# Recommend me a Schumann piano recording



## nefigah

I haven't listened to Schumann yet. Who are well-known Schumann interpreters, and particularly good recordings? Preferably one that includes Fantasie in C, since that intrigues me with its high ranking on the TC Top 200.


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## joen_cph

For the _Fantasie_, try Horowitz, or secondarily Richter, who made several versions of varying content and sound quality.

For the _Davidsbündlertänze_ (a fine and many-facetted work): Ugorski has a philosophical and highly interesting reading with a lot of contrasts.

The _Symphonic Etudes_: Kissin on Brilliant Classics. Impressive flight in that recording.

_Kreisleriana_: Horowitz (he made two; perhaps the early Sony is better than the DG, but this is debated), and Argerich.

For _others_, Argerich is generally always very recommendable (in the _Piano Concerto _especially Argerich with Harnoncourt. It has a timeless lyrical flow that never stops fascinating me).

Some fine rarities includes Beveridge Webster in the _Novelettes_, Seregy Serebryakov in _Carnival_ and Rudolf Kerer in the _Symphonic Etudes_. These are maybe only available as LPs (downloads?).

The interesting pianist Ernst Levy recorded the _Symphonic Etudes _ and this sounds intriguing, probably the only Schumann he recorded, but I haven´t heard it.

You will find these mentioned performances more varied, personal and full of contrasts than the main body of issued recordings.


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## Webernite

Richter, Horowitz, Argerich and Kempff have all made good Schumann recordings. Murray Perahia has recorded quite a lot of Schumann, and he's a good choice if you want high-quality sound. His playing isn't that special (most of the time), but it's solid.


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## Vesteralen

No contradiction here. Just wanted to add that my personal favorite version of the Op. 17 Fantasie is the old Geza Anda DG version - probably LP only as well. He was able to achieve what I consider to be a perfect balance between dreaminess and tension in this marvelous work.

For the Sonatas 1 & 2, I still get the most mileage from Claudio Arrau's versions - possibly available on CD, but most likely only in the complete boxed set of Arrau's Schumann.

For the budget-minded, Klara Wurtz's Brilliant boxed set has some very recommendable performances of the three works I mentioned above, plus the Kreisleriana, the Piano Concerto and the Opus 26, with excellent sound as well.


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## jalex

Lupu's recording of Kreisleriana and Kinderszenen is top notch. Humoreske thrown in as bonus.


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## Klavierspieler

Go Richter!


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## kv466

I am not an authority on Schumann but for the Fantasie op.17 I like my recording by Earl Wild just fine! It is gorgeously played but like I said, I haven't explored this enough with other pianists to know much more. Still, I can say with much authority that Earl Wild recorded at least a half dozen major concertos better than or as good as anyone, ever. 

That being said, the guy I like for the concerto is Artur Rubinstein with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Carlo Maria Giulini. That and Claudio Arrau played the Schumann concerto quite beautifully as well.


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## Artemis

nefigah said:


> I haven't listened to Schumann yet. Who are well-known Schumann interpreters, and particularly good recordings? Preferably one that includes Fantasie in C, since that intrigues me with its high ranking on the TC Top 200.


The Fantasy in C Major, Opus 17, is a very good piece to start with as a way into Schumann's piano solo works. During the first 10 years of his composing career Schumann focused entirely on works for solo piano, and it wasn't until shortly after his marriage that he began to branch out into other genres (song, chamber, symphony, concerto etc). Later on he returned to write several other works for solo piano

Opus 17 was first written in 1836. Schumann had intended the proceeds from the sale of his Op 17 sonata to go towards the construction of a monument to Beethoven who had died in 1827. However, the work was slightly revised in 1839, when it acquired the name "Fantasie" in C Major, and was re-dedicated to Liszt in that year. The work contains lots of symbolic references towards Clara Wieck (Schumann's future wife).

In my opinion, the best version of the Op 17 Fantasy is by Martha Argerich.

There are several good interpretors of Schumann. Among the most frequently mentioned is perhaps Richter, but for Op 17 I prefer Martha Argerich's version. Others are Horowitz, Ashkenazy, Pollini, Arrau, Lupu, Collard, Rubinstein, Le Sage, Perahia, Berezovsky, Pogorelich, Hamelin, Schiff. A good starting set would the one by Ashkenazy. It's not a complete set of all of Schumann's piano solo but it's all mainly there. I like Askkenazy a great deal.


