Customer Reviews

Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D958, 959, 960

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This is the second time that Perahia has recorded the middle of these three late sonatas, the well-loved Sonata in A, D. 959. I bought the 2 CD set primarily to hear what he might have to say some 13 years after the original recording. And I was concerned about his technical assurance after several years of physical problems with his hands. I needn't have worried on that account. If anything this reading is more olympian, more assured, more elegant. Earlier reviewers here have asked for more fire. Not I. I want these sonatas to sound like they were handed down from God--as they may have been, who knows?--and in that Perahia succeeds. Just listen to the final movement, the Rondo, of the A major sonata--the one made familiar to millions in an orchestrated version that was the themesong of the popular US sitcom, 'Wings.' I have never heard such songful playing from anyone--this includes Brendel, Goode, Uchida--which is certainly apt for Schubert, our most inspired writer of song melodies. When I got to that fourth movement I hit the repeat button and played it four times in a row, I was so enthralled. Coupled with that is the elfin leggiero of the movement preceding it--almost Mendelssohnian. This is spectacular playing AND spectacular thinking about this great music.

The less-familiar C minor sonata, D. 958--and it is less familiar because it is just a hairbreadth less heavenly than its successors--has a convincing case made for it by Perahia. He does this by emphasizing the ceremonial aspects of the piece--'This is Important Stuff'--by de-emphasizing the corny Alberti-bass recurrences of the accompaniment, using a consistently full but rounded tone, and drawing our attention to the rock-solid formal construction. Hewn from granite, this music.

Many people's favorite Schubert sonata is the final Sonata in B flat major, D. 960. They need not fear that Perahia will distort or underplay its grandeurs. There is a temptation in this sonata to overemphasize the mystery presaged by that ominous low-bass G-flat trill in the opening measures. My own take on that trill, and those that follow it, is that they are primarily harmonic devices, preparing us for the way Schubert takes us far afield. Yes, they are mysterious but they become less and less so, even dying out without a whimper eventually. Perhaps this is a triumph of light over dark? Who knows what Schubert had in mind. As Perahia plays--in unfailingly beautiful tone, be it said--one is not made uneasy by all this, rather one is exalted--by the beauty of the themes, the odd rightness of the unusual harmonies, by the inevitability of the form; the latter is the kind of thing that makes you go 'Of COURSE!' when the form is finally laid out, but it is not easily predicted beforehand. The Andante sostenuto is, to my mind, the most Beethovenian of Schubert's slow movements, and it is given that kind of solemnity and substance by Perahia. The Scherzo that follows comes as an emotional relief from the seriousness of the Andante; Perahia is not often considered to be much of a jokester, but he makes this movement chuckle. The closing Rondo is played with a straight-face, but occasionally hears Perahia (and, of course, Schubert) smiling. And most of all, it dances. An unusually satisfying traversal.

I have liked Brendel's recordings, also Uchida's and Goode's. But at least for now these by Perahia are my favorites.

This 2 CD set has about 112 minutes of music--roughly the amount one would get these days on 1 1/2 CDs--and the price reflects that; that is, one pays about 1 1/2 times what one would pay for one full-price CD. One last word: the booklet notes by Charles Fisk are elegantly written and more informative than most.

Recommended without reservations.

Scott Morrison

Over the past couple of years, the pianism of Murray Perahia has grown on me steadily. I was tempted to write a review on his outstanding account of the Chopin etudes, yet i am happy that i have waited until this release to offer my opinions. I beleive that after traversing through bach, beethoven, liszt, chopin, schubert is probably ideal for him, and his playing here is sublime and yet never over-sentimental.

Take for instance the opening of the final d960 sonata - here Perahia keeps a steady pace (just barely faster than most performances - but not too fast) yet allowing all ideas to come forth and distinguish themselves. At the same time, his pace allows the listener to connect the recurring themes throughout the 4 movements. And even though this maybe one of schubert's most introverted works, yet perahia never unerestimates its declmatory features even as quiet as they may be.

The preceeding 2 sonatas d958 and d959 are played with the same attention to detail, yet the approach is closer to beethoven with their wider range of dynamics and more virtuosity. In fact, Perahia here again allows the music to evolve naturally - the dynamics can be extreme, yes, but as played here they do not draw attention to themselves and rather seem a natural assertion of a continuing narrative.

Another issue here to single out is the beauty of the tone Perahia consistently shows in all his recordings - yet never as apparent and appropiate as it is in this schubert recording. This is the tone of someone who loves the music dearly - it glows, and is warm and never metallic - its always natural and always unassuming.

I recommend this recording and the pianist with no reservations.

The late Schubert sonatas are to the pianist what the Bach Partitas & Sonatas are to the violinist --- works that cannot be approached casually, and which require a certain maturity on the part of the artist. With these recordings, Perahia demonstrates his continuing maturity as an artist in recent years.

