   On a more positive note, I found every track beautiful, from the elegant solo cello in the Bach cello suite to the haunting vocal line in the Bobby McFerrin piece. Yo-Yo Ma gathered a wide range of intriguing pieces to make this fantastic album.

5 comments about Bach: Goldberg Variations.

1. This is one of the most beautiful performances of the Goldberg Variations ever. Perahia allows the listener to hear the music anew, offers a definitive interpretation, but always gives prominence to Bach. For me this is a much more satisfying performance than Gould's, which amazingly still has its cult devotees. Gould's Goldberg is about Gould, not about Bach. Perahia's Goldberg is about Music.



2. This CD captures the soul of Bach's Goldberg Variations like nothing else I have heard. If you are searching for music that will make your heart, soul and mind evolve to a new level of music appreciation, you simply must purchase this CD. After listening to Murray Perahia play the Bach's Goldberg Variations I will purchase anything he has recorded.



3. I know it isn't a very solid objection to harpsichord versions of the Goldberg Variations to say that the tinkle-jangle of that instrument, after a bit, gets on one's nerves. But so it is with me, so I turned to some of the best-known piano performances to see which suited me best. I compared Rosalyn Tureck's, both of Glenn Gould's and Murray Perahia's, and was somewhat surprised to find myself come down so decidedly in favor of this last. Perahia's, I think, is the most human Bach.
   
   Tureck has been called the "high-priestess" of Bach--and I don't think that is entirely a compliment. Her 'Goldberg' seems indeed that of a priestess or prophetess searching for something divinely revelatory in the work; she approaches it in a state of awed reverence, and lingers over each note until she feels it has fully ripened in sacred significance. Needless to say, all repeats, representing the functional equivalent of Divine Will (that is to say, Bach's instructions), are faithfully, piously, observed. So this is a very slow, and, I felt, after awhile, somewhat monotonous 'Goldberg.' I can appreciate that reverence often enlarges the soul, and I genuinely miss the note of awe in everyday American life--so it's not as though there is nothing at all to recommend Tureck's interpretation. But in reaching so desperately for the spiritual, she necessarily sacrifices something human.
   
   Gould, too, isn't really interested in a purely human Bach. He sees in him rather a manifestation of cool geometrical or gemlike purity. Even when he slows down in the 1981 version, he keeps the slightly mechanical touch--this is what the "Glossy misreading" review above so loudly endorses. This, too, is a plausible interpretation: I think every listener recognizes and responds to this otherworldly purity of Bach, and in Gould's case it combines neatly with virtuosic showmanship. And, after all, the variations were intended originally for the dynamically-challenged harpsichord.
   
   But the Perahia 'Goldberg' makes clear what Gould ignores--once again, the Bach acquainted with and interested in conveying human dispositions and emotions. He interprets, for example, variation 25 as evoking the kind of suffering belonging to the Crucifixion, 26 as a response to the Resurrection, 27 as bitter mockery. Given Bach's profession and predilection it hardly seems unlikely that he would wish to be understood as capturing not just mathematical ideas but genuinely human responses. So many of the variations, too, are in dance forms, and Perahia is the only one of the three to allow anything plausibly dancelike to appear in them.
   
   In short, Perahia's Variations contain the greatest variety, the most humane elegance; he lets them breathe, makes them live.



4. For those who find the Glenn Gould version a bit dry, (recording and/or performance), the Perahia version is excellent, precise, but with heart. Also the Gould version is recorded all on one track, making a problem with those of us who like our MP3's and volume levelers.
   
   The Goldberg Variations have been a favorite of mine for many years. I was introduced to them with a Wilhelm Kemph (sp?) record which was perhaps a bit romantic. I think Perahia's version strikes the right balance between precision, clairity of interweaving line and melodic experience.
   
   I understand they are enormusly difficult, originally written for a harpsichord with two keyboards so that hands could cross without running in to each other. Perahia is flawless. A great buy!