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## joen_cph

I didn´t know about Argerich in opus 17, thanks. Of course, it sounds intriguing ...


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## markgarm

No one has mentioned Pires . I really like her Schumann . Also Samson Francois the Chopin specialist does Schumann extremely well . His 36 cd set is so worth it imo . Listen to his playing of the French composers - merveilleux ! My bias is that I prefer the softer and poetic touch generally speaking - except for Beethoven where great passion is often required . I often do not respond favorably to Argerich especially with most of Chopin although I do respect her immensely and what she does .


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## elgar's ghost

Try the 4-disc Kempff set on DG. Covers most of the main early works for solo piano but no sonatas 1 & 3.


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## Air

Glad you're coming around to Schumann, nefigah!

The quintessential Schumann pianist is an interesting case. The persona must be a bit unstable, mentally unsure - not level-headed like Berman or Schnabel. It must be capable of the most tender poetry, but also of fiery passion, youthful joy and sorrow. Above all, it must be able to understand - understand the beauty of struggle and the depths of human emotion. It must be an isolated personality, shut out from the world, a tragic soul. But it also must be able to hope, to enjoy what there is with a golden touch and wonderful sensitivity. Schumann pianists always feel the moment; they refuse to miss out on every shade of its nuances; they masterfully isolate it from the bigger picture.

One of the greatest historical pianists is Alfred Cortot, who brought the same poetry to Schumann as he did to Chopin. His technique can be a bit sloppy at times, but only for the sake of the musicality - the musicality is _never_ lacking. What I love most about Cortot is his singular and remarkable ability to comprehend both the single moment and the bigger picture at the same time. Each character he portrays in a Schumann piano cycle is a unique voice, but at the end, he is able to fit each and every one of these into an even grand dialogue that adds not only to the work as a whole but to each movement as well. His recording of the _Davidsbündlertänze_ is my favorite of all time.

No Schumann discussion is complete without a mention of Slava Richter, the legend that seemed to excel in everything from Bach to Webern. In contrast to Cortot, Richter's technique is immense, yet there is a certain quality of unease in it that makes it appealing for the listener. It adds a certain tension, a certain magic to Richter's bipolar playing. What makes Richter a pianist for the ages is his ability to understand the most intimate of moments with the most wonderful sensitivity (his Schubert too, is a prime example of this) and then turn around and release an overwhelming furore (if you've ever heard his Prokofiev 5, then you know exactly what I'm talking about ). If you want a _Fantasie in C_ with which to ride the torrents of emotion, Richter is your man.

To prevent overwhelming you with recordings, I will mention only one more pianist, Vladimir Horowitz, whose recording of _Kreisleriana_ left me utterly breathless when I heard it for the first time, two weeks ago. Like Richter, Horowitz has a massive technique that never seemed to achieve the flawless silky quality of a Michelangeli or Pollini. But this was to his advantage in Schumann. Horowitz's best quality is his ability to crescendo in the most exciting ways. The moment his _Kreisleriana_ begins, you feel that you are being thrown into a tempest, a Turner painting, a "Raft of the Medusa" with no escape. It is terrifying, exhilarating, electrifying, and an utterly magnificent experience.

For further listening, I would suggest:

_Carnaval_ - Cortot
_Kinderszenen_ - Horowitz
_Études Symphoniques_ - Richter
_Fantasiestücke_ - Argerich
_Papillons_ - Cortot
_Sonata No. 1_ - Sofronitsky
_Sonata No. 2_ - Argerich
_Sonata No. 3_ - Horowitz
_Waldszenen_ - Richter

Also, don't miss out on the op. 54 Klavierkonzert if you have not heard it already. _Fantasie in C_ might be a gem, but Schumann's greatest masterpiece came later in his life when he had developed a more mature understanding of love, sorrow, and joy. It is the older version of the Fantasie, also wrought of passion, also intended for the beloved Clara.


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## Vaneyes

Gavrilov, Lupu, Demidenko, Berezovsky, Richter, Argerich, Dalberto.


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## nefigah

I ended up starting with this, which should be here in a few days: 









I wanted to get a Richter but was having a hard time finding one with good sound quality.


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## Klavierspieler

nefigah said:


> I wanted to get a Richter but was having a hard time finding one with good sound quality.


That's the problem with Richter, the quality on his recordings isn't the best, but his interpretations are wonderful.


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## Ukko

Perahia recorded a couple Schumann works before 1980, one of them the Davidsbundlertanze. He illuminated the feeling of creeping doubt behind the boisterous cheerfulness very well.