Perahia allows the music to unfold on its own accord, something which is crucial for Schubert's late instrumental works. His tempi & dynamics are careful & measured, for he knows exactly what each sonata individually requires. The sometimes extreme dynamics of D959, for example, would be wildly out of place in D960. The 1st movement of D958 requires a very steady pace & crescendi that are gradual but not hurried. It is far too easy to let the tempo & dynamics get the better of the artist, but Perahia clearly has control over this.

Throughout all three sonatas, Perahia's tone is sustained and natural, of the most reflective & thoughtful nature. These performances certainly stand up favorably in comparison to the much-ballyhooed series of Uchida, as well as the classic Brendel recordings. This is a crucial recording for those who want to explore the full complexities & nuances of the late Schubert sonatas.

Murray Perahia has established himself as one of today's most compellingly lyrical pianists. This recording of Schubert's last three piano sonatas is no exception. Perahia, while in possession of a beautiful basic tone, uses his mastery of color to accentuate Schubert's subtle and often somber changes of mood and expression. This in fact is probably Perahia's strong point--that he follows exactly what is written in the score while making a poignant statement rather than blindly following the composer's instructions. He executes extremely well. This also may be a drawback to this set, that it lacks a certain spontaneity. However, this is not extremely dramatic, spontaneous music, and Perahia's style fits it well. He handles the bigger moments in the sonatas well, such as the second movement of the A Major Sonata. He will never be the pianist to go to for the Liszt b minor sonata, but that is fine because Perahia is playing Schubert as opposed to Liszt.

I am a big fan of Murray Perahia. I have quite a number of his recordings in my collection. His recordings of the Schubert Impromptus and this collection of the Posthumous Sonatas are wonderful examples of his art.

His interpretations have the healthy outlook and vibrant life force of Artur Rubinstein; yet have the vision of Artur Schnabel. He really is a perfect pianist. (If there is such a thing).

If your'e reading this Mr. Perahia, please do us all a favor, and give consideration to recording all of the complete Schubert Sonatas. It would be a great set!!!

The first sonata to be performed on this recording is the Sonata in A major D958. This is a sonata I have performed many times because its opening theme is one of Schubert's most lyrically, warmth filled melodies. The little sonata, instead of anticipations, is filled with what seem like reminiscences of more youthful ideas. Considering who wrote it, the work is astonishingly short. At the outset Perahia reminds us of its lyricist composer with a warmly expressed tone and seamless shaping of the first subject which is actually a complete song of nineteen measures. Try singing this melody at its gentle pace, and you will immediately sense the gentle charm and musical purity. In the second subject Perahia defines its characteristic dactylic rhythm which is more of a song as well instead of what a sonata subject should be, but it is a little more Schubertian. In many performances that I have heard of its seven-bar periods, the Andante is often dull, yet Perahia executes it with sensitively judged playing. The finales first subject is characteristically conveyed by Perahia suggesting a music box, its most successful movement of the three. This sonata can become too saccharine-like and one often feels it hovering on a knife edge between the great Schubert on the left and triviality on the right. Fortunately Perahia never once allows it to lose its balance to the left. The C minor Sonata is often considered to be the least interesting. It begins with some impressive Beethoven, the rhythm carrying one back to the Egmont Overture. In the hands of Perahia the sonata always maintains enough ingenuity to make it insightful and purely respective of Schubert's musical priorities. The choric, legato theme in E flat is vastly improved, and Perahia beautifully and lyrically shapes the phrase and keeps the underlying rhythm going so that it sounds like an integral part of the movement. The studious biographer, August Reismann, whose life of the composer appeared in 1873, actually pronounces this to be the best of all the sonatas. With the possible exception of the little A major sonata, the posthumous Sonata in B flat is the most consistently sustained of them all. In the opening movement, Perahia brilliantly establishes the form, but also the spirit of the grand manner-grand also in simplicity, long lines, large planes. In the first subject, he produces its needed luscious dusky coloring, with as much Schubert himself, and comes back as the most moving and satisfying return to a reprise that the composer ever conceived for the piano. The development, one of Schubert's more characteristic, is an effective preparation for that return. Perahia captures this development's sudden, breath-catching start in C sharp minor out of F major, the lovely Episode it creates and, before the return, he captivates us with the dramatic expectation and suspense, shimmering back and forth between major and minor, distinguishing this as one of the Master's most poetic pages. The other material of the Molto moderato is almost as wonderful as the opening theme. In the Andante sostenuto, Perahia reveals the religious atmosphere where, amid all the Beethoven, one finds a gratifying momentum of its own composer. In the third movement, he conveys a strong affinity with the scherzos of the trios of Beethoven. This is praise, indeed, and implies a generous Schubertian content. Here then, in this series of sonatas we have one long tantalization. They offer us pages of deep interest, precious emotional value, beauty, and occasional flashes of the real Schubert. Throughout this recording, Perahia performs with superbly controlled levels of high powered playing, flawless in its technical accomplishments and always projecting a yielding warmth and vulnerability found in his own innate understanding