5. Murray Perahia takes the Goldberg Variations to new heights here, to my mind/ear even more thoughtfully, sensitively and musically than Gould, Schiff & Hewitt (yes, pretty difficult, but that's what I think is achieved here).
   
   Here we have a supreme Goldberg interpretation, stunningly recorded. Perahia is simply so good, I can't imagine ever listening again to Gould's sing-a-along versions, exciting as they are. Perahia is more exciting still, where necessary.
   
   Don't hesitate to add this version to your collection - it surpasses expectations, even for magical Murray!

5 comments about Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies.

1. I reported the CDs were not rec;d within 2 months' time. Then soon a new package was resent immnediately and I rec'd the goods within several days. This is quite different with the response from Import CDS when I was under the same circumstances. No further action was taken after reporting the lost of the delivery. I think this was irresponsible and seemed an act of cheating. Therefore I placed another new order to Amazon because Amazon gives me confidence.



2. It's safe to say that Ralph Vaughan Williams is one of the finest British composers alongside Holst, Elgar, Britten, and Bax. His nine symphonies are pure proof of his genius: they're lovely, haunting, lyrical, intense, hot-blooded, ethereal, etc. Maestro Andre Previn leads the London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus with perfect control; no one misses a step. Sound quality is first-rate, and booklet is quite informative. This box set gets an A from me.



3. Wonderful recordings. I remember seeing Andre Previn discussing and performing these on television. Couldn't have done better. Many thanks.



4. First of all I agree with the other reviewers this set of RVW's Symphonies
   is a very fine set. There are a few works I would have liked to see in it, but I can always get them on another bargin CD. The performances that really stand out here are " A Sea Symphony", The "London Symphony", and the "Sinfonia Antartica" The rest of the Symphonies all recieve impressive
   perfomances by Andre Previn and the LSO and the LSC, and a fine line up of
   soloists. Some reviewers complained about the narration in the "Sinfonia
   Antartica" and said they prefer it just with the music, but I feel that
   Sir Ralph Richardson's narration adds so much to the general mood of the
   work, while the music can certainly stand on its own. I have to wonder though why this work is not better represented on disc. I would think that this Symphony cries out for a good surround sound SACD. I also feel that the Tuba Concerto deserves a little more reprsentation in the catalog. I also seem to like Previn's recording with the LSO of the Fifth
   Symphony a litle better that his recording with the RPO on Telarc, which is also a great recording. It is so nice to find out that RVW is so much more that just the "Fantasia of a Theme of Thomas Tallis", and the "Fantasia on Greensleeves". Highly Recommended



5. I agree with all the other reviewers here - this set is fantastic and you really can't beat the price. I've had it for over a year now and I love every piece. Admittedly, I am not a classical music perfectionist - I cannot compare the quality of these recordings to the other 400 different recorded versions available today - but these performances are very fine, the sound is great, it's in a nice package, and it's ridiculously cheap. Plus, it's Vaughan Williams. If you're worried about accessibility of the music, I think it's worth giving it a shot. Symphonies 1,2,7, and 8 are pretty easy to get into. That's not to say that VW is boring or tame. He was a master composer and colorist and his music is continually fascinating. When I listen to his music, I feel two things: 1.) he had a profound understanding of England (I feel like I know it as an American just from listening to him) and 2.) he had an amazing gift for composing pieces that not only sound great, but feel great. VW feels great to listen to. Have fun!

5 comments about Andre Rieu - La Vie Est Belle.

1. Marvellous music amd showmanship, once again. The appeal is multigenerational --
   We have fans in our family ranging from age 23 to 86.



2. Great and relaxing, but since this is an older video it is particularly not his best. Tuscany is by far better and much more enjoyable!!!



3. If you like to wathc a great musicians it's the opportunity. Andre Rieu, at this time, is one of the best band leader.



