Schnabel - Historical mp3s - Sonata Op2/2

[Peter]

Pianoforte sonata in A Op.2/2 1st movt.

On a weekly basis selected movements will be available from the piano sonatas in mp3 format. Members are invited to post their comments and vote on the works and recordings which will feature Schnabel. Enjoy!

A password is required to access the page and for those of you who have forgotten this (it is not the same as your forum password), please contact either Chris or myself.

www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/mp3s.html

[DavidO]

I forgot my password a long time ago, but as far as I'm concerned, if it's Schnabel, it's "excellent" rating in my book.

[Chris]

I'll go with "Very good." Everything was very solid, but there seemed again to be a bit of sloppiness such as in those very fast runs.

[Peter]

I'll go with "Very good." Everything was very solid, but there seemed again to be a bit of sloppiness such as in those very fast runs.

Yes you don't get technical perfection with Schnabel - his teacher Leschetizky famously said to him "You will never be a pianist. You are a musician." It is the profound spiritual insight he brings to the works. My teacher (who heard Schnabel live) recalls playing through with friends several recordings of Beethoven sonatas, Solomon, Richter etc.. all of them great performances, but she said as soon as the Schnabel was played it was as though Beethoven had suddenly walked into the room, which I think is a nice way of putting it!

[Chris]

I'm sure Beethoven would have approved, as technical perfection didn't seem to be his primary concern as a pianist either.

[Peter]

I'm sure Beethoven would have approved, as technical perfection didn't seem to be his primary concern as a pianist either.

Yes I think so - Czerny said "His playing did not possess that clean and brilliant elegance of certain other pianists. On the other hand, it was spirited, grandiose and, especially in adagio, very full of feeling."

Interesting the reference to adagio as Rachmaninoff is supposed to have referred to Schnabel as "the great adagio pianist"!

[ruudp]

I go with very good aswell...it's hard to really "dig" this style since you're being beaten to death these days with clinical perfect studio renditions...but I really do like his approach/interpretation.

[Peter]

I think there is something sterile about many of today's recordings. Schnabel gets to the essence of Beethoven and this is far more important than a note accurate mechanical rendition.

[atserriotserri]

I can't agree more with you, Peter. Some months ago I red an article on the internet about what the author called "crisis in modern piano", in which after mentioning that there are few pianists touring nowadays (most of them record and/or become directors), there is a common feeling of what modern piano recordings/performances have in common in the sacrifice of emotion in favour of technique. Example: Andras Schiff recording (ECM records, guess it dates 2004), you can accept the 1st movement was "allegro", but no way "vivace",since it was only what you call a note accurate mechanical rendition.

[susanwen]

This is one of the (many) pieces I don't own myself. I'm grateful for the opportunity to hear it. I haven't heard enough performances of it to vote to compare it meaningfully; just writing to express appreciation to you for posting it.