# Schubert Piano Music



## misterjones (Oct 9, 2007)

Recommendations sought for Schubert piano music - impromptus primarily and sonatas secondarily. Right now I am comparing the following:

Mitsuko Uchida 
Artur Schnabel
Radu Lupu 
Alfred Brendel


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Murray Perahia does a blinding rendition of the last three sonatas. And my personal preference for impromptus is Krystian Zimerman.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

*Richter*´s Schubert sonata recordings are some of the most original and acclaimed, especially sonatas D894 and 960, also sonatas nos 9,11,13. His Wanderer Fantasie is famous, but I find it a bit dry; *Anton Kuerti *has recorded a fine and unusually articulated version of that work.

*Maria Yudina/Judina*´s Sonata D960 and impromptus should be heard (also on you-tube).

*Clifford Curzon*´s Schubert, less spectacular and rather lyrical, is also worth hearing.

You might also find *Eduard Erdmann*´s, *Edwin Fischer*´s and* Vladimir Sofronitsky*´s Schubert interesting (you-tube).

I really like *Horowitz* in D960 (there is an rca and a DG version), it is certainly original, but has put many listeners off. It is not Horowitz at his most showy, rather there is a fine sense of underlying progression in it, and the Finale becomes a "real" finale.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

My suggestion, that Schnabel played Schubert the way Schubert wished his music would be played, is completely unsupported by any historical source. It simply sounds that way to me. Both Lupu and Richter play the late sonatas with great effect, but without giving me the pleasure that Schnabel does.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Maria Joao Pires for the later non-sonata pieces (two sets of impromptus, drei klavierstucke and the allegretto). They are all gathered together on a DG recording under the title of 'Le Voyage Magnifique'. A fine collection if you can get past the rather precious sleevenotes. Schubert's later music for piano duet is also worth checking out - there's an interesting 1960s live Britten/Richter disc on Decca which includes the superb Grande Duo Sonata D812.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Impromptus - Brendel '70's 
Sonatas - Lewis, Lupu, Sokolov, Uchida


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## Amfibius (Jul 19, 2006)

joen_cph said:


> I really like *Horowitz* in D960 (there is an rca and a DG version), it is certainly original, but has put many listeners off. It is not Horowitz at his most showy, rather there is a fine sense of underlying progression in it, and the Finale becomes a "real" finale.


I really like that one too, but mine is the DG version ("Horowitz the Poet"). What is the RCA version like?


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## misterjones (Oct 9, 2007)

Vaneyes said:


> Impromptus - Brendel '70's
> Sonatas - Lewis, Lupu, Sokolov, Uchida


What's wrong with Brendel's 1988 recording?


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

misterjones said:


> What's wrong with Brendel's 1988 recording?


Impersonal, unattached, more banging, colder sound.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

> I really like that one too, but mine is the DG version ("Horowitz the Poet"). What is the RCA version like


Am listening to the DG version now and there are some surprising contrasts in the Finale, given the "gentler" and slower overall approach on that recording. Generally people seem to prefer the DG. I like both. But the RCA seems perhaps to have a bit more continuity/underlying sense of line in the individual movements. It is also more immediately dramatic, the fast tempo of the 1st movement being an obvious example (I am not able to say right now whether some of the time difference is due to the omission of a repetition section, but it is definitely faster).

DG: 19:14 / 8:01 / 4:12 / 7:32
RCA: 13:02 / 8:21 / 3:52 / 7:10


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