Search - Robert Schumann, Arie Van Beek, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie :: Schumann: Piano Works, Vol. 1

THE BEST SCHUMANN I HAVE HEARD!

walt | US | 01/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is hands down, without a doubt, the absolute best Schumann I have heard. I know of what I speak. I am an avid classical music listener and I have a passion for the piano music of Schumann. I have recordings of Horowitz, Demidenko, Gulda, Pogorolich, Argerich, Frith, and Richter playing various Schumann works. I have ALSO heard Brendall, Pollini and Kissin. All of these pianists play Schumann very well, (especially Pollini and Demidenko), but Klara Wurtz is on another level. Here playing is very clear and she brings out all the complexities of the music. She also brings out all the passion , humor, torment and excitement without sacrificing any of the clarity. An amazing feat!!

BUY THIS CD!!"

Very passionate, detailed and clear Schumann

hjonkers | The Netherlands | 02/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a Schumann set you should not overlook. It contains three discs of - mainly - masterful playing of some piano works. Klara Wurtz does an excellent job in portraying every kind of detail and emotion Schumann asked for, as it shows immediately at the very intense start of the Kreisleriana. The whole performance has everything you want in Schumann - chased rhythms, passion, a powerful drive and also subtlety when needed. The Fantasy may be the best performance of the set, as Wurtz' playing simply fits perfectly in the demands of the piece. She plays the outer movements in a very introspective way, while the March sounds joyously and fresh. It's simply one of the best recordings of this piece I've heard. Then, there's the first sonata, where Wurtz almost matches Pollini's classic recording. Another absolutely stellar performance! Her second sonata is not as hurried as Hamelin's but that's no problem at all. Her high speed in the outer movements is still very evident and again she doesn't miss out anything. Overall this is a very solid performance too. The recording of the Piano concerto isn't bad but it's not up there with the recent recording of Andsnes, to name one. Wurtz is a little too mechanic at times and the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, though trying their best, isn't the Berlin Philharmonic. Certainly good for starters but not the best. The Faschingsschwank aus Wien, the last set of pieces (somewhere in the first movement you even hear the French national anthem passing!) is done well though I'm not as enthusiastic as with the other performances; the piece itself anyway isn't Schumann's best. Overall simply a must-have for those who like Schumann: they will find some of the finest performances of the genre here. And at this price, you can't let it stay on the shelves anyway."

Klára Würtz is a Major Pianist -- The World Just Doesn't Kno

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 01/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Quite by chance I happened upon the complete Mozart piano sonatas played by Klára Würtz, a Hungarian pianist I'd never heard of, and I have to tell you that I was gobsmacked by her playing. I matched her recordings against all my favorites and she came out at or near the head of the pack consistently. I loved her sensitivity, her nuanced dynamics and tempi, her unfailingly beautiful tone. I wrote a glowing review of that set here at Amazon.



Now here we have what is labeled Volume 1 of Schumann's piano works. And on the super-budget label, Brilliant, to boot. (And, shhh!, if you won't tell, I'll let you in on a little secret. You can get this box set online at Berkshire Record Outlet for a good deal less than is being charged here at Amazon.) It is very nearly equal to the Mozart set and contains some of Schumann's most marvelous music -- Fantasie, Op. 17; Kreisleriana, Op. 16; Piano Sonatas 1 & 2; Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26; and the Piano Concerto (with the Northwest German Philharmonic under Arie van Beek.



For me Schumann's greatest piano work is the Fantasie, and I have literally a dozen recordings. Würtz not only holds her own in this piece, she outshines such old favorites as Pollini's which now sounds a bit clinical beside Würtz's more poetic playing. She is not as over the top as Kissin or as dynamic as Richter, but she outscores them in the third movement which is as lusciously played as I've ever heard. The extraordinary second movement loses nothing of its wildness but there is also an Apollonian control that convinces. Her Kreisleriana reminds me of what has been my longtime favorite recording, that of Radu Lupu, in that it emphasizes the poetry of this so-Romantic set of eight pieces.



The two Sonatas, not easy pieces to play or to communicate to an audience, are beautifully organized in Würtz's hands and yet there is the required drama or lightness as needed in the various movements. She doesn't pour on the virtuosity of Hamelin or Argerich but she doesn't stint, either, and the whole is convincing. Faschingsschwank aus Wien is notable for its lyricism as well as its expected exuberance. And, my goodness, that last movement is sensational in its brio. (Just after I wrote this I pulled out my old Serkin recording and was reminded how much I've loved it over the years. And, guess what, Würtz has bustling energy similar to his in this work, especially in the final movement.)



I am only slightly less impressed with Würtz's Concerto. I think my favorite of fairly recent recordings is that of Perahia, and I also like Andsnes's account. Other versions I've loved over the years have included those of Christian Zacharias and Myra Hess. Others have criticized the orchestra but I find nothing particular to quibble with and I loved the playing of the important clarinet part in the second movement.



When one considers the extremely high level of the playing and the super-budget price this three CD set is a must-buy.



Scott Morrison"