# Who is your favorite Schubertian pianist?



## peeyaj

Schubert piano works (esp the sonatas) were not popular in the 19th century. Following the championship of Schnabel in early 20th century, they become part of the core piano repertoire. 

Who among these great pianists are the best Schubert pianist?


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## KenOC

An interesting poll. But where's Goode?


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## peeyaj

KenOC said:


> An interesting poll. But where's Goode?


In Others choice..


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## tdc

I'll abstain from voting as I haven't listened to most of those, but from what I have heard I really like Zimerman's playing on the Impromptus. Not sure if he recorded the Sonatas or not.


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## KenOC

peeyaj said:


> In Others choice..


Well, that's OK, gave me a chance to vote for Lewis.


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## Il_Penseroso

Kempff for me... and especially for the Sonatas.


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## moody

Surprised to see Horowitz listed,Schumann yes but Schubert ?
Schnabel's Schubert is the "greatest",but I'm sure that the older recordings will not suit some members.after all we all know that excellence of recording is far more important than excellence of performance.
But there are a number of Schubert specialists missing :
Emil Gilels,Paul Badura-Skoda,Shura Cherkassky,Robert Goldsand,Clifford Curzon(!!),Lili Kraus,Rudolf Serkin (Richard Goode's teacher),Joerg Demus.


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## peeyaj

moody said:


> Surprised to see Horowitz listed,Schumann yes but Schubert ?
> Schnabel's Schubert is the "greatest",but I'm sure that the older recordings will not suit some members.after all we all know that excellence of recording is far more important than excellence of performance.
> But there are a number of Schubert specialists missing :
> Emil Gilels,Paul Badura-Skoda,Shura Cherkassky,Robert Goldsand,Clifford Curzon(!!),Lili Kraus,Rudolf Serkin (Richard Goode's teacher),Joerg Demus.


Curzon!! That's my bad.. I planned to add him but it slipped in my mind, I added Horowitz instead. The first recording I heard is Horowitz' D.960, I like it the first I've heard it but since listening to other versions, I began to loathe it.


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## Aramis

Andreas Staier:






He may not be greater pianist that those from the poll options but he certainly plays on greatest pianos of them all, by far.


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## thesubtlebody

Monstrously, unfairly difficult choice to make! I chose *Richter *for audacity and risk, but as bland as it is to say, I think I really like every pianist listed. I have been listening to *Michael Endres*' large set (just reissued [?] by Capriccio), and I am liking his approach immensely. But anyway, I cast yet another vote for the Richter Cult.


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## joen_cph

_Impromptus_: Schnabel, Yudina, E.Fischer
_Moments Musicaux_, _3 Klavierstücke_: A rare case of preferring Brendel (Philips)
_Wanderer_: Kuerti

_Sonata 18_: definitely Richter, brilliant classics
_Sonata 19_: don´t know
_Sonata 20_: don´t know
_Sonata 21_: Horowitz RCA (very fast and controversial, mostly unpopular), Horowitz DG, Richter/praga, Yudina, Damgaard

Overall: hesitantly Richter

EDIT: Gilels in Sonata 14/op.143 on youtube must surely be the most extrovert version around ?


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## Ukko

joen_cph said:


> _Impromptus_: Schnabel, Yudina, E.Fischer
> _Moments Musicaux_, _3 Klavierstücke_: A rare case of preferring Brendel (Philips)
> _Wanderer_: Kuerti
> 
> _Sonata 18_: definitely Richter, brilliant classics
> _Sonata 19_: don´t know
> _Sonata 20_: don´t know
> _Sonata 21_: Horowitz RCA (very fast and controversial, mostly unpopular), Horowitz DG, Richter/praga, Yudina, Damgaard
> 
> Overall: hesitantly Richter


Hah. Interesting breakdown. This picking and choosing among Pianists and Pieces is either 1) a courageous specificity or 2) a wishy-washy reluctance to commit.



[I'll go with 1)]

Being too scatter-brained for such precision, I must take the Broad View: Schnabel, Kempff, Richter, Demus, with an honorable mention to Afanassiev for an amazing D960.

