BaL 28.10.23 - Schubert Four Impromptus Op.142 (D935)

[CallMePaul]

Is there something wrong with me? I felt that Lupu used far too much rubato for my taste and much preferred Perahia and Brendel in the modern piano recordings. As I am mainly interested in a fortepiano recording (I already have Pires and Brendel's last recording, plus his earliest on LP), I will investigate Lubimov further and try to compare his with other fortepiano recordings - I was not especially keen on the extract played from Steier's version.

[vinteuil]

As I am mainly interested in a fortepiano recording ... I will investigate Lubimov further and try to compare his with other fortepiano recordings - I was not especially keen on the extract played from Steier's version.

I quite liked the Staier, tho' I wdn't want it as my only version.

There are various other HIPP performances to consider -
Andras Schiff on a Brodmann c 1820, ECM
Viviana Sofronitsky, MacNulty after Conrad Graf 1819, avi-music
Peter Katin, Clementi 1832, athene
Melvyn Tan, Adlam after Streicher 1814, virgin veritas

.

[CallMePaul]

I quite liked the Staier, tho' I wdn't want it as my only version.

There are various other HIPP performances to consider -
Andras Schiff on a Brodmann c 1820, ECM
Viviana Sofronitsky, MacNulty after Conrad Graf 1819, avi-music
Peter Katin, Clementi 1832, athene
Melvyn Tan, Adlam after Streicher 1814, virgin veritas

.

I see that Ronald Brautigam has recently released all 8 Impromptus, a disc that may have arrived too late for Iain Burnside to consider. Listening to brief excerpts on Presto website it certainly seems one to consider seriously: https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...tus-opp-90-142

[vinteuil]

I see that Ronald Brautigam has recently released all 8 Impromptus, a disc that may have arrived too late for Iain Burnside to consider. Listening to brief excerpts on Presto website it certainly seems one to consider seriously: https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...tus-opp-90-142

... tempting, very tempting! (Do I want/need an nth set of these? Of course I do... )
.

[Pianorak]

Peter Katin, Clementi 1832, athene

My all-time favourite

[MickyD]

... tempting, very tempting! (Do I want/need an nth set of these? Of course I do... )
.

Ha ha, we are so alike! I will have to get it as well, anything from Brautigam is snapped up in this house.

[Mandryka]

I quite liked the Staier, tho' I wdn't want it as my only version.

There are various other HIPP performances to consider -
Andras Schiff on a Brodmann c 1820, ECM
Viviana Sofronitsky, MacNulty after Conrad Graf 1819, avi-music
Peter Katin, Clementi 1832, athene
Melvyn Tan, Adlam after Streicher 1814, virgin veritas

.

Trudelies Leonhardt too, which needs to be heard. If it weren’t for the killer fact that she plays with a strict pulse it would be a really interesting f minor for me, because of the tempo and the textures she reveals. Lovely timbres in the piano in the low notes too. But there we are, we have what we have, she’s a metronome.

(Trudelies was Gustav’s sister I think. She’s got a pedigree!)

I quite like Brautigam’s recording - certainly worth a listen.

[richardfinegold]

the complete set of Decca Lupu recordings looks an obvious purchase with hardly any of them in my collection.

I dug that out yesterday and intend to play the winner today

[silvestrione]

Sokolov played that A flat 2nd movement so beautifully. really making the melody sing and with perfect voicing unlike the thumb heavy Perahia. The Lubimov sounds too closely miked for me.
Question : is Brendel just a bit under- characteristiced ? Or as friend once put it boring ?

Hmm...I'm the opposite. I found Sokolov....well, I wouldn't want to say 'boring' about artists of this stature, but I did not want to go on. Brendel is an intelligent player, with a gift to convey his overall grasp and insight. At his best perhaps in sonata-form or variations.

(Nevertheless I always enjoy your knowledgeable comments on pianism and pianists! And yes, the trio was probably under- characterised: need to listen in context)

[Barbirollians]

I recall liking the Lupu when re-released on Decca Legends but it is not in my top choices must give it another listen to see what I am missing

[Ein Heldenleben]

Hmm...I'm the opposite. I found Sokolov....well, I wouldn't want to say 'boring' about artists of this stature, but I did not want to go on. Brendel is an intelligent player, with a gift to convey his overall grasp and insight. At his best perhaps in sonata-form or variations.

(Nevertheless I always enjoy your knowledgeable comments on pianism and pianists! And yes, the trio was probably under- characterised: need to listen in context)

Thank you . I am glad you enjoy them !
I don’t want to criticise Brendel . I regard his 70’s BBC Beethoven Sonata cycle as one of the highlights of my listening life and I have many of his Schubert recordings. I don’t think he is boring, it’s just that as I have got older I enjoy increasingly the freer approach of some Russian pianists to these classics. I heard Ashkenazy doing Beethoven 101 live once and I , to my enormous surprise l greatly preferred his rather rhapsodic approach to the much more classically severe stance of Pollini for example.

Incidentally this on Sunday Morning’s Through The Night was absolutely phenomenal- I’ve never heard of her . Where did she get that technique from ? Never heard the Bflat minor prelude - a real finger bender played so fast , so evenly , and still musical .

Frédéric Chopin


24 Preludes Op.28 for piano

Performer: Claire Huangci.

• PLPR.

[ostuni]

I very much like Brautigam's Beethoven recordings, so I was looking forward to hearing these Schubert Impromptus - and I have to say that I was very disappointed. Someone earlier felt that the Lubimov was too closely recorded: that's as nothing compared with this new Brautigam! So it’s partly the recording, but also Brautigam's playing, which seems brittle, unyielding, and (certainly in the first of the D935 set: I haven’t wanted to listen further) with remarkably flattened dynamics: no discernible attempt to play piano or pianissimo.

Both Lubimov and Schiff prove that early C19 pianos can produce a much wider range of dynamics than Brautigam suggests. Lubimov's playing is slightly more interventionist than Schiff's — in a good way, for my taste.

[MickyD]

That's a disappointment to read.. previous recordings by Brautigam on BIS have always been given a lovely halo of sound, one of the reasons why I enjoy his discs so much. Thanks for the warning, I can't bear close recordings.

[Sir Velo]

Schubert is not a name one readily associates with Ronald Brautigam. Looking through the listings I can find only one other recording of his of Schubert, a rather obscure recording of chamber music for flute on of all things a modern piano! However, while I would not disagree with Ostuni that this latest recording is closely recorded, I would urge lovers of Brautigam's art to give this recording a listen, if only for the chance to hear the beautiful instrument, a Paul McNulty copy of a Graf 1819 fortepiano. True, Brautigam does play down the lyrical side of Schubert's genius but there are positive gains. As may be expected, he excels in the Hungarian inspired fourth impromptu with typical virtuosity.

[richardfinegold]

Is there something wrong with me? I felt that Lupu used far too much rubato for my taste and much preferred Perahia and Brendel in the modern piano recordings. As I am mainly interested in a fortepiano recording (I already have Pires and Brendel's last recording, plus his earliest on LP), I will investigate Lubimov further and try to compare his with other fortepiano recordings - I was not especially keen on the extract played from Steier's version.

That was my first take after playing the Lupu, but after a few more spins I found that his rubato was endearing in these pieces.