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Amazing bargain

Thomas F. Dillingham | Columbia, Missouri USA | 02/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although I sympathize with the other listener's predicament in finding he has acquired a defective set, I certainly don't think that legitimate complaint should be the only or last word on this magnificent set. Not only is this an amazing bargain (5 cds for under $20), but it is a collection of some of the finest playing of Schubert piano sonatas that I have heard. Schubert's sonatas (especially the group included in this set) are among my favorites of all piano sonatas, and Christian Zacharias's performances are consistently clear and (if this does not seem paradoxical) passionate. This is especially true of his versions of the final three (D 598, 599, 560), where his precision enhances the dark and emotionally compelling character of these works. I would think that anyone who values fine pianism and the beauty of Schubert's sonatas would want this set, either as an introduction or as an addition to a Schubert "shelf." It's too bad that the inclusion of incorrect discs in another set should have prompted a negative "review" and a low rating, since it is really an irrelevant complaint and will, nonetheless, drag down the average rating on this wonderful set."

A Highly Recommendable (and Affordable!) Introduction to Sch

Dace Gisclard | Houston, TX | 07/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Schubert's Piano Sonatas have risen a long way in the estimation of performers and audiences since even as recently as the 1960's. Lately, merely playing the posthumous B-flat as become a rubber stamp of approval for pianistic techno-jockeys seeking to be regarded as "artists." Happily, Christian Zacharias, the pianist of the present set, is not one of those. Herein, he plays only sonatas that Schubert completed, and not all of those (i.e., the 11 sonatas in the first two volumes of the Henle edition). However, most of the mature sonatas are here--the conspicuous exception being D840, the noble torso of the unfinished "Reliquie". (FYI, D575 is in the key of B, not B-flat.)



Zacharias' debut LP of the Sonata in G has long been a treasured item in my collection, with which he impressed me as a Schubertian of stature. This was my impetus for investigating the present set, but the pianist has altered his approach since that first recording. Not that the present one isn't lovely--Zacharias brings rustic swagger to the finale and alternating virility and sensuousness to the Menuetto. I don't take serious objection to the few discreet ornaments added to the slow movement. However, I would have preferred a first movement with more breadth--the marking IS "Molto moderato." In the earlier recording, the timing was 18:36, and Zacharias held it in breathless suspension--the present one is 16:54! The movement now feels extrovert in the manner of Kempff, rather than inward in the manner of Dalberto. I'm NOT saying this is bad, but it's not my favorite way with this movement, and I continue to prefer Dalberto and Zacharias' own earlier recording.



Sometimes Zacharias "telegraphs" his punches. Sometimes when a phrase specifically marked to conclude with a final "forte" or accent is followed by a phrase beginning piano, he minimizes the contrast with an unmarked diminuendo at the end of the first phrase. This is most noticeable in the first movement of the D major Sonata, but occurs now and then elsewhere. Perhaps he is using a different edition--I used the Henle. Nevertheless, this did not disturb my enjoyment to any great degree. His rubato is flexible and spontaneous, although he occasionally dissipates tension prematurely by rushing forward when forbearance might have been the nobler course.



These objections aside, Zacharias is a highly satisfying Schubertian. He makes the long paragraphs hold together with constant attention as to how details contribute to the long line. Textures are clear but not dry, and his tone is consistently singing and sensitively colored. Even when the music is stark and forbidding and the accents heavy, the tone is always beautiful within the context of MUSICAL sound. Zacharias' quiet playing is raptly poetic, with many layers of light and shade, but he is not precious. In the stark A minor sonatas (D785 and D845) he is passionate and unflinchingly incisive, but the sound is NEVER ugly. He is genial in the familiar A major Sonata D664, and even charmingly impertinent in the finale of the B major. He can also be inward, foreboding and world-weary, as in the darker passages of the slow movements and the last three great sonatas...and...he takes all the repeats.



The notes are in French only, but as of this writing, copies of Philip Radcliffe's illuminating (and inexpensive!) BBC Music Guide are still available right here on AMAZON (BBC MUSIC GUIDES--- SCHUBERT PIANO SONATAS OR Schubert piano sonatas (BBC Music guides, 17)).



Zacharias' set could be a wise buy for those seeking a reliable guide to introduce them inexpensively to the major part of this repertoire--to dip their toes in the Schubertian ocean without soaking their budgets! At this tempting price, even experienced Schubert-lovers might want to add these performances to their collections as alternatives to their current favorites."

1st class: Schubert/Zacharias

W. Y. Yang | New Haven CT USA | 04/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Absolutely First Class. Zacharias is a thoughtful musician, the playing here is natural, effortless, heart-felt, and at this bargain price, i was sure there is some kind of mixed up in marketing, but rest assured, this would be easily one of the happiest purchases that you will ever make. Piano music lovers rejoice. PS, Zacharias is also fantastic in Mozart."