RE: We're going to have to disagree about Pollini on this

Posted by vahe (A) on March 2, 2012 at 13:16:17

In Reply to: We're going to have to disagree about Pollini on this posted by jult52 on March 2, 2012 at 05:57:03:

The first two movements of the Fantasie are evergreens and they always sound fine in nearly all performances, where it gets tricky is the last movement, this is one of the most difficult of all Schumann compositions and very few pianist are able to maintain the poetry as well as the intense emotional drive that makes up the core of this very personal love episode.

I have many fine recordings that do a superb job with the first two movements but fall on their faces at the last movement.

To me Pollini and Parahia and Leif Ove Andsnes offer the best (INMO) interpretations of this work, Parahia has the best sound, it was recorded in 1986 in Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, NY, one of the finest recording halls particularly for capturing the sound of grand piano in its full glory, Pollini performance, recorded in 1973, suffers from a thin and dim DG recording on my early 80’s CD, it is high time for him to re-record the Fantasie as no amount of clever re-mastering is going to resurrect what was lost up in the first place.

Our musical tastes and preference vary a lot, if poetry is the prime consideration there are lots of performances to choose from, but if you want a performance that penetrates the very private and stormy world of Robert Schumann, a performance that leaves you emotionally drained, I would recommend either Pollini or Parahia.

The only other composer that has produced something similar to Opus-17 is Mahler, his Third Symphony’s last movement, there are unmistakable similarities between these two finale’s, same subject, same architecture and same structure and the same powerful emotional content.

Vahe

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Recs. wanted: Schumann Fantasy, Op. 17 - MichaelV8 11:47:13 03/01/12 (27)

Andras Schiff is very different than any other performance (ECM) - pbarach 14:43:46 03/15/12 (1)

RE: Andras Schiff is very different than any other performance (ECM) - MichaelV8 16:20:35 03/15/12 (0)

RE: Recs. wanted: Schumann Fantasy, Op. 17 - Mali 10:01:31 03/11/12 (1)

Thanks for that. - MichaelV8 11:08:10 03/15/12 (0)

Gramophone's "Collection" top of the heap was Perahia. I've not heard them all, but I prefer his supreme - jdaniel@jps.net 10:09:30 03/10/12 (1)

Annie Fischer - pbarach 14:03:02 03/10/12 (0)

Comments please on this update - MichaelV8 16:09:21 03/08/12 (0)

Thanks for your comments. - MichaelV* 11:58:43 03/02/12 (1)

Update - MichaelV8 17:35:50 03/02/12 (0)

STRONG recommendation for Edwin Fischer's version; 4-minutes shorter than Richter's, but - tinear 11:57:25 03/02/12 (1)

RE: STRONG recommendation for Edwin Fischer's version; 4-minutes shorter than Richter's, but - MichaelV8 18:01:24 03/03/12 (0)

I agree with many of the recomendations thus far - Chris from Lafayette 00:40:49 03/02/12 (3)

Poetic? - MichaelV8 17:32:30 03/05/12 (2)

Yes - excellent! - Chris from Lafayette 08:13:32 03/06/12 (1)

BTW - MichaelV8 16:49:12 03/07/12 (0)

RE: Recs. wanted: Schumann Fantasy, Op. 17 - learsfool 16:32:00 03/01/12 (0)

RE: Recs. wanted: Schumann Fantasy, Op. 17 - Chuck Y 15:49:24 03/01/12 (0)

RE: Recs. wanted: Schumann Fantasy, Op. 17 - pbarach 13:56:40 03/01/12 (9)

RE: Kempff - MichaelV8 16:29:02 03/19/12 (1)

RE: Kempff - pbarach 16:34:28 03/19/12 (0)

Kempff - MichaelV8 17:38:12 03/07/12 (0)

We're going to have to disagree about Pollini on this - jult52 05:57:03 03/02/12 (5)

RE: We're going to have to disagree about Pollini on this - vahe 13:16:17 03/02/12 (2)

Movements that work - MichaelV8 17:26:01 03/07/12 (1)

Great project Michael - jult52 06:05:07 03/08/12 (0)

RE: We're going to have to disagree about Pollini on this - Mich 11:54:59 03/02/12 (0)

RE: We're going to have to disagree about Pollini on this - garf 06:32:56 03/02/12 (0)

Follow Ups

RE: We're going to have to disagree about Pollini on this - vahe 13:16:17 03/02/12 (2)

Movements that work - MichaelV8 17:26:01 03/07/12 (1)

Great project Michael - jult52 06:05:07 03/08/12 (0)

RE: We're going to have to disagree about Pollini on this

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