BaL 28.05.16 - Schumann: Fantasie in C, Op17

[richardfinegold]

I have Kempf, Argerich, and Richter. Fwiw I prefer Kempf although the other two have better technique and more Romantic Ardor, which ought to be a virtue in this piece. Since the volatility is built in to the piece, Kempf's relative restraint acts as a brake from frenzy overload

[kea]

This is actually a piece I'd be really interested to learn some day and not just listen to recordings of (of which I have, um, 9: Anda, Ashkenazy, Fischer, Fiorentino, Pollini, Rosen, le Sage, Schiff, and Uhlig—not that anyone particularly cares). There's only one bit that actually lies outside my extremely mediocre technique even now (those who know the piece will know which bit) and simply bashing through it is extremely emotionally involving for me for some reason. I find also that there are compelling "musical" reasons to play the original ending instead of the revised one, relating to the dynamics and progressive acceleration of the section leading up to the end—essentially when Schumann rewrote the ending he simply crossed out the original and wrote the new one without also rewriting the bars leading up to it, which can make the new one unconvincing unless pianists do a certain amount of rewriting of their own (usually inserting a decrescendo and p at bar 122, and reverting to a slower tempo). Essentially they play the last movement as though its climax was at bar 119 and the rest is coda. In the original, the climax is very clearly at bar 138, and is never resolved, the quote from An die ferne Geliebte essentially breaking in at the moment of highest passion and turning the movement into a fragment. Doubt the BAL will go into that at all, seeing as the only in-print recording (of 100+) using the original ending is, that I know of at least, Schiff.

edit: I'm also not sure if it counts as an "orchestration" but I do enjoy Hans Zender's "composed reinterpretation", Schumann-Phantasie, for orchestra though it's a bit of a guilty pleasure.

[akiralx]

Doubt the BAL will go into that at all, seeing as the only in-print recording (of 100+) using the original ending is, that I know of at least, Schiff.

The Jin Ju MDG recording on SACD also has the original ending. Her account of the whole work is slightly more expansive than Schiff's, I have enjoyed it a lot.

[BBMmk2]

Well, that's a list and a half, Alpie! I don't have this work, and very much looking forward to this!

[verismissimo]

... There's only one bit that actually lies outside my extremely mediocre technique even now (those who know the piece will know which bit) and simply bashing through it is extremely emotionally involving for me for some reason...

Think it might take me a lifetime just to learn to play the very opening, kea.

I'm listening now to Jorg Demus, who plays it much tougher and grittier - even angrier - than others. Maybe this is right?

[Nick Armstrong]

Think it might take me a lifetime just to learn to play the very opening, kea.

Good lord me too.... I had a look at the score online having read post #17....

Kea, if you think you could learn (and already 'bash through') all but one bit, I would respectfully suggest that your technique is considerably better than 'extremely mediocre'! If you want to hear 'extremely mediocre', you need to come to Caliban Towers! (I say nothing of Verismissimo Manor! )

I might have a crack at the Langsam &c. section at the end (my favourite part anyway)...

[teamsaint]

Good lord me too.... I had a look at the score online having read post #17....

Kea, if you think you could learn (and already 'bash through') all but one bit, I would respectfully suggest that your technique is considerably better than 'extremely mediocre'! If you want to hear 'extremely mediocre', you need to come to Caliban Towers! (I say nothing of Verismissimo Manor! )

I might have a crack at the Langsam &c. section at the end (my favourite part anyway)...

k

Well if we are playing " my piano technique is worse than yours......."

Ahem.

Anyway, here's a thought, why not pop your ipad ( or other tablet) on the music stand, and play along with Horowitz?
What can possibly go wrong ?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l5cmBah0F20

[kea]

Kea, if you think you could learn (and already 'bash through') all but one bit, I would respectfully suggest that your technique is considerably better than 'extremely mediocre'!

Well I would have to practice quite a lot to play up to anyone's standards, but it's all achievable with simple practice and enough time, I suppose. Only in the Viel lebhafter section of the 2nd movement would I actually need to learn new techniques for playing those leaps accurately. That's more what I meant >_>

[Nick Armstrong]

Well I would have to practice quite a lot to play up to anyone's standards, but it's all achievable with simple practice and enough time, I suppose. Only in the Viel lebhafter section of the 2nd movement would I actually need to learn new techniques for playing those leaps accurately. That's more what I meant >_>

[akiralx]

I have Kempf, Argerich, and Richter. Fwiw I prefer Kempf although the other two have better technique and more Romantic Ardor, which ought to be a virtue in this piece. Since the volatility is built in to the piece, Kempf's relative restraint acts as a brake from frenzy overload

Kempf or Kempff? Didn't know the former had recorded it. I have the latter's mono DG recording, probably similar in conception to the stereo. I recall there is/are live versions on Orfeo/BBC?

[Pianophile]

Sad to see that John Bingham's excellent version on Bayer Records is no longer available. A great and much underrated British pianist.

[Nick Armstrong]

Strange to see that there's been no comment on this during/after broadcast. Mr Hamilton's insights clearly haven't set the Forum alight....

I haven't heard it yet, so have nothing to add - maybe everyone's 'catching up' later this bank holiday weekend, like me...

[LeMartinPecheur]

Strange to see that there's been no comment on this during/after broadcast. Mr Hamilton's insights clearly haven't set the Forum alight....

I haven't heard it yet, so have nothing to add - maybe everyone's 'catching up' later this bank holiday weekend, like me...

I listened with some interest and gently enjoyed the programme. Mr Hamilton seemed knowledgeable and judicious. Interesting to hear his high opinion of David Wilde's version - definitely left-field! He may even have persuaded me to try my Pollini LP, see #11 above. Will look out for Lewis round the bargain shops but it didn't blow my socks off enough to rush to buy online - as I said, I really have enough versions to be going on with.

Oh yes, I could easily snap up the Horowitz too, but that's more for H and his naughty-devil ways than for the composition!

[gradus]

Mr Hamilton more or less said his task was impossible given that personal taste enters the decision. For my money the excerpts from the recordings of Horowitz, Wilde and Richter were the ones I liked best and I thought he made a case for the original ending too, though none of them play it.
I thought it was a good BAL from a well-informed reviewer.
If you like Horowitz's way with this piece try his 1968 Carnegie recording of the Arabeske, but for that matter pretty much every Schumann recording he ever made has something extraordinary and beautiful about it.

[visualnickmos]

The only one to tempt me was Richter.