[wishy-washiness thereby admitted]


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## joen_cph

Hilltroll72 said:


> Hah. Interesting breakdown. This picking and choosing among Pianists and Pieces is either 1) a courageous specificity or 2) a wishy-washy reluctance to commit.
> 
> 
> 
> [I'll go with 1)]
> 
> Being too scatter-brained for such precision, I must take the Broad View: Schnabel, Kempff, Richter, *Demus*, with an honorable mention to Afanassiev for an amazing D960.
> 
> [wishy-washiness thereby admitted]


Agree, Demus seems quite underrated, cf. his relatively early Debussy and Franck recordings, but I don´t know his Schubert except the fine Moments Musicaux and the Impromptus D935 (DG-Polydor LP). Any others ?


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## StlukesguildOhio

Kempff and Uchida for the sonatas
Brendel for the Impromptus


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## Vaneyes

Current, Lewis. Past, Lupu. Others, Sokolov, Brendel, Uchida.


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## Ukko

joen_cph said:


> Agree, Demus seems quite underrated, cf. his relatively early Debussy and Franck recordings, but I don´t know his Schubert except the fine Moments Musicaux and the Impromptus D935 (DG-Polydor LP). Any others ?


There is this:

http://www.amazon.com/Jörg-Demus-Sc...id=1350857903&sr=1-12&keywords=demus+schubert

He recorded a _lot_ as accompanist in the lieder, some in the chamber music, and even 4-hands with Badura-Skoda.

Seems like I have more piano solo stuff, but I can't remember what, and finding it in my collection could be a long time coming.


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## moody

joen_cph said:


> Agree, Demus seems quite underrated, cf. his relatively early Debussy and Franck recordings, but I don´t know his Schubert except the fine Moments Musicaux and the Impromptus D935 (DG-Polydor LP). Any others ?


Demus made a recording for DGG entitled Dances from Old Vienna that consisted of waltzes,laendler,ecossaises,German dances,etc by Schubert--not terribly important but charming.


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## KenOC

I wonder if anybody remembers Karl Ulricht Schnabel, son of Artur. He was a tremendous Schubert pianist, but few recordings seem available today, and those only from specialty houses.


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## mensch

I own a mix of Uchida and Lupu for his solo piano works, because I like their performances very much.

Gerald Moore is the pianist on the Lieder cycles (Winterreise, Schwanengesang, Die Schöne Müllerin) I own, he's one of the great interpreters of Schubert's songs, but I chose those recordings because of Dietrich Fischer-Diskau.

I've recently heard Paul Lewis play the late sonatas of Schubert in my city's concert hall and it was a great experience. I really like his Schubert playing.


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## Novelette

Representing Kempff!


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## pasido

My favorite is me! Learning the D960 right now.

Other than that I voted for Richter and Perahia. Richter's D894 and D960 are stellar, and Perahia plays very cleanly as always.


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## KenOC

I was introduced to Schubert's piano music through the recordings of Richard Goode. They're still among my favorites. Has he been forgotten?


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## DavidA

I put down the ones I actually own at the moment.
Richter
Lupu
Kempff
Lewis
Brendel

Also Schnabel on cassette. He introduced me to the sonatas.

I also own an awesome D960 by kovacevich and the last three sonatas by Pollini, which are very fine.
Schiff is also rated as a Schubertian. I have him in the shorter pieces.
I also have a D960 by Geza Anda - wayward but interesting.

As for Horowitz - fantastic in Schumann but Schubert - perhaps not his string point.

I think you have noted the omission of Curzon.


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## Hausmusik

Brendel, Uchida, and Other (with Goode in mind).

Let me also say that, despite dated sound, I love many, perhaps even most of the performances of Walter Klien, available as three inexpensive Vox twofers. They have great vigor and rhythmic energy, an interesting contrast to Uchida's dreaminess.


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## DavidA

Was listening to Lupu again last night. Fantastic Schubertian. He seems to have the right touch and colour. Someone said he is a 'colourist in a thousand'. I am constantly amazed that someone can get such sounds out of what is basically a mechanical instrument.


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## Turangalîla

To be honest, I am not a great lover of Schubert's piano music *gasp*. Even the best pianists cannot help me from being bored. However I chose Perahia—I haven't even heard any of his Schubert recordings, but he played that (dreaded ) A major sonata at a concert last year. I wasn't looking forward to it; however, he had me on the edge of my seat the whole time—even while doing all the repeats.  It was the most invigorating Schubert I've ever heard—Perahia's playing is incomprehensibly poised, mature, and refined.


