Schubert D960, any suggestions ?

Cheese,
I particularly like the version by Paul Lewis on Harmonia Mundi. Lewis was a pupil of Brendel so you would expect some similarity of interpretation but to me, he seems more up-front. The recorded sound is also excellent.
Ken

You mention Kempff, and his is a favourite of mine (though I'm not sure it can be had separately). Brendel's live recording is stunning too. Have a glance at this thread (scroll down past the opening paragraph on symphonies):

http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3801938...2947607?r=9112987607


regards, Tam

Kovacevich is particularly good in the Sonata D.960. His EMI recording is excellent. Unfortunately, an even better performance by him years ago on LP on Hyperion has never been reissued on CD--that recording is my favorite of all performances of this great work.

There's a fine reading from Horowitz, which displays a remarkable dexterity for someone in their 80s.

There's also a nice reading from Leon Fleisher on his disc 'Two Hands' which was his first recording made with the use of his right hand restored after several decades suffering from dystonia (a disc well worth getting for some of the other works, such as some of the Bach).

regards, Tam

quote:

Originally posted by Tam:
There's a fine reading from Horowitz, which displays a remarkable dexterity for someone in their 80s.

Judging from your posts on ZG you seem to know a few things about classical music and it strikes me that you recommend Horowitz - read what allmusic say about this version published on DG, it's worth it.

I happen to love nearly everything Horowitz played and I pardon him for being a little tiring at times, and it's very refreshing to see that he went beyond his eternal Khachaturian or Moszkowski pieces.

*

My favourite is the Decca recording of Clifford Curzon, and I also have soft spot for Curzon's teacher, Artur Schnable's HMV account from the 1930s, though finding this now may prove difficult. Schnabel is phenomal in respect of blending more fire than usual with a a splendid lyric quality, and Curzon is more lyrical but still flowing.

There is a wonderfully sad story about the only colaboration of Horowitz and Furtwangler in 1926 in the B Flat Concerto of Brahms in Berlin in 1926. Horowitz really annoyed Furtwangler, who intensely disagreed with Horowitz's methods and priorities. Furtwangler hauled the orchestra up, finally exasperated by his great soloist, and commented that there was no need to play the virtuoso in Brahms! The rest of the rehearsal was a nightmare! But the performance was lauded by the critics as one of the best performances of the work ever heard in Berlin!

I suspect the sheer professionalism of these two musiucal giants and a great borchestra allowed for the performance to be the success that all of them in their different ways could achieve, but it is no surprise that VH and WF never worked together again!

ATB from George

quote:

Originally posted by Cheese:
Judging from your posts on ZG you seem to know a few things about classical music

Thank you for the compliment but I'm afraid you must have me confused with someone else, since I don't post there.

I have a reasonable amount of Horowitz in my collection, mainly in two boxes: one is his complete recordings of DG, which are his later ones and contain the D960 as well as a wonderful recording of Mozart's 23rd Piano Concerto with Giulini and the La Scala orchestra; the other is part of Sony's Original Jacket series and as well as being well packaged contains some stunning recordings.


regards, Tam

Kovacevich is indeed superb here, and I also think his Hyperion recording (which did get reissued on CD) is his better performance, though it's not overwhelmingly better than the EMI recording. (He's even better in person in this work.)

Other notable recordings include Walter Klien, Kempff, Richter, and Michael Endres. Adventurous types might consider Russell Sherman and Friedrich Gulda, too.

--

quote:

Originally posted by Tam:
You mention Kempff, and his is a favourite of mine (though I'm not sure it can be had separately). Brendel's live recording is stunning too.
Tam

The live Brendel is probably the best - although Kempff's is still generally thought of as being the "definitive" reading, if you're into that sort of thing! It's been around longer. Brendel I think has it by a whisker, but the recording, made live in the Royal Festival Hall - i.e. a hall far too big for a piano recital - is a bit recessed, and a digital watch goes off just as Brendel beigns! Otherwise, and inspirational recording. Have 'em both, the Kempff is available at budget price...

EW

quote:

Have 'em both, the Kempff is available at budget price...

Good idea, I just ordered them. With those guys I can't go too wrong really, especially as Brendel is seemingly improving with age.

As you've just ordered them, this is a bit late, but I also recommend Kempff.

If you like this sonata (and who could not?) then you may want to try the A major sonata D959. The versions by Brendel (1986) and Kempff are both excellent.

quote:

Originally posted by Cheese:

quote:

Have 'em both, the Kempff is available at budget price...

