Brilliant
Classics have built up their catalogue in two ways. Many of the
recordings they issue are in fact reissues, licensed from other
labels, often German and in many cases these are very good. The
remainder of their catalogue comprises new recordings by younger
musicians, and mainly based in the Netherlands, as is the case
with this bumper box of Schubert’s piano literature. Here, with
the exception of Klára Würtz, who is Hungarian, all
the artists are Dutch and, to judge by their biographies, all
are of good pedigree, an impression confirmed by hearing them
play.
I
think there is often a tendency for bargains, whether of CDs or
other things, to be dismissed on the grounds that "if it’s
cheap, it can’t be any good." I’ve fallen into that trap
before, as I expect most of us have and I was also conscious in
approaching this box that these pianists face formidable competition
from a whole roster of virtuosi, household names all. I remembered,
however, that the Brilliant Classics cycle of Bach cantatas under
Pieter Jan Leusink, though uneven, has given me considerable pleasure.
So in approaching these recordings I decided to discipline myself
in two ways. Firstly I left until last the very best known works
and secondly I eschewed all conscious comparisons and treated
the recordings on their own merits. That second point may raise
eyebrows but I reasoned that it is likely that anyone investing
in this box will do so as a way of approaching the corpus of Schubert’s
sonatas and may well have few (or no) other recordings in their
collection. So, how do these recordings stand up?
The
short answer is: pretty well. Without exception the pianists involved
perform Schubert’s music with commitment and sympathy. All the
performances are enjoyable and some are extremely good. Frank
van de Laar, for example, plunges straight into the D major sonata,
D850 (CD 4, track 1). In his hands the first movement of this
sonata, which is contemporaneous with the "Great" C
major symphony, is lively and robust. But he can show a more relaxed
temperament too and he gives a thoughtful reading of the slow
movement while I found his account of the finale very engaging
– he puts a smile on the face of the music. Van de Laar is equally
impressive in the C major sonata D 840 (what a pity Schubert never
completed it). His third offering is the more modest, three movement
A flat sonata D557. This is a less challenging work (though far
from easy for the performer) and I thought it a perfect foil to
its two bigger companions on this disc.
David
Kuyken also impressed me very much with his handling of the A
minor sonata D 784 (CD 5). This has a big, searching first movement,
suggestive of Beethoven. Kuyken is well up to the demands of the
music. His tone has plenty of weight but he is also ready and
willing to fine it back for the many quieter passages. In the
easeful second movement he conveys a greater sense of repose and
in the whirlwind finale his fingerwork is put through its paces
– to good effect. Kuyken’s other contribution is the fine G major
sonata D 894. This has a huge first movement and Kuyken handles
the big structure with confidence and no little skill. I particularly
warmed to his playing of the opening paragraphs, which are pregnant
with tension.
The
seventh CD in this anthology is something of a curiosity. Uniquely,
the pianist uses not a modern concert grand but a fortepiano.
I really was puzzled that the contents of just one disc should
be played on a fortepiano. Perhaps it was inspired by the fact
that the chosen instrument is believed to date from around 1825.
This is the same year that one of the sonatas included on this
disc, the A minor sonata D 845, was composed. I have to say, however,
that I think the decision to use a fortepiano was misguided. Frankly,
the instrument is out of place in a collection otherwise played
on modern pianos. I’m sure that Bart van Oort is a fine musician
but I’m reluctant to pass a verdict on his playing since I feel
that my judgement has been swayed (distracted?) by the fact that
I disliked the sound made by the fortepiano. To my ears it sounds
to have a tinkly top and a very shallow bass. Inevitably the instrument
lacks the tonal depth and richness of a modern grand and, of course
it lacks sustaining power. I felt that van Oort was too forceful
in the first movement of D 845 (CD 7, track 1) but I wonder if
this style was dictated by the fortepiano? Similarly, if the andante
of the same sonata sounds charmless I question whether this is
a true reflection of his pianism. Somehow I doubt it.
Interestingly,
I felt that the other sonata on this CD, the E major D 459 fared
better. This is an earlier work (unusually cast in five movements,
including two scherzi, placed second and fourth). The musical
material of this work requires less sustaining power than is the
case with D 845 and thus is better suited to a fortepiano. Van
Oort’s performance is lively and seems well thought out but I’m
afraid that, for me, this whole disc is hobbled by the instrument.
The
contents of discs eight and nine are, I think, more for Schubert
completists. CD 8 largely contains fragmentary works, most of
which date from 1817/18. In several cases movements have been
left incomplete by Schubert and in these cases pianist Alwin Bär
has supplied completions. I believe that he has done this by using
existing musical material from the movement in question though
the otherwise good notes are silent on this point. The completions
sound musical and logical though in the absence of scores or more
information I find it difficult to comment further. Bär is
a stylish pianist and he plays with grace and wit. So too does
Tamara Rumiantsev who is the pianist on CD 9. She has even slighter
fare allotted to her, mainly in the form of early works. To be
absolutely candid I did not find the music on this CD of great
interest but Rumiantsev is clearly a good pianist and she gives
elegant and well-paced performances.