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## Hausmusik

Believe it or not, I only just realized Claudio Arrau was on the list. His late Schubert sonatas are excellent. (He's on my mind because I listened to his Beethoven Opp. 109 and 110 last night and was convinced nobody has ever played them better.) Anyway, if I were voting today he'd probably get my vote along with Brendel and other (for Goode).


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## Ravndal

Lupu and Sokolov is very good


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## Novelette

Richter, Kempff, and Brendel dominate the poll.

These three marvelous performers top my list of favorite Schubert pianists too.


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## DavidA

Novelette said:


> Richter, Kempff, and Brendel dominate the poll.
> 
> These three marvelous performers top my list of favorite Schubert pianists too.


I think in that case some of you guys need to listen to Radu Lupu. I believe he's right up there with them. One of the greatest pianists today. Pity he doesn't record any more.


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## Ravndal

DavidA said:


> I think in that case some of you guys need to listen to Radu Lupu. I believe he's right up there with them. One of the greatest pianists today. *Pity he doesn't record any more*.


Do you know why?


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## DavidA

Ravndal said:


> Do you know why?


He reckons that microphones make him nervous.


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## Ukko

DavidA said:


> I think in that case some of you guys need to listen to Radu Lupu. I believe he's right up there with them. One of the greatest pianists today. Pity he doesn't record any more.


He's an 'atmosphere' guy. There is more to Schubert's music than that.


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## DavidA

Hilltroll72 said:


> He's an 'atmosphere' guy. There is more to Schubert's music than that.


What on earth is meant by that statement?


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## peeyaj

Heard Maria João Pires today!

She's such a beautiful and thoughtful interpreter of Schubert' music. Better than Argerich. 

http://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Impromtus-Le-Voyage-Magnifique/dp/B000001GZY


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## DavidA

peeyaj said:


> Heard Maria João Pires today!
> 
> She's such a beautiful and thoughtful interpreter of Schubert' music. Better than Argerich.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Impromtus-Le-Voyage-Magnifique/dp/B000001GZY


Not surprised. Argerich hardly plays Schubert. At last there are hardly any recordings.


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## peeyaj

DavidA said:


> Not surprised. Argerich hardly plays Schubert. At last there are hardly any recordings.


I have a thread regarding Argerich and Schubert. http://www.talkclassical.com/12632-schubert-martha-argerich.html

I think Argerich don't like Schubert's solo piano music. She didn't have any recorded or performed them live. I think Schubert's "intimacy", and "subtlety" especially on his last sonatas don't fit Argerich's temperament.She played and recorded some of the piano four hands and the Arpeggione Sonata and I found them sub par. How I wish she could play some Schubert sonatas and the Impromptus.


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## DavidA

peeyaj said:


> I have a thread regarding Argerich and Schubert. http://www.talkclassical.com/12632-schubert-martha-argerich.html
> 
> I think Argerich don't like Schubert's solo piano music. She didn't have any recorded or performed them live. I think Schubert's "intimacy", and "subtlety" especially on his last sonatas don't fit Argerich's temperament.She played and recorded some of the piano four hands and the Arpeggione Sonata and I found them sub par. How I wish she could play some Schubert sonatas and the Impromptus.


Yes, that is about right. I have her playing a four hands piece live but I am not aware of anything else. Shows even the greatest are not suited to everything. Even Martha!


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## JCarmel

Favourite Schubert pianists... Curzon, Richter, Pires, Uchida, Brendel, Pollini and Ashkenazy.
I haven't yet heard enough of Lewis but am intending to remedy that situation, asap!


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## ptr

Its hard to only have one, there is so many!

Here's a few unranked names I think is indispensable in Schubert;
Sviatoslav Richter, Artur Schnabel, Edwin Fischer, Cliff Curzon, Andras Schiff, Radu Lupu, Annie Fischer, Murray Perahia, Wilhelm Kempff, Maria João Pires, Misuko Ushida, Stephen Kovacevich, Claudio Arrau, Clara Haskil, Jorge Bolet, Zoltan Kocsis, Paul Badura-Skoda, Andreas Staier, Alfred Cortot, Walter Gieseking..

Surprising (to my self) I don't care that much for Horowitz or Rubinstein's Schubert, and I'm sure I've missed someone important! ..if I was forced in to only having one? Probably Lupu..

/ptr


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## worov

Radu Lupu and Maria João Pires.


