Search - Franz [Vienna] Schubert, Leif Ove Andsnes :: Schubert: Late Piano Sonatas

Safe and stolid performances, in no way compelling.

A. F. S. Mui | HK | 02/08/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This dual album as a set has been compiled from several releases that Andsnes made with Ian Bostridge on Schubert's works.

It would suggest strongly that the pianist did not concentrate on these late Schubert sonatas as a continuous genre of compositions.

And it does show on the recording.

The works are played very conservatively, with little imagination, and often in a detached approach.

Too bad, because there are lots of keen contemproary competitions in the field of these late Schubert piano sonatas: Uchida, Brendel, Richter, Perahia, Pollini...

All the above pianists approached these works with a sense of summit conquering since the release of the great box set by Wilhelm Kempff in the mid-20th century.

Suffice it to mention that Andsnes has not fully grasped the contents and the style of these late sonatas. Despite the fact that he recorded them individually with some lieders of the composer, this did not carry with it a marked sense of awakening of the lyrical style that lies deeply embalmed in these works.

"

Outstanding Performances of Late Schubert

Stephen Grabow | Lawrence, Kansas | 02/18/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"EMI have done us a favor by gathering the late Schubert Piano Sonatas onto a double CD by separating them from the Bostridge performed Songs they were originally coupled with. These are outstanding performances, in the category of the great recordings by Richter, Lupu and Uchida (and Perahia's latest recodings have joined that elite group as well). Andsnes manages to combine both power and poetry into a beautiful sound. These should be in every complete collection of late schubert. Perhaps D.958 and 959 are just slightly superior to D.960 which starts a little heavy but then quickly settles into a beautiful performance; otherwise, superb."