# Best interpretations of the late Schubert sonatas



## clavichorder

Which are your favorites? These works certainly need the proper treatment.


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## realdealblues

I like Alfred Brendel, Wilhelm Kempff and Michael Endres in general for Schubert's Sonatas. There's some individual favorites, just depends on which particular sonata it is.


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## Ukko

Schnabel, Kempff, Richter - listed in order of lengthening duration. Schnabel, Richter, Kempff - listed in order of preference.


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## ptr

Richter any day and Schiff a rainy day!

/ptr


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## Triplets

Brendel is as good as any and stunningly recorded, absolutely wonderful analog recording of a Piano.
I also like Uchida and for the occasional wallow i will do Richter. I didn't c are for Schiff, at least for his first go around.


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## Vaneyes

From the Lates, I currently have Lewis, Lupu, Sokolov. I won't stab at what the best interps. are.


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## Ukko

clavichorder said:


> Which are your favorites? These works certainly need the proper treatment.


Yeah they do, clavi, but it's 'a' proper treatment. Hard to hold both Schnabel and Richter to 'the'. Hmm; well, I suppose that's not a problem for some of us, eh?


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## KenOC

I have several good sets but will mention one of the best, Richard Goode.


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## clavichorder

KenOC said:


> I have several good sets but will mention one of the best, Richard Goode.


I LOVE Goode's work on Beethoven and Mozart! I bet that will do it for me. But I will check out the others.


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## chesapeake bay

I'd say Kempff and Bendel with a quick nod to Beveridge Webster for his record with the E flat major and C minor sonata's.


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## Bulldog

Brendel's my favorite; then comes Richter, Kempff and Ranki.


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## GKC

I am just getting to know these. Have Curzon and Goode for the B flat and Goode for A and C minor. Boy the Cminor sure reminds me of Beethoven; at least the 1st movement does. I'm curious about other good Schubert sonatas, but will start a thread and ask my question there.


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## Pugg

Brendel's my favourite by miles :tiphat:


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## TurnaboutVox

Kempff for me in D. 960, but Brendel in D. 894, 958 & 959. And although he's unorthodox, the languid and lyrical readings by Schubert musicologist Martino Tirimo are surprisingly addictive. He wasn't at all well recorded on EMI, though.


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## Mandryka

clavichorder said:


> Which are your favorites? These works certainly need the proper treatment.


I've given myself a couple of minutes to try to just recall all the Schubert recordings which have made a lasting impression. I came up with:

Zilberstein in 850
Kempff in 537
Yudina in 960
Arrau in 894
Paul Lewis in 894
Richter 840
Gilels (live on Orfeo) 784
Curzon (live on orfeo) 960

I'm sure there are others but that's what came to mind first.


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## Heliogabo

Brendel my favorite, and then Lupu.


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## Haydn man

Brendel for me as well


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## Steatopygous

D960 is one of the all-time great works, for me. I have 27 accounts.
My favourites, not necessarily in order
Kempff
Brendel (the 1970s account - he did several)
Curzon
Rubinstein
Imogen Cooper
Haskil.
I see from my catalogue that I have Claudio Arrau, which I don't remember at all. A great great pianist, but his Chopin and his Schubert too often sound like Beethoven. On the other hand, that monumental approach probably works well in this monumental work. I'll have to get it out and listen again.


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## Ken B

Brendel ahead even of Kempff. I am listening right now to Zacharias, who is very good, but not with those two.
I like Badura-Skoda a lot, on a period instrument.


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## jenspen

I have collected recordings by many of the pianists already mentioned. Perhaps Kempff and Paul Lewis are my favorites at the moment. But I fell in head-first in love with my first Schubert sonata (D960) when I came across an RCA CD of a "previously unreleased" 1965 recording of it by Arthur Rubinstein.