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## ptr

Addendum to myself; Someone who (AFAIC) did not record that much Schubert but who have the right kind of sensibility is *Egon Petri*, he is often forgotten in the shadow of more known Germans.. Love his playing, think its quite influential on the post WWII generations of pianists.

/ptr


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## peeyaj

It's official!! Sviatoslav Richter won as the most favorite Schubertian pianist!


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## peeyaj

Here's a video that made me cry!!


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## KenOC

I'd like to hear any specific comments on Uchida's Schubert.


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## worov

> I'd like to hear any specific comments on Uchida's Schubert.


Mitsuko Uchida is amazing in eveyrthing she does. She's one of my favorite contemporary pianists.


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## MichaelSolo

Horowitz is routinly underestimated. How strange.

Tatiana Nikolayeva, a little known but exceedingly talented Russian pianist of past century is my favorite. Warmth, and every piece is a story.

Richter's Schubert recording sounds a bit cold to me. He always looked to me a bit too brainy in general. Though, I first-hand know him to be anything but - I sat a couple of yards away from him when he played Shimanovsky and Skryabin. However, this was one of his last concerts; he probably changed quite a bit by that time since making the Schubert recording that I have.


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## KenOC

MichaelSolo said:


> Richter's Schubert recording sounds a bit cold to me. He always looked to me a bit too brainy in general.


Too brainy for Schubert? Yeah, I can dig it. I'm too sexy for my shirt! Kind of the same thing. :lol:


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## ptr

MichaelSolo said:


> Tatiana Nikolayeva, a little known but exceedingly talented Russian pianist of past century is my favorite. Warmth, and every piece is a story.


I'm not sure we assess her the same, she is one of the Greats in Shostakovich, Rakhmaninoff and Bach, Beethoven, maybe not the greatest over all, but certainly on my top 20 list. To be honest, I don't think I've heard her play Schubert, will have to investigate!



> Richter's Schubert recording sounds a bit cold to me. He always looked to me a bit too brainy in general. Though, I first-hand know him to be anything but - I sat a couple of yards away from him when he played Shimanovsky and Skryabin. However, this was one of his last concerts; he probably changed quite a bit by that time since making the Schubert recording that I have.


I don't know about brainy being "negative", me thinks of Richter as one of the most deliberate emotional pianists ever, not least in Schubert! Might be that some equates his thoroughness as being cold, I think that He detailed the process of playing so minute as to fill every note with the exact emotion, weighing every phrase to the last molecule...

I think it is an incredible wealth that we can assess our experiences so differently, it is what makes music great!

/ptr


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## joen_cph

MichaelSolo said:


> *Tatiana Nikolayeva*, a little known but exceedingly talented Russian pianist of past century is my favorite. Warmth, and every piece is a story.


There´s a D960 on you-tube I recently heard the interesting beginning of; am looking forward to hearing the whole recording (



).


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## MichaelSolo

ptr said:


> I don't know about brainy being "negative", me thinks of Richter as one of the most deliberate emotional pianists ever, not least in Schubert! Might be that some equates his thoroughness as being cold, I think that He detailed the process of playing so minute as to fill every note with the exact emotion, weighing every phrase to the last molecule...../ptr


As my teacher used to say, you dig the tunnel from two sides. I think Richter strived to analyze beauty too much - in hopes to sease the essense and make playing perfect. His heart, fortunately, took over more often than not in the last decade of his performing carreer. Still, even then, it was more a bird in a larger cage rather than a kite without a string. Compare his Bach to Bach of David Oistrakh (say, slow movement of the e-minor concerto).

Still, I enjoy Richter immensly - do not get me wrong. I am a bit saddened that in one of his last interviews, thin, with thinning white hair in a smallish soviet-era apartment, he sadly confessed - "... and I do not like the way I played." It came across not as a "normal" performer dissatisfaction with own play, but as a solemn self-assesment of the musician at the end of the carreer..

My heart ached.


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## DavidA

MichaelSolo said:


> Still, I enjoy Richter immensly - do not get me wrong. I am a bit saddened that in one of his last interviews, thin, with thinning white hair in a smallish soviet-era apartment, he sadly confessed - "... and I do not like the way I played." It came across not as a "normal" performer dissatisfaction with own play, but as a solemn self-assesment of the musician at the end of the carreer..
> 
> My heart ached.


