Search - Franz Schubert, Richard Goode :: Schubert: Sonata in A minor, Op. 42; Sonata in D major, Op. 53

Mellifluous

David Saemann | 02/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Richard Goode is one of our best Schubert pianists. He brings to these two sonatas much subtlety of inflection and a lovely, balanced tone. His technique is exceptional, but he never goes in for displaying it at the expense of musicality. He never pounds out his Schubert, unlike the always stimulating Mitsuko Uchida, for example. Rather, there is a musical, song-like flow throughout his interpretations. In D. 850, the one pianist on CDs that Goode reminds me of is Emil Gilels. His slow movements bring out the distinction made in an essay by Alfred Brendel, that while Beethoven is an architect, Schubert is a sleepwalker. Again and again, passages of drama or of doubt are resolved in a way that seems totally natural and surprisingly inevitable. The sound engineering on this disc is full if a little dry. No matter whose Schubert you've heard, Richard Goode's is likely to be totally rewarding."

Great sonatas, great playing

Rick M. | 11/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is well-recorded & features 2 of the greatest piano sonatas ever composed. The quality of the playing matches the quality of the music. GO FOR IT--you will always treasure it!"