Somewhere I read that Rubinstein had always loved to play this sonata but, in his prime, it didn't have audience appeal.

i.e. (*not* his second recording of it)


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## PeterF

958 - Kempff, Lewis, Perahia
959 - R. Serkin, Kempff, Perahia
960 - Kempff, R.Serkin, Brendel


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## Lukecash12

My answer to this will *always* be Michelangeli.


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## GKC

When Schubert's "Last" piano sonatas are spoken of, I think the G major (D 894) should be included (listened to this masterpiece last night: Brendel Philips LP).

Presumptuously, 

GKC


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## Blancrocher

Anyone else into Eschenbach? This performance of 959 is a favorite:


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## Alydon

I've narrowed down the artists I listen to most in the last piano sonata as: Radu Lupu, Clifford Curzon (the live recording) Mitsuko Uchida and Sviatoslav Richter. I would like to include Brendel but I find his omissions of D960's 1st movement repeat frustrating - I can somehow forgive Curzon for his brisk account being live and the fact he suffered from terrible nerves when in front of an audience, though his studio version has no repeat either.

For the rest of the late sonatas it is again a case of choosing from numerous artists and no one is definitive but Brendel is hard to beat with the pianists above also taking pride of place with Schnabel and Kempff and Schiff. As with any great music different artists will bring different interpretations and this makes the journey endlessly fascinating.


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## Guest

I favor Paul Lewis.


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## Lukecash12

ptr said:


> Richter any day and Schiff a rainy day!
> 
> /ptr


Could listen to Richter play them any time, myself. The other three I am similarly nostalgic with for these pieces are Michelangeli, Neuhaus, and Sofronitsky. Who stands out for me amongst those indescribably sublime interpreters? I'd have to say Sofronitsky, Michelangeli, and Neuhaus (sorry, Richter :tiphat. Their bel canto has to be heard to be believed, just perfect for the mature Schubert. There are so many pianists who play this, but for me at least, there is no other andante sostenuto that makes me think this way (see 14:09):






Other pianists with whom I have vivid memories of these sonatas are Cutner, Levy, and Gieseking.


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## DavidA

Lukecash12 said:


> My answer to this will *always* be Michelangeli.


I didn't know he had recorded late schubert


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## DavidA

There are many superb versions of these once neglected masterpieces. Artists to check out:

Lupu
Kempff
Annie Fischer
Curzon
Richter
Pollini
Anda
Lewis
Kovacevich
Leon Fliesher


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## DavidA

There are many superb versions of these once neglected masterpieces. Artists to check out whose recordings I have in no particular order:

Brendel
Lupu
Kempff
Annie Fischer
Curzon
Richter
Pollini
Anda
Lewis
Kovacevich
Leon Fliesher


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## Lukecash12

DavidA said:


> I didn't know he had recorded late schubert


Looks like I was mistaken. It was another posthumously published piece, and a personal favorite.


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## TxllxT




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## PeterF

Some "new" Schubert Piano Sonata CD's just came my way. These are fine additions to my collection.
The first features D.664 and D.894 by Canadian pianist Janina Fialkowska. Her version of D.664 may be my favorite.

Then there are 2 Vox double CD sets by Walter Klien. I have long considered Klien's set of Mozart Piano Sonatas to be one of my favorites, the being a set by Gulda. Haven't yet heard all 12 Schubert Sonatas in the Klien CD's, but the ones I have heard are awfully good.


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## Animal the Drummer

Walter Klien is one of the most underrated pianists on record, IMHO of course. In addition to some fine Mozart and Schubert I also have an outstanding Brahms recital of his on LP which still gets an occasional airing.

Specifically on Schubert, I also like Tirimo's subtle, slow-burning readings on Music For Pleasure.


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## dieter

Lukecash12 said:


> My answer to this will *always* be Michelangeli.


But he hardly recorded any Schubert;especially late sonatas.