Good idea, I just ordered them. With those guys I can't go too wrong really, especially as Brendel is seemingly improving with age.

You're a wise man! The two complement each other nicely - Brendel is almost impetuous live compared with Kempff in the studio, who is a tad studied by comparison; Kempff is recorded close, while Brendel has got some - perhaps too much - space around him. You'll miss some of the felicitous detail without Kempff. I certainly wouldn't want to live without either of them.

Anyway, hope you enjoy them!

EW

quote:

You'll miss some of the felicitous detail without Kempff

A perfect description of Kempff indeed - I wasn't astonished at all when I recently read that he used to live for a while in a castle close to Sanssouci in Potsdam. His playing is filled with aristocratic charm.

Yesterday I listened to D959 or somesuch by Richter live in Japan - I will definitely need his version of D960 too if there is one, though I well know that Richter interpretations are a risky affair. But when he's on form - [ ]

If you like the Brendel, you could try Pollini

I am surprised no one has offered Radu Lupu as an option - am currently listening and is as delighful as memory served. My desert island disc is Clifford Curzon on a delicious slab of old vinyl.

Curzon's box sets on Decca's Original Masters series are also worthy of investigation.

If you like Leif Ove Andsnes, this is a a very solid performance of the 960 IMO (although I agree with others - Brendel is hard to beat)

Ove Andsnes / Bostridge
BTW that CD also offers lieder by Bostridge who I find offers a very good balance of vocal technique and emotion.

Claude

quote:

Originally posted by willem:
If you like the Brendel, you could try Pollini

I'm not sure it follows that people who like Brendel will also like Pollini - they're chalk and cheese!

I'm in the process of getting into Arrau's recordings - an artist I've shamefully neglected. I think his famous recording of Schubert's last 3 is going to have to be added to my collection shortly; what an amazing musician he was!

Earwicker:

Like you, I do not have many recordings from Arrau.

However, I do have his version of Brahms' Handel variations on LP (Side 2 is Ballades op.10) and it's one of my favorite records.

Claude

Claude -

I've recently acquired his 60s Beethoven set and volumes 1 & 2 of his Great Pianists sets; it's quite remarkable. He can bear down on a phrase all he like for me! If he sometimes misses the rhythmic drive he more than makes up for it with the sheer intensity of his focus and vision. On CD1, Vol 1 (great pianists), is quite the most devastating reading of Chasse-neige I've ever heard - indeed, I'd have to say in the top handful of piano recordings ever! And what a Brahms 1st! There's a live recording of the 2nd concerto with Alexander Gibson on one of those BBC discs I'm eager to get my hands on too...

EW

quote:

what an amazing musician [Arrau] was

We cannot insist enough on that. Claudio Arrau was less spectacular than Horowitz, less jetsetty than Rubinstein, less darkly fascinating than Richter, and not as impetuous as Argerich. No, he was musician, and an exceptional one at that - can anyone name me only one bad recording despite the immensity of his repertoire ?

quote:

Originally posted by Cheese:

quote:

what an amazing musician [Arrau] was

can anyone name me only one bad recording despite the immensity of his repertoire ?

From what I've heard, no! It's really quite extraordinary, although I have a subjective preference for Arrau's kind of dark intensity that I can see might appeal less to others. His Liszt playing is in a class of its own from what I've heard of it, and I shall be hearing a lot more over the next few months...!

EW

*

quote:

The live Brendel is probably the best - although Kempff's is still generally thought of as being the "definitive" reading, if you're into that sort of thing! It's been around longer. Brendel I think has it by a whisker, but the recording, made live in the Royal Festival Hall - i.e. a hall far too big for a piano recital - is a bit recessed, and a digital watch goes off just as Brendel beigns

Earwicker, thanks for your input, I have got both discs two days ago and honestly I don't think I will ever find a better version.

As yet I am not overwhelmed by Wilhelm Kempff, maybe I expected too much. I think he is a bit slow, technically he has played better than that (some notes are kind of 'missing') and above all, the DG guys have again messed up the recording in the most terrible manner. Maybe I'll come to like it someday.

But Brendel in London !! It's huge. The third and fourth movements are moments of great, great piano. Brendel hits the nail in terms of sound and intensity. Unlike you, Earwicker, I love this 'spacy' recording, it sounds less perfect but more like what you really hear when you're sitting in the audience. And as far as I know that's what Brendel prefers - he often complained about mikes being placed in the piano itself, making it sound 'onmipresent'.

Kovacevich seems to have good reviews too, and I'm too curious to know what Richter makes of it. But let's enjoy Alfred Brendel for a few weeks first.