4. Recorded at Waldbühne Berlin, this video is very highly rated for musicianship and choice of beautiful music, but videographer Karl Müller ought to spend the rest of his days in isolated rehab. There is very little time spent on any particular frame of video. It is more like the editor is on a heavy trip with speed, given the nearly constant pan, zoom, fade in and out, jump frentically from scene to scene, and attempts to cover every member of this brilliant orchastra and chorus, and most members of the audience, on every piece of beautiful music. Such shabby editing detracts from an otherwise terrific album; listen to it closely, but don't waste any time looking at it. Something else missing, besides mature editing, is the participation by the always gorgeous and talented sopranos Carmen Monarcha and Carla Maffioletti, either or both of whom would certainly make the title worthy of being called Life is Beautiful. They are not featured at all.



5. I have never been disappointed with anything Andre Rieu does. La Vie Est Belle is no exception. Fantastic!

5 comments about Schubert: The Piano Sonatas.

1. It really doesn't get better than this - 7 cds of absolutely beautiful music played with passion, grace, and fire. While I enjoy all forms of classical music, sometimes the sound of a lone piano just sounds right.
   Others have opined that this is the best complete set of Schubert piano sonatas available. I cannot say that with a certainty because I don't own any others. What I can say with a certainty is that if you order this set, you will not be disappointed. The beauty of music is its ability to soothe, awaken, and transport the listener to a place other worldly - a place that is uniquely his/her own. This piano music does just that - it is the vehicle by which you enter another world. A world that is Schubert, Kempff, and yours. What a great place to go after a tough day at work!



2. To my uneducated ear this set is excellent. But beware, the first CD of the first set sent to me, when viewed on iTunes was totally in an oriental language. I sent the set back and the second set had the very same thing. The first CD seems to have come from a foreign edition. All other CDs were fine. The paperwork was in English.



3. Schubert's Piano Sonatas essentially are rather private and occasionally introspective works. They are "more Wigmore Hall than Albert Hall" and perhaps this is one reason why they are not so often included in public performances but "Hausmusik" these works are not.
   
   Elliot Richman in an earlier review has said "Modern players, despite their steel fingers and elephantine endurance and machine-like (sometimes machine-gun-like) techniques, stand to learn a lot from this old master's art." How true, how true! Similar exemplars of Kempff's less frenetic approach include Clifford Curzon, Friedrich Wuhrer and Walter Gieseking. Perhaps in some measure it is appropriate that these Sonatas are bypassed by a few of today's heavy hitters on the international recital circuit for these intimate works do not respond well to modern robotics. I am reminded of Rosalyn Tureck's observation: "I have seen a diminution of passionate involvement in the art of music and I have seen a crescendo in passionate involvement with careers".
   
   None of the Sonatas was publicly performed in Schubert's lifetime. This is a sad quirk of history and certainly not a reflection of their musical worth. Beethoven had thirty of his Sonatas published posthumously but in my view these lovely, often haunting Schubert gems are deserving of an appreciation very much wider than they seem to have; certainly beyond the B flat major and a couple of others which are better known.
   
   Wilhelm Kempff's performance here is to his customary and uniquely high standard of interpretation and empathetic treatment; that alone makes this set a "must buy". Whilst the recordings can be a trifle woolly in places and probably would benefit from the digital magic which Deutsche Grammophon successfully has applied to some other older performances, the quality is entirely acceptable and any shortcomings are in no sense obtrusive.
   
   I adore these pieces; it is very evident that Wilhelm Kempff does too.
   



4. I don't really have much to add to the other reviewers vivid discriptions of the superb playing of Kempff on this cycle. While I have interpretations of many of these individual sonatas that I like better than Kempff's (by Richter, Radu Lupu, Fleisher and Uchida), this is easily the most solid complete set. The playing (and sound) is splendid throughout and I can't imagine not owning it. A must have.



