Brendel Is Still A Great Schubert Interpreter
John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 07/20/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These live performances are rich in tension and lyricism. Although they sound quite vibrant, they don't lack at all the richness in tone you'd expect from well-balanced studio recordings. Brendel's latest traversal of three of Schubert's sonatas is as refined as his classic recordings in the 1970's, yet there is a bit more warmth, if not exuberance, evidenced in these performances. And he plays just as warmly in his performance of the D575 sonata, which he hasn't recorded before. Long-time admirers of Alfred Brendel's exquisite playing will definitely want to add this superb 2 CD set to their collection."
Brendel in concert
klavierspiel | TX, USA | 12/02/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These performances of four Schubert sonatas are taken from live concerts by Alfred Brendel in England, the Netherlands and Germany. All four display the pianist's typical technical control and interpretive thoughtfulness, with an added intensity from the presence of an audience (though there is little if any intrusive noise). Perhaps the prize of this two-CD set is the G major Sonata D. 894; the rapt intensity of its long Molto Moderato first movement, the lyricism of the Andante, and the charm of the Minuetto and final Rondo have never been conveyed better in a superbly balanced performance. The other three sonatas, while of course excellently played, are not quite on this level; the first movement of the great posthumous A major D. 959 is exciting but lacks the magisterial poise of Brendel's studio rendition, while the accelerated coda of the Rondo finale somehow fails to whip up the requisite excitement of the long journey concluded. Brendel's Scherzo of the posthumous B-flat sonata D. 960 (Schubert's final piano work) catches the "delicatezza" of the tempo mark perfectly, but the finale is slightly untidy. Most interesting for Brendel fans is his only recording of the earlier B major Sonata D. 575, which remains a slightly disjointed effort from the composer despite many incidental charms and ravishing playing from the pianist in the slow movement. Still, this is a collection that will repay many listenings, in common with all of Brendel's work."
Unmissable accounts
G.D. | Norway | 11/28/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Brendel has recorded most of this works before - the only new addition being the relatively early and quirky D575. This time, he relies on live recordings taken from several different venues.
The G major D894 is one of my personal favorites, and Brendel gives us as usual a subtly nuanced, fluent reading. One might object to the fact that he drops the first movement repeat, but I don't think of this as a serious loss. The A major D959 - perhaps the most convincing performance in the set - is remarkably cogently argued; there's a continuity and a structural roundedness of a kind I have rarely encountered in Schubert sonata playing (and the Schubert sonatas can easily sound a little rambling in lesser hands). Similarly sweeping is the account of the B flat major D960. In sum, Brendel' main strength is his penetrating understanding of the architecture of these works, and he understands this so thoroughly that he also has time to investigate and give character to the delicate details along the way.
There are places (e.g. in the finale of the D894) where the most challenging technical parts make him hesitate and stumble a little, but it does not at all detract from the overall impression. These are unmissable readings.
Sound quality is very good. It is possible to discern the fact that these are live-recordings, but they are remarkably well-balanced."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1