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## Mandryka

Lukecash12 said:


> Could listen to Richter play them any time, myself. The other three I am similarly nostalgic with for these pieces are Michelangeli, Neuhaus, and Sofronitsky. Who stands out for me amongst those indescribably sublime interpreters? I'd have to say Sofronitsky, Michelangeli, and Neuhaus (sorry, Richter :tiphat. Their bel canto has to be heard to be believed, just perfect for the mature Schubert. There are so many pianists who play this, but for me at least, there is no other andante sostenuto that makes me think this way (see 14:09):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Other pianists with whom I have vivid memories of these sonatas are Cutner, Levy, and Gieseking.


You should maybe try Yudina in 960, which I like more than Sofro's myself. I have a good transfer of it direct from LP, better than the Visa Vera transfer, if you want it let me know.

The other interesting one is Afanassiev, especially the ECM recording.


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## clavichorder

I just heard the Arrau 894. Sometimes when tight rhythms are involved, Arrau's playing is too nebulous for me, but in this piece he is the perfect pianist. That tone!

Does anyone else think the finale of 894 has a very ragtime-esque quality to it in one of the sections?


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## clavichorder

What do you think is the best recording of D 958 in C minor?


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## Mandryka

clavichorder said:


> What do you think is the best recording of D 958 in C minor?


See what you think of Gary Graffman


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## MarkW

Not a household name, but I highly recommend Gabriel Chodos, longtime piano chair at the New England Conservatory.


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## karlsoren

Paul Lewis, whose Beethoven I don't particulalry like, is quite good with Schubert. 
Imogen Cooper is both strong and delicate. 
Uchida is brilliant. 
The new Barenboim collection of all the Schubert is not top of the line technically, but has some great moments of interpretation.
Perahia, as usual, is very fine. 

My relation to Schubert is strange. I will go months without listenting to him at all. then I' will play nothing but his sonatas for a week, then nothing again.


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## Heliogabo

I rcently discovered Leonskaja's reading. They're magnificent.


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## rayosborn

I'm new to this forum, but I was pleased to see that Brendel was chosen by so many. The last time I participated in piano discussion boards, it seemed to be fashionable to disparage his playing, but his Schubert was revelatory for me when I first heard him. The first time I heard D959 was in his master classes on the South Bank in the mid-seventies. For a supposedly cerebral pianist, he played with great expressive freedom, sensitive to the ebb and flow of Schubert's music, lingering on passages of great tenderness but responding urgently to Schubert's occasional outbursts of rage. I still miss hearing him live, although Imogen Cooper and Paul Lewis are carrying the torch for him now. Lewis' performance of D894 when he was playing all Schubert recitals a few years ago was breathtakingly beautiful.


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## Josquin13

I thought Imogen Cooper's "Schubert: The Last Six Years" survey on Ottavo was excellent and often moving, & enjoyed it more than I normally do her playing.

Otherwise, I've most liked Sviatoslav Richter (on Eurodisc & Praga), Radu Lupu, Maria-Joao Pires, Michel Dalberto, and Alfred Brendel in late Schubert (& Schubert in general).

Historically, I've most liked Artur Schnabel (and Edwin Fischer) in Schubert.

What to buy first? That's easy--Universal Eloquence has superbly remastered Alfred Brendel's 1st Philips (analogue) survey (plus 1 or 2 sonatas from his later Philips digital cycle) in Ambient Surround Sound Imaging (AMSI), and IMO, they've never sounded better--as good as my old Philips LPs on an audiophile stereo system. The Brendel box is a discount bargain set too, so it's a no-brainer, and should give listening pleasure for many years to come. I liked the set so much that I bought two:

https://www.amazon.de/Brendel-spiel...47193&sr=8-1&keywords=alfred+brendel+schubert

Here are my other favorite Schubert stereo era recordings of the late sonatas & more (though note that I haven't provided any links to Michel Dalberto's fine complete survey--which includes fragments--because the Brilliant box set reissue has apparently gone OOP & become very pricey; however, the original Denon individual releases can still be found at a reasonable price, for the most part, if interested):

https://www.amazon.com/Sviatoslav-R...583&sr=1-1&keywords=schubert+Richter+eurodisc

https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Pia...051242&sr=1-1&keywords=richter+praga+schubert

https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Pia...14047278&sr=1-1&keywords=schubert+Brendel+946--this was the best release of Brendel's 2nd Philips (digital) cycle, which overall, wasn't quite as fine as Brendel's earlier Philips (analogue) survey, IMO.