I
haven’t mentioned the sixth CD. This is allotted to pianists from
whom we shall hear again in this survey. Klára Würtz
gives us two sonatas. The A major sonata D 664 opens with one
of Schubert’s trademark genial themes (CD 6, track 4). This is
the harbinger of a relaxed and lyrical movement, largely innocent
of tension. Würtz does it justice. Indeed, throughout the
work I thought it was well suited to the feminine grace of her
playing. I also enjoyed her account of the A minor sonata D 537
which is well shaped and which features a sparkling finale. The
disc is completed by the Drei Klavierstücke D 946
which are played by Pieter van Winkel. I may be wrong but I thought
that occasionally I detected just a touch of unsteadiness in the
fingerwork in the faster music of the first of the three (CD 6,
track 7). However, in the slower music his playing has poise.
He plays the relaxed, lyrical second piece nicely and there’s
an appropriate touch of gaiety to the third. This is a perfectly
acceptable reading of this trio of pieces.
Now
we move to the best known of Schubert’s piano works, starting
with the two sets of Impromptus which are entrusted to
Martijn van den Hoek (CD 10) I must say that I don’t think anyone
could reasonably complain about the performances he gives. Throughout
both sets his playing strikes me as being very good. The notes
rightly identify the third piece of Op. 90 (CD 10, track 3) as
a precursor of the Nocturne. It’s a gorgeous piece and van den
Hoek gives a lovely, controlled reading of it. I was also much
taken with the engaging performance of the wistfully nostalgic
second piece of Op. 142 (track 6) and the gypsy-like rhythms of
the final piece in that set (track 8) have a zestful snap. All
in all this is a most satisfying account of these favourite pieces
and one which could hold its head up in any company.
However,
van den Hoek reserves his best for the great ‘Wanderer’ Fantasia
(CD 11, tracks 1-4). This is, by any standards, a towering masterpiece
of the piano repertoire and here it receives a really top-notch
performance. The first section is commanding and is followed by
an intense, serene traversal of the adagio. After a lithe scherzo
van den Hoek plays the concluding fugue with great urgency and
drive – a splendid tour de force. This, for me,
is one of the highlights of the whole set, indeed, probably the
highlight. I only wish that this fine pianist had been asked
to plays something more substantial than the collection of slight
dances with which the rest of CD 11 is filled. Well though he
plays them these are really no tests of his pianism.
It
is astonishing to reflect that in the single month of September
1828 Schubert, though mortally ill, managed to complete three
large-scale and wonderful piano sonatas (though he had probably
been working on all three for some time.) The C minor sonata D
958 is given here by Folke Nauta, twenty-seven years old at the
time of this recording. He launches into the first movement (CD
3, track 1) with tremendous vigour. His performance is full of
Beethovenian fire, not inappropriately, I think, for this is one
of the most dramatic movements in all Schubert’s piano output.
He plays it for all it is worth but his is not an unsubtle reading.
I do think Nauta’s age is relevant here for this is a young man’s
performance and we must not forget that the composer himself was
of a similar age when he wrote the music. Nauta is pensive and
persuasive in the slow movement and his finale is headstrong –
which I mean as a compliment. This is certainly not the only way
to play this sonata and it’s perhaps not a performance for everyday
but it’s certainly fresh and exciting. He completes the CD with
the Moments Musicaux D 780. I liked these performances
though I could imagine more refined, poetic readings.
Frank
van de Laar, who plays three sonatas on CD 4, also contributes
the magisterial A major sonata D 959 (CD 2). He is fully in command
of the massive first movement (track 1), displaying a good grasp
of the structure, I think. It’s a huge and challenging movement
but he sustains it well. The poetic andantino (track 2)
is well controlled but I did wonder if he was too forceful in
the scherzo. He gives a good account of the finale, though.
The coupling is the E minor sonata D 566 about which the notes
are a bit dismissive. I’d agree that it’s not a peak in Schubert’s
oeuvre but it is well played here.
And
finally the great B flat sonata D 960 (CD 1). This is in the hands
of Klára Würtz. She gives a spacious account of the
first movement. It is music of heavenly length but I did wonder
if her treatment of it wasn’t just a bit too broad. She’s dignified
in the slow movement but I felt that her speed in the finale was
a bit too deliberate; the music doesn’t really take wing although
there are some nice touches. Würtz also offers an engaging
account of the B major sonata D 575 and then combines with Pieter
van Winkel in a lively reading of the Lebensstürme
duet
There’s
nearly 13 hours of music contained on these discs, much of it
of very high quality and all of it very enjoyable. The performances
are all of a good standard and some are much better than that.
The recorded sound throughout is very good. Documentation can
vary with Brilliant Classics. Sometimes it’s scanty as with their
Bach cantata cycle. On other occasions (the Barshai Shostakovich
cycle being a case in point) it’s very good. Here no one could
complain for there are well-written, informative notes by Dr.
David Doughty and short biographies of the artists (which I’m
glad to have since I imagine most, if not all, will be unfamiliar
names to many collectors, as they were to me.)
Schubert’s
piano sonatas have been recorded by some of the greatest of all
pianists in a line that stretches from Schnabel through Kempff,
Pollini, Brendel and many others. The performances contained here
don’t displace those classic accounts but I don’t believe that
for one minute that they were intended to do so. This collection
offers
collectors an extremely cost effective way of beginning to explore
the delights and profundities of Schubert’s sonata cycle. No one
will feel short-changed by the contents of this box and so reasonable
is the price that one could then move on to add some of the great
individual recordings to one’s collection.
This
box represents an outstanding bargain and can be recommended with
confidence.
John
Quinn
Klára Würtz
(piano)