5. Kempff himself wrote the liner notes to this highly satisfying set and states the following: "The deeper we penetrate into the world of Schubert, however, the greater is our surprise at discovering that the 'heavenly length' for which he is reproached is to be regarded relatively. If the length becomes evident as longueurs, the fault lies with the interpreter (I speak from my own experience...)." Indeed, in listening to Kempff play the Schubert sonata canon the thoughts of "overly long" or "needlessly repetitive" never entered my head. Barring some extraordinary performances of individual sonatas over the years, such as Richter's old Russian recording of the c minor (D 958) on Melodiya or Serkin's equally old recording of the B-flat (D 960), this is the best playing of the Schubert sonatas I know.
   
   I used to think of some of the earlier sonatas as practice or training pieces for the later masterworks (which of course by definition they are, but they need not be viewed retrospectively from the vantage point of the late works). Unfortunately, they often sound boring and immature. This is due to defects in players and the playing, not a problem with Schubert. Kempff makes all the sonatas here, including the early ones, glow with the utmost musicality so they stand on their own as beautiful works. Just one example: In the earlier of the a minor sonatas he handles little secondary figures that are intercalated within major theme phrases in an amazingly musical and beautiful way. As a pianist myself, I could never figure out how to make them unobtrusive, let alone desirable. Under Kempff's fingers they fit sublimely into the fabric of the work. The playing is clearly layered, every note and phrase has its place and purpose, his internal logic is such that nothing Schubert wrote sounds less than as it should. One more example: The first movement of the G major sonata ("Fantasy" sonata, D 894) floats in its ethereal haze but goes fast, not slow. Kempff can produce the effect of suspended animation without suspending the actual motion. This is no doubt what Schubert intended but it is very difficult to pull off as a performer. Kempff's treatment of the last 5 sonatas (D, G, A, c minor, and B flat) is breathtaking.
   
   This set is a revelation. What a magnificent panorama of Schubert's development as a composer! Also, the origins of later composers' styles can be traced to Schubert's writing for piano. The roots of Bruckner's iterated and protracted symphonies can be heard, for example, in the way the finale of the a minor sonata begins. (I don't think this is apparent from other players, who lack Kempff's lyricism and mysticism.) Included beside the actual titled sonatas are various fragments of incomplete sonatas and collections of piano pieces that in effect are untitled sonatas (such as D 459/459A).
   
   The recordings are from around 1965-1970 and the piano sound is singing, glowing, radiant. I recommend this set wholeheartedly to anyone interested in great musicianship, masterly piano playing, Schubert's piano music, and Schubert's evolution as a composer. Kempff makes you realize that the magic didn't all happen in the last year of Schubert's life, and I can't think of another pianist who does that for me. (There are few, if any, major players of Schubert with whom I'm not familiar.) Kempff was the leading German pianist of the immediate post-WW II era, but I think he has largely been forgotten. His Schubert, Beethoven, and Brahms are wonderful. Modern players, despite their steel fingers and elephantine endurance and machine-like (sometimes machine-gun-like) techniques, stand to learn a lot from this old master's art.

1 comments about Van Cliburn in Moscow, Vol. 3- Rachmaninoff Concertos 2, 3.

1. Many years ago I heard a performance of Van Cliburn playing Rachmaninov's third piano concero live from Moscow in 1958 on WQXR. I greatly admired his live performance from Carnegie Hall recorded in 1958 and issued on RCA, but this peformance was slightly different, seemingly more relaxed. I was able to tape a portion of it at that time and heard it again in its entirety online several years ago. This is that performance, readily available for the first time. The video is reasonably clear, as is the audio; however, the video and audio are frequently out of sync, which is particularly annoying during the first movement cadenza.
   
   The encores are enjoyable-I particularly enjoyed the reaction of the musicians in the Moscow Philharmonic. The Rachmaninov second was filmed in 1972 on a return trip to Russia. The video and the sound are fine for that time period, but Cliburn's performance of Rachmaninov 2 never really enthralled me. Van Cliburn in Moscow, Vol. 3- Rachmaninoff Concertos 2, 3