Confessions of a reviewer:
until this disc arrived for review I
was a ‘Schnabel’s Beethoven’ virgin.
So bear in mind this is a first-time
reaction and don’t expect any comparisons
of sound quality against previous incarnations
of these recordings. Of course, I am
familiar with his reputation and aware
of the Penguin Guide rosette
for the complete EMI set. This should
not be taken as a revisionist view of
the complete genre but I was disappointed
with these offerings. My concerns have
nothing to do with sound quality - which
is more than acceptable for the three
score years and ten - but relate to
Schnabel’s playing.
Listening to the Hammerklavier
whilst looking at the music on the page,
I could scarcely believe my eyes and
ears in the first movement. Schnabel
dashed this off in under nine minutes
(with the exposition repeat) but with
innumerable inaccuracies and smudges.
He may have been taking Beethoven’s
metronome marking seriously but what’s
the point of that if he doesn’t hack
the notes? The scherzo and adagio were
much more accurate but in the slow movement
Beethoven’s long lines were not always
realized and I felt that there could
have been a greater sense of repose.
The finale fared only marginally better
than the opening Allegro. By comparison,
Schnabel’s readings of the E minor and
A major sonatas have only a few glitches.
I found them impressive in parts (for
example the opening Allegretto in the
A major) but wasn’t bowled over by them.
I feel that a distinction
should be made between historical recordings
which have interest value (in practice,
most of them) and those which survive
the passage of time because of outstanding
merit. Schnabel’s readings of these
sonatas were presumably once the only
versions; now there is a plethora of
choice. I can’t believe that anyone
would now listen to his Hammerklavier
for pleasure in preference to almost
any modern reading. The greatest rendition
I have yet heard is historical – Solomon’s
1952 recording. Hearing that again after
Schnabel was comparable to experiencing
light again when emerging from a cave.
Naxos has now issued
almost all Schnabel’s Beethoven sonatas
as individual discs (and the last three
are on their way). This has the merit
of enabling one to pick and choose and,
of course, the price is low. I seem
to have chosen the wrong place to start.
Patrick C Waller
see also review
by Colin Clarke
Artur Schnabel (piano) 