https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Imp...&qid=1514047382&sr=1-1&keywords=Lupu+Schubert

https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Pia...&qid=1514047382&sr=1-2&keywords=Lupu+Schubert

https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Pia...qid=1514047425&sr=1-1&keywords=Pires+Schubert

https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Son...qid=1514047425&sr=1-2&keywords=Pires+Schubert

https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Imp...qid=1514047425&sr=1-4&keywords=Pires+Schubert

Add to those Emil Gilels wonderful EMI recording of Schubert's 6 Moments Musicaux, Artur Schnabel's Dante box set (which offers superior remasters of his EMI References recordings), Edwin Fischer's 8 Impromptus, Wilhelm Kempff's DG set, Vladimir Ashkenazy's Wanderer Fantasy (on Decca), and Maria-Joao Pires's two recordings of Schubert's 4 hand music (DG & Erato), along with duos Perahia & Lupu, Eschenbach & Frantz, Gilels & Gilels, and Brendel & Crochet in the same, and my desert island Schubert collection is complete.

https://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Schna...49996&sr=1-1&keywords=schubert+dante+schnabel

Though I currently have this recently released "Live in Moscow" Richter Schubert box set on my wish list:

https://www.amazon.com/Svjatoslav-R...d=1514051774&sr=1-1&keywords=richter+schubert


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## Over the Rainbow

- D958 Richter
- D960 Richter Prague 1972 (live)
- D960 Sofronitsky 1960 (live)


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## Wigmar

Brendel, especially his late recordings, as e. g D960 from c 1995, indeed outstanding


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## lextune

Brendel is a fine recommendation for D958, and D959, but he doesn't play the 1st mvmt repeat in D960, which is baffling, and renders his interpretation worthless.

By not playing the repeat and it's extra measures, you remove the only fortissimo in the entire movement, (and what a moment it is! That grinding trill deep in the bass), and destroy the entire structure. The idea that Schubert would write such startling measures, and anyone could deem them optional is pure nonsense.

I love Brendel, I have, literally, more than a hundred CDs of his recordings, but his D960 recordings are abject failures (he always removes the repeat).

Richter is a great choice for D960. When his "controversial" live recording was first released in the west, the talk was how "slow" it was, but now there are many who take it at even slower tempi.


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## golfer72

Yeah cutting out part of the 960 is a non starter for me. Its a great work. I have most of the Sonatas perfomed by Brendel . 960 i have Kovachevivk on Hyperion. I guess I was lucky since i never heard the "cut" version since I may not have liked it as much.


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## Enthusiast

Richter, Lupu and Kovacevich (D960) are all excellent. Kempff, too. More recently, Piemontesi has made an excellent record of the last three sonatas.


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## Bone

VERY new to Schubert Piano Sonata No. 20. On a whim tried the new recording by Eric Lu. Next search on Apple was Zimmerman - ugh; did not like. I thought I’d look at some opinions on TC. Wow, y’all did not disappoint! Listened to Uchida and can’t wait to hear Brendel and Gilels. Glad to know there are so many friendly, knowledgeable classical-music folks meandering around the web; kinda gives us oldsters a hope for the future. (Not gonna use the oppressive Oxford Comma - this new style will likely be the death of me).
Update: tried Brendel (ok), Ashkenazy (okish), Lulu (nah), now Schiff…WOW! This is like a jazz improviser’s interpretation! I almost have no idea what might happen next - phrasing and articulation are daring and imaginative! Thrilling!


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## golfer72

The Schubert sonatas are a treasure trove of originality and invention. If you havent try them all. Schubert and Beethoven were the kings of the Piano sonata


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