Richter apparently died in relative poverty. Does anyone know the reason?


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## joen_cph

Given his constant travel activities in the West and lucrative recorded oeuvre I find it hard to believe that he became relatively poor in old age ?

"_Still, I enjoy Richter immensly - do not get me wrong. I am a bit saddened that in one of his last interviews .... he sadly confessed - "... and I do not like the way I played." It came across not as a "normal" performer dissatisfaction with own play, but as a solemn self-assesment of the musician at the end of the carreer."_

- do you remember if this remark was related to a recent concert of his - or his earlier playing style ?

Overall I agree that Richter´s style and individual performances vary a lot, sometimes being a bit cold-hearted, at other times very engaged. His famous "Wanderer" EMI for instance is no doubt technically brilliant, but there are more interesting, varied performances around. The Brilliant Classics D894 and of course the various D960 (Praga) are examples of a very emotional rendering with greater contrasts - for instance than in say, Lupu/Decca/D894 or Kempff/DG/D960.


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## DavidA

joen_cph said:


> Given his constant travel activities in the West and lucrative recorded oeuvre I find it hard to believe that he became relatively poor in old age ?
> 
> .


It was a remark in a review in the Gramophone of a biography of Richter.


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## joen_cph

The NY Times Obituary states

"Though he kept a commodious apartment in Moscow and a country dacha in the woods outside the city, in recent years Mr. Richter lived mostly in Paris and Germany",

but it is not necessarily totally up to date with the last few years.

This Richter Museum site tells of/shows the mentioned Moscow apartment:
http://www.sviatoslav-richter.ru/apartment/facilities/index.php?lang=en


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## DavidA

Of corse, Richter undertook tours of obscure places in the old USSR in later years. He seemed to play for the enjoyment of the locals. These may have eaten away his cash.


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## DavidA

MichaelSolo said:


> Still, I enjoy Richter immensly - do not get me wrong. I am a bit saddened that in one of his last interviews, thin, with thinning white hair in a smallish soviet-era apartment, he sadly confessed - "... and I do not like the way I played." It came across not as a "normal" performer dissatisfaction with own play, but as a solemn self-assesment of the musician at the end of the carreer..
> 
> My heart ached.


A tragedy that such a great musician appears to have got so little self-satisfaction from his art.


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## peeyaj

Richter said that he didn't like himself.  skip at 7:40.






Trivia: Richter's favorite Schubert sonata is the D.894. It was one of the longest record he made clocking at 56 minutes, with the first movement taking up more than 25 minutes.


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## MichaelSolo

Even though the literal translation of his words is "I do not like myself", the common use of the phrase "I like him/her" among the Russian musicians leads to a more exact translation: "I do not like the way I played."

It was said with such a resolution and finality.. Such a sorrow..


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## Amateur

Yudina has two fascinating recordings of 960 (studio and live). If you like it slow, you may prefer these to Richter's.


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## Itullian

Kempff,Brendel,Lupu
Schnabel


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## Schubussy

I really like Perahia's recordings of the last 3 sonatas.


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## DavidA

I am presently listening to Clifford Curzon in Schubert. Surprised he is not on the list.


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## Nevohteeb

To me, in any Schubert work, especially piano, it has to "sing". Rudi Serkin, & Richard Goode, & Mitsuko Uchida, and Schnabel, all had/have, that ability, to make the piano, sing.


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## Kazaman

I'm dismayed that Schnabel has so few votes.


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## KenOC

Nevohteeb said:


> To me, in any Schubert work, especially piano, it has to "sing". Rudi Serkin, & Richard Goode, & Mitsuko Uchida, and Schnabel, all had/have, that ability, to make the piano, sing.


I was introduced to the late Schubert sonatas by Richard Goode, so it's hard to be subjective. After hearing one disc, I immediately had to have the others. And they were full-priced at the time!


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## MagneticGhost

Listening to Brendel's Impromptus was a pivotal moment in my life. So Alfie it is. 
Hope he doesn't mind being called that ;-)


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## StlukesguildOhio

Listening to Brendel's Impromptus was a pivotal moment in my life.

Indeed!:cheers:


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## ahammel

Wanted to vote Richter/Other, somehow wound up voting Schnabel/Other 

"Other" in this case means Andreas Schiff and Jos van Immerseel (for the fortepiano enthusiasts).


