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Schubert: Piano Sonatas Nos.15 & 20

Import

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 4 ratings

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Audio CD, Import, March 20, 2017
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Editorial Reviews

Jonathan Biss, piano

Product details

  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.62 x 4.92 x 0.33 inches; 3.84 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ WIGMORE HALL LIVE
  • Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2017
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ August 27, 2009
  • Label ‏ : ‎ WIGMORE HALL LIVE
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002KHSPHG
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 4 ratings

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4.7 out of 5 stars
4 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2009
    Jonathan Biss has been impressive in his three early CDs from EMI, and here he is again, an American in London, in a solo recital from Wigmore Hall. The program consists of two masterpieces by Schubert and a musical commentary from the avant-garde Hungarian composer Gyorgy Kurtag. First comes the unfinished sonata D. 840, the "Relique" -- a poetic way to refer to its two surviving movements. Biss is refreshingly direct in this tricky music, particularly the first movement, which seems to bring out opposite characteristics from performers. Where Uchida is nuanced to the point of mannerism, Richter is blunt and fierce. Biss emphasizes the momentum of the line and finds a joyous tone of voice throughout the first movement. Kempff was equally unfussy but, for me, too offhand. Biss doesn't clang on the repeated staccato chords that Richter plays explosively, and I'm grateful for that. But when he comes to the Andante second movement, there's no dramatic contrast of the kind Richter was such a master of. The music proceeds with just the same sunny temperament as the first movement. I'm happy with that approach, but other listeners may prefer Sturm und Drang.

    The great posthumous sonata in A major, D. 959, is more accessible for young pianists, I think. Brendel made an early success of it, and compared to the enigmatic "Relique," this work can move from sun to shade to suit any really musical performer's personality. Serkin played it almost brusquely, like Beethoven in its dynamism; Brendel is drier; Pollini combines virtuosic dazzle with controlled romantic fervor. It's astonishing that such apparently simple harmonies contain a wealth of implications, but that's the beauty of Schubert's idiom. Biss provides a strong line and urgent momentum, reminding me of the young Brendel. But he's less brittle, more apt to pause for touches of tenderness. The only flaw might be Biss's soft-grained approach, which also leads to slower pacing and less sparkle than is ideal -- Perahia in his 2003 recording feels more strong-minded.

    The live sound form Wigmore is as good as studio quality, and the piano is a pleasing instrument. Biss's tempos are not eccentric but remain on the quicker side in every movement. I won't go so far as to say that we hear a definite pianistic personality yet, but Biss's instincts are so sure that he sounds satisfying throughout. In all, one of the most delightful Schubert recordings in recent years. Kurtag's Hommage a Schubert is a two-minute encore that filter's a Schubertian melodic fragment -- I don't recognize where it comes from -- through a gentle, post-Debussy prism.
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  • Michel Périon
    4.0 out of 5 stars Ok, à creuser.
    Reviewed in France on November 13, 2024
    Ne vaut pas son Ludwig B.
  • すみりーに
    5.0 out of 5 stars ライブとは信じがたいほどの完成度、必聴盤です。
    Reviewed in Japan on November 13, 2009
    7月に来日し、ソロ・リサイタルとN響との競演を行った
    ジョナサン・ビス。リサイタルには実際に聴きに行ったし、
    コンチェルトはテレビ録画で視聴してみたが、
    たまたま行ったコンサートではピアノの調子が悪かったのか?
    (休憩時間中に、珍しいことにずっと調律していたので)
    プロとしては有り得ないほど、ミスタッチしていた。
    その後のコンチェルトでは、素人にはミスしたかどうか
    わからないほど、見事な演奏だったので、やっぱり
    実際に聴きに行ったときは、ピアノとの相性が悪かったのかも
    しれない。

    で、来日前にロンドンのウィグモア・ホールでの演奏が
    ライブ録音されている盤を見つけたので、聴衆を前に
    演奏している姿が本当はどうなのか再確認する意味で
    購入して聴いてみた。
    あら、すごい、ミスしていない、それどころか
    まるでスタジオ録音かとおもうほどの完成度。
    やっぱり、生で聴いたときは、なんか本人の実力以外の
    ところでトラブルがあったのかも?

    で、ロンドンでのライブ、現代音楽のクルタークも
    面白かったが、シューベルトのソナタ2曲が圧巻で、
    作品に内在する精神も含め非常に思索的な演奏で
    さすがにプロの演奏家は違うなと感心した次第。
    これは、おすすめです。