Our Summer BAL 68 - Schubert Piano Sonata in B Major D575

[CallMePaul]

Interest in this sonata seems to have grown in recent years and it is easily my favourite of Schubert's earlier piano works (albeit later than many of his best-loved songs). A look at the Presto website reveals available recordings by the following pianists:-

Paul Badura-Skoda (2 versions, 1 each on fortepiano and modern piano)
Daniel Barenboim
Malcolm Bilson (fortepiano)*
Alfred Brendel
John Damgaard
Barry Douglas
Michael Endres*
Fillipo Faes
Vladimir Feltsman
Ingrid Haebler*
Jenö Jandó
Wilhelm Kempff (2 versions)
Walter Klien
Paul Lewis
Alan Marks
Gerhard Oppitz
Alain Planes
Peter Rösel
Sviatoslav Richter (4 versions I think, possibly more)
András Schiff*
Gilbert Schuchter
Atsuko Seki
Mitsuko Uchida
Jan Vermeulen (fortepiano)
Klara Wurtz*
Christian Zacharias

* - download only

Given that several of these are recent recordings, I am surprised that it appears not to have been a BAL subject and has not appeared in that section in the BBC Music Magazine or discussed in depth in Gramophone Collection in the eponymous magazine. It therefore seems a suitable subject for discussion in the forum.

[jayne lee wilson]

Sublime, heavenly piece...the Richters might need a BaL to themselves....

[CallMePaul]

I first got to know this in the later of Kempff's recorcings of the piece, but this seems to have disappeared from what remains of my vinyl collection. I now have the 1979 Richter, recorded live in Tokyo on 7 Feb 1979, and the later Badura-Skoda version, played on a 1810 fortepiano by Donath Schöfftos and recorded at Palais Clan-Gallas, Vienna on 17 April 1996.

Badura-Skoda is very much my "go-to" pianist in Schubert and this is a lovely-sounding, original instrument. I appreciate that others will prefer a modern piano but in music of this period I like the intimacy that the period instrument provides, especially when listening at home.

[jayne lee wilson]

With you all the way on fortepianos and early pianos generally.... Schiff's two recent ECM Schubert discs, played on an 1820 Brodmann, are marvellous, perhaps he'll get to the earlier sonatas one day....

[Pianorak]

Martino Tirimo - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Schubert-Co...al-text&sr=8-1

[LeMartinPecheur]

Badura-Skoda is very much my "go-to" pianist in Schubert and this is a lovely-sounding, original instrument. I appreciate that others will prefer a modern piano but in music of this period I like the intimacy that the period instrument provides, especially when listening at home.

And in this B-S box you get all the Schubert sonatas on five different contemporary pianos! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Schubert-Co...s=music&sr=1-2 Strongly recommended!

[Richard Barrett]

I don't know this sonata at all, although I know I have at least two recordings as part of complete sets - Badura-Skoda and Vermeulen. I'll be going to the former first. I found Vermeulen's set very disappointing; in fact I'm pretty sure I haven't got around to listening to all of it.

I'm usually happy to listen to Beethoven on a modern piano, but I tend to need my Schubert (whose piano music I listen to far more often than that of LvB) played on an early 19th century instrument, Schubert being much more concerned with subtleties of timbre and texture it seems to me.

[MickyD]

And in this B-S box you get all the Schubert sonatas on five different contemporary pianos! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Schubert-Co...s=music&sr=1-2 Strongly recommended!

I have often thought about getting this box, but I just don't like the very close sound...would have liked a bit more air round the pianos.

[visualnickmos]

I was unaware he (Budura-Skoda) had recorded them again(?)
I have his complete Schubert sonatas on RCA, recorded in the late 1960s. I absolutely love this collection.

[gradus]

The Kempff is on Youtube and sounds and feels right. I was never a great admirer of him having seen a couple of live performances that were shot through with finger slips but the recording is very lovely indeed.

[silvestrione]

I hardly know this work, but found I had a Brendel performance, which turned out to be live, with a piano not always sounding ingratiating (leaving aside whether or not you want a modern or 19th century one) on this occasion, but the performance is fresh and eager, and the last two movements in particular left me feeling invigorated on a wet afternoon (with no cricket!).