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## peeyaj

Poor Schnabel, so few votes.. the one who revived the piano sonatas after years of neglect..


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## Nevohteeb

I'm with you Moody, I love Rudolf Serkin's, Schubert. He made the sonatas, 'sing'. As Schubert was a master of the lieder, I always thought all his music, 'sang', whether there was a voice in it, or not. Rudi made that Steinway, sing. Richard Goode does too, and Mitsuko Uchida. P.S. Artur Schnabel, also did it well.


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## peeyaj

Has anyone here can recommend Schubert's piano works played in a fortepiano?


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## ptr

peeyaj said:


> Has anyone here can recommend Schubert's piano works played in a fortepiano?


My two to contenders are; *Andreas Staier* did a double CD with the late sonatas for Teldec I adore his playing, but not for the faint hearted perhaps!, the second is *Robert Levin* on Sony playing D850 & D537, he is quite inventive and fun to listen to! If You are keen on the complete (?) set, I think that *Paul Badura-Skoda* recorded them all for Arcana, he is always reliable and a very fin fortepianist. I think that *Malcolm Bilson* also has recorded "all" of them for Hungaroton, but I've only heard two of the disc's and I (very personally) think that Bilson's way around the pianoforte is a bit to skimpy for my taste.

/ptr


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## ptr

^^Addendum; I just picked up Paul Badura-Skoda's latest(?) album on the German label "*Genuin*" where he play the Piano Sonata D960 on three different instruments, a 1826 Conrad Graf Fortepiano, a 1923 Bösendorfer and a 2004 Steinway! .. Very interesting survey of the difference tone qualities with these three instruments more or less spanning development of the instrument during the past 200 years!

/ptr


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## millionrainbows

I think Schubert's piano sonatas are "orchestral" in conception, rather than being virtuoso showcases; therefore, I like an even-handed, laid-back approach, which is why I voted for Kempff. Richter understands this approach very well, too. To me, these are "musings" at the piano, very introspective. No bombast is called for.

I'm going to pull my Tatiana Nikolayeva and Richter discs and listen to them again. The Radu Lupu interests me.


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## juliante

I would value an update on this poll.


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## betterthanfine

I've recently been discovering Elisabeth Leonskaja's Schubert, and like it very much. Unaffected and straightforward, but still quite moving.


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## Highwayman

I would add Serkin, Curzon, Gilels, Badura-Skoda to the list, all of them are great Schubertians. I also like some recordings of Nikolayeva, Rubinstein, de Larrocha, Demus, Berman, Zimerman, Magaloff, Cherkassky, Leonskaja, Sofronitsky, Malikova, Kissin, Hamelin, Hess and Yudina but I don't think they have enough Schubert recordings to be called as Schubertian pianists. 

Nevertheless, as I voted above, my top 3 would be:
1-Kempff 
2-Arrau
3-Lupu (Curzon could be a good candidate for this spot)


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## betterthanfine

Highwayman said:


> I would add Serkin, Curzon, Gilels, Badura-Skoda to the list, all of them are great Schubertians. I also like some recordings of Nikolayeva, Rubinstein, de Larrocha, Demus, Berman, Zimerman, Magaloff, Cherkassky, Leonskaja, Sofronitsky, Malikova, Kissin, Hamelin, Hess and Yudina but I don't think they have enough Schubert recordings to be called as Schubertian pianists.


I think having recorded the Impromptus, seven of the sonatas, the Wanderer fantasia and the Trout quintet, Leonskaja qualifies as a Schubertian pianist.


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## Bulldog

I picked Brendel with Richter and Kempff close behind. From the list, Lupu is at the bottom.


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## Biffo

I would add Ingrid Haebler to the list


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## Josquin13

I would add Maria Joao Pires, Edwin Fischer, Michel Dalberto, Valery Afanassiev, Emil Gilels, and Paul Badura-Skoda to the list, and point out that Alfred Brendel's earlier Philips (& Vox) survey is generally better than his later digital Philips survey, in my opinion.

I'd subtract Horowitz, who I don't think of as a Schubertian--how much Schubert did he actually record?--not as I do his great Schumann or Scriabin playing; Uchida, whose Schubert I find odd, and maybe Lewis too--since his teacher Brendel was better in Schubert, IMO.