Volker Banfield recorded the sonatas late in his career. I can't recommend the CD for a first experience of them (the interpretations are cold, sharp edged, brittle), but the emotional effect is strong and unique. Maybe pick up the CD and put it in a safe place for a year or two before playing it.

This is the entry at arkivmusic.

Release Date: 01/04/1994 
Label: Cpo Catalog #: 999217 Spars Code: DDD 
Composer: Robert Schumann
Performer: Volker Banfield

Number of Discs: 1 
Recorded in: Stereo 
Length: 1 Hours 8 Mins.


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## pmeylakhs

Air said:


> Glad you're coming around to Schumann, nefigah!
> 
> For further listening, I would suggest:
> 
> _Carnaval_ - Cortot
> _Kinderszenen_ - Horowitz
> _Études Symphoniques_ - Richter
> _Fantasiestücke_ - Argerich
> _Papillons_ - Cortot
> _Sonata No. 1_ - Sofronitsky
> _Sonata No. 2_ - Argerich
> _Sonata No. 3_ - Horowitz
> _Waldszenen_ - Richter
> 
> Same here but in Etudes I would put Sofronitsky first. Waldszenen - Pires. And I don't think that much of his Piano Concerto/


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## pmeylakhs

Hope you already did) In my opinion, it's the best tnterpretation.


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## WJM

How about Rachmaninoff's recording of the Carnaval?


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## Mandryka

Here's a list of favourites I made (in French) a few years ago, I don't think too much would change, maybe some additions. Richter for op 72, Demidenko for Humoreske, Bashkirov for Bunter Blatter, Le Sage and Elena Kuschnerova for the Beethoven Etudes.

Variations Abegg op.1 Demidenko
Papillons op.2 Nat, Kempff mono, Cortot
Etudes Paganini op.3 le Sage, 
Intermezzi op.4	
Impromptus op.5	
Davidsbündlertänze op.6 Pollini live à Salzburg, Gieseking, Brunhoff, Cortot, Kuerti, Arrau
Toccata op.7 Lhevinne, Pogorelich, Egorov, Barer, Horowitz (un de ses premiers enregistrements)
Allegro op.8	
Carnaval op.9	
Etudes Paganini	op.10 Adam Skoumal
Sonate op.11 Sofronitsky
Fantasiestücke op.12 Le Sage, Richter. 
Etudes symphoniques op.13 Nathan Brand, Pollini en 1976, Burkhard Schliessman, Cortot 1952, Sofronitsky, Arrau live à Prague, Richter à Prague. 
Sonate op.14 Sokolov, Horowitz et Demidenko pour les variations Wieck
Kinderszenen op.15 Nathan Brand, Moravec (Nonesuch 33 tours, j'en ai les FLACs), Cortot
Kreisleriana op.16 Schliessmann, Horowitz (Carnegie Hall 1968), Jonathan Biss, Hoffman, Nathan Brand 
Fantaisie op.17 Annie Fischer (BBC), Sofronitsky à Moscou, Arrau (live), Schliessman, Sokolov live, Pletnev, Moiseiewitsch
Arabeske op.18 
Blumenstück op.19 
Humoreske op.20 Ranki, Feinberg, 
Novelettes op.21	Ciani (en live), Nat, Arrau, Sofronitsky (au Musée Scriabine de préférence)
Sonate op.22 Sokolov (à Heidelberg), Virsaladze
Nachtstücke op.23 Guilels
Faschingsschwank aus Wien op.26 Cziffra, Michelangeli
Romances op.28 Moiseiwitsch
Klavierstücke op.32 Sokolov
Für die Jugend op.68	Weissenberg, Michelangeli, Le Sage
Fugues op.72 
Marches op.76	
Waldscenen op.82 Virsaladze
Bunte Blätter op.99 Pletnev
Fantasiestücke op.111 Horowitz
Sonates op.118
Albumblätter op.124	
Fuguetten op.126	
Gesänge der Frühe op.133 Andersiewski
Geister-Variationen Sokolov
Etudes Beethoven	
[/quote]


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## joen_cph

As a side remark, I got the Gieseking Davidsbündler since my first post due to someone´s recommendation & I agree that it is one of the most interesting there are.


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## Davidgoldstein

I have heard hundreds of recordings of Kreisleriana. Recently I came across a version of a for me unknown pianist. Quite a rollercoaster interpretation.
Michiel Demarey Kreisleriana


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