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I just heard this and would like a version that errs a bit on the side of poetry, over what? Pianism? I see that Pollini, Perahia, Richter, Rubinstein and Brendel have all done this. I suspect that Perahia may be my best bet. Anyone?
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Schiff has a two-CD set of Schumann piano music (I think it's called "Ghost Variations") that may be the only recording with Schumann's original ending for the last movement. In the original, the arpeggioed modulations down to the last chord are replaced by a harkening back to music from the first movement of the Fantasia, specifically the quotation from Beethoven's An die Ferne Geliebte song cycle. The discs also include another performance of the last movement as everybody else plays it. So with the magic of the PROGRAM feature on your CD player, you can have it either way.I thought the Op. 17 performance overall was worthy, but I didn't like it as much as some of the other favorites I mentioned in an earlier post. The ECM sound is clear but a little bass-shy. I haven't listened to the other pieces on the CDs yet, so no comment on those.
Edits: 03/15/12
Wow, yet another....thanks. I didn't care for Schiff's Bach, but Schumann might be his forte for all I know.
BTW, I have Pollini, Bolet, and de LaRoccha at home now. Although Pollini is a whizbang, and perhaps hits fewer wrong notes, the de Larrocha and the Bolet are a bit more appealing. Perhaps because I'm old it takes me longer to get the various sonorities and those two linger a bit more than Pollini does. I think they use more pedal too, at least it seems that way. Wayward to the score? Dunno, I'm not a reader of scores. The Perahia and Kempff versions of this will arrive soon.
If you are new to Schumann's piano works, don't stop with the Op. 17. The next step might be "Carnival" and the "Symphonic Variations," "Kreisleriana," and so much more.
A near complete set of the Shcumann as performed by the best Schumann interpreter of the mid-20th century, Claudio Arrau, should be available at arkivemusic.com.
I'm becoming more deeply involved than I expected. So far, I've listened to various of the works including Carnaval and more are coming from my public library.
Performers so far? Rubinstein, Pollini, Kempff, de Larrocha, Pennario with yet more coming from Perahia and others. I'll have to get into Arrau. His Carnaval is a bit different from some I've heard up to now.
rapt, concentration in the final mov't over Pollini and Argerich. (Excuse spelling errors.)
This was originally issued on EMI in 1959; I have a library copy of a CD on the Priceless label (which also includes Kreisleriana). Really excellent performance of the Op. 17--structurally very tight but not dry and rigid (as I find Pollini's to be). Sound is OK--good enough that it won't get in the way of enjoying the performance.
IMO this is up there with the two good interpretations I’ve heard, so far. Comments?
Alicia De Larrocha
I believe I will have to do some more listening on this one. Hey, how much fun can one guy have. Maybe Youtube????
My problem with this work arose on playing the Leonard Pennario version from 1957 which is on the box set "The Early Works". I knew I had heard this Fantasy before and even had a version of it somewhere in my various CDs. Pennario sounded very different from my vague recollection of many years ago.
So I set off on a treasure hunt looking for the CD I knew of this. It was the Artur Rubinstein 1965 recording on RCA. Long story short, I found the Rubinstein and yes, what a difference. Rubinstein sounds poetic, in a sense, but "conventional". Enjoyable, yes. But Pennario makes this sound almost like a modern work. Much heavier left hand. And better sound too, even though mono. Excellent technically, although Rubinstein, even in 1965, had some great chops.
I have learned that Schumann is a difficult composer to interpret. I grew up with the Szell symphony recordings and only later in life did I come to prefer slower and more romantic interpretations of Schumann symphonies, eg, Celibidache in Sym 3.
Along with that, I've listened to some movements of this on Youtube. Richter's was very impressive. De Larrocha's was quite moving. I never would have thought to consider De Larrocha before. Before the week is out I should be getting Pollini's version and I'm most anxious to learn about how he compares.
To think, it is only in my declining years that I've discovered this wonderful piece of music. I never thought I'd have this much fun in my old age.
he loses none of the lyricism; if anything, he's more "romantic." This is one of music's strange characteristics: Fischer usually is a Schnabel-type interpreter though his mentor, Brendel, I hardly think of in that way.
BTW, Fischer's interpretation of Schubert's Wanderer, since others brought up that piece, similarly is spectacular.
Thanks for the info. What exactly is the recording you are referring to? What is the label info, etc.?