But I can't pick a single favorite, not even a top three. It depends on my mood--whether I'm inclined to hear the Russian pianists significantly slow down in Schubert--Richter, Yudina, Afanassiev, etc. (except for Sofronitsky), or a more fluid approach like Schnabel's, or Brendel's poetic classicism, or the stark, solitary qualities that Pires finds in this music, etc. They're all favorites.

However, in a fire, I'd certainly grab this set, if I could: https://www.amazon.com/Brendel-Spie...72187&sr=1-1&keywords=brendel+Spielt+schubert, or https://www.amazon.de/Brendel-spiel...73917&sr=8-1&keywords=brendel+spielt+schubert ; along with Edwin Fischer's 8 Impromptus (& Lupu's):https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Imp...1-1&keywords=Edwin+Fischer+schubert+testament, and Schnabel's D. 960: https://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Schna...72247&sr=1-1&keywords=Schnabel+schubert+dante . I'd also want to have Sviatoslav Richter's Eurodisc, Aldeburgh, & Praga recordings of Schubert's last three sonatas, D. 958-959-960, and Emil Gilels' remarkable 6 Moments musicaux.

If I had time to grab more, I'd take Brendel's 2nd Philips recording of the 3 Klavierstücke, D. 946: https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Pia...=1532972041&sr=1-34&keywords=brendel+schubert, all of Pires' DG recordings, Badura-Skoda's recordings on Gramola, Genuin, & Arcana (I don't know his earlier RCA sonata cycle), and Dalberto's Denon set, for its valuable fragments and other rarely recorded & obscure Schubert works.

Edit: Oh yes, I'd also take Vladimir Ashkenazy's Decca recording of Schubert's "Wanderer Fantasie", D. 760: https://www.amazon.com/Wanderer-Fan...4&sr=1-1&keywords=Ashkenazy+schubert+wanderer.






Surely Ashkenazy deserves to be on the list at least as much as Perahia and Lewis?


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## Over the Rainbow

For me mainly Richter


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## Brahmsian Colors

Mainly for the Piano Sonatas: Wilhelm Kempf(Listed)and Geza Anda (Others)


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## PeterF

I voted for Kempff, but would consider Rudolph Serkin an equal favorite.
A bit surprised that another favorite - Walter Klien - was not mentioned by anyone?
Hard to selct just one though, as I have recrdings by Perahia, Brendel, Leonskaja, Volodos, and Fialkowska that I very much like.


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## xrysida

I love Perahia's recordings!!


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## Mandryka

xrysida said:


> I love Perahia's recordings!!


I remember the 959 here


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## BiscuityBoyle

A recent addition to my list of the great Schubertians (topped by Richter and Schnabel)


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## flamencosketches

I recently heard András Schiff's double CD of some of the later Schubert piano works on a restored old fortepiano and it's really good. I haven't heard too many fortepiano recordings of anyone (and none previously of Schubert) that I enjoyed too much, but his playing and the tone of this instrument are really beautiful to my ears. 

Schubert is a favorite of mine and has been for years, but a lot of his piano music loses me. Therefore I feel unqualified to answer the question in the OP. From what I've heard, I love Schiff (a favorite player of mine in general, and Schubert I believe is his favorite composer), Uchida, and Richter.


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## Zofia

If Richter is a choice always choose Richter.


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## Wigmar

Itullian said:


> Kempff,Brendel,Lupu
> Schnabel


I have been listening to Brendel for many years. I also have other pianists playing Schubert, as Kempff and Horowitz.
Though, Brendel is my favourite Schubert interpreter.

Best regards
wigmar


peeyaj said:


> Schubert piano works (esp the sonatas) were not popular in the 19th century. Following the championship of Schnabel in early 20th century, they become part of the core piano repertoire.
> 
> Who among these great pianists are the best Schubert pianist?


To me Alfred Brendel, without any reservation. Listening to Schubert works performed by Brendel is for me magic.


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## golfer72

Wigmar said:


> I have been listening to Brendel for many years. I also have other pianists playing Schubert, as Kempff and Horowitz.
> Though, Brendel is my favourite Schubert interpreter.
> 
> Best regards
> wigmar
> 
> To me Alfred Brendel, without any reservation. Listening to Schubert works performed by Brendel is for me magic.


I have the Brendel Cycle and its top notch. Schubert is my favorite Composer for solo piano works.


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## Rogerx

I voted Brendel but these days I like Daniel-Ben Pienaar and Shai Wosner .


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