Brendel (his Vanguard recording - haven't heard his Philips version), Richter, Martha - all excellent. Haven't heard Perahia. I remember Ashkenzy's fairly early Decca recording as being high standard too (recorded prior to his slide towards mediocrity). A dark horse might be the EMI recording by Leif Ove Andsnes - I found it pretty outstanding in its forward drive, clarity, tone quality, and general poetic sensibility (hard to define this last quality!).
It's when it "moves" you.
That's why Plato said the poets are dangerous.
That's why it's so chancy to make recommendations for other listeners! ;-)
I've ordered that Andsnes recording from the library. Along with about twenty others. Hope I get to hear them all before they come due. Library fees are a buck a day for each item late!
I'm also curious now about Kempff. I ordered his Schumann box set after listening to his CD of the Cto, Kinderszenen and Carnaval.
Brendel is one of the finest poets of the piano - you also get incredible technique, too, but the music always comes first for him.
If you want a treat, kill two bird with one stone and get the Sony CD of Perahia which includes Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy. The CD that gets the most listening in my house is Goode's because it includes (or features I think) Humoreske which I really enjoy.
But, if you just want an excellent Fantasy in C Richter and Brendel are two of my favorites.
Perahia, Kempff (DG), Biss, Richter (EMI), Kirschnereit, Brendel. I hate Pollini in nearly everything. Out of the ones I've listed, I gravitate towards Biss and Kempff over the others.
Along with the other CD of his, I just got his Schumannn Box set from the library, and I'm most impressed with the Fantasie, along with several others, some of which I'm hearing for the very first time.
In Schumann, Kempff has to be up there with my top faves. I still have to do Perahia and several others, which I've only briefly listened to. Still have not hit overload, which somewhat amazes me.
You might check out Horowitz and see what you think of it. This was recorded live in 1965 after 12 years of not playing in public due to his mental illness (mood disorder, stage fright). It was a big hit when the concert came out on LP ("An Historic Return"), but the recording as originally issued had lots of fixups after the fact due to wrong notes. The unedited version was issued on CD much later. On youtube, you can find the edited version in four parts, which starts here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEbB1L-n_w0
I've ordered his Schumann box set from the library after hearing his CD of the Cto, Kinderszenen, and Carnaval. Thanks.
For me, the Schumann Fantasy Pollini recorded in the early 1970s is one of his greatest achievements. It continues to be the best interpretation I've ever heard (which does not include all of the recommendations PBarach has provided). I think the work is one of the most difficult to pull off. Tempo flexibility can turn into meandering directionlessness. In contrast, Pollini takes a very rigid approach and performs the piece with what I'd say is grandeur. Just a beautiful interpretation.
I also wanted to mention the Nelson Freire live recording. He's a pianist I very much like but once again he plays with a freedom that backfires and exhibits the flaws I've heard in so many interpretations.
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
Your comments about the last movement of this Fantasy remind me of my own experiences reviewing various performances of Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata.
That last movement of the Beethoven is tricky IMO. So many performances are fine in the first two movements. As it is, I've compromised with my reference to get the best out of all three movements. Some of Beethoven's music is really beyond the abilities of most pianists, even very good ones, IMO. Perhaps, some of Schumann's piano works are the same. This is my first deep plunge into Schumann. I have several versions of the symphonies, of course, and a few piano works. I actually used to view him as a minor composer. But hey, where would Wagner have been without Schumann?
no piling on the listening list but just so you know my single favorite Schumann piece - and I'm a big fan - is his Dichterliebe song cycle. They far outclass his generally disappointing symphonies, to take one case.
Thanks for the comment about tempo flexibility. I thought a more flexible approach was what I wanted, now I'm not sure. I think back to Perahia's Chopin Etudes and how I preferred Pollini's approach in that music. Perhaps I'm wrong in thinking that there is some sort of kinship between the music of Chopin and Schumann. I have ordered Pollini's Op. 17 version from our library along with some Schumann by other performers. Next week will be Schumann week.
The Schumann Fantasy in C is an inexhaustible masterpiece that thrives on many interpretations. I have and love the recordings by Richter, Argerich, Rubenstein, Kempff and Pollini, all different and all rewarding. I seem to like best the one I happen to be listening to at the time.Pollini’s comes with Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy on a DG ‘Original’. The recordings were made in 1973/4 and have come up wonderfully in this re-mastering. Both performances are outstanding and I agree with jult52's description of grandeur. I cannot imagine anyone ‘hating’ these Pollini performances, but you may be drained emotionally!
garf
Edits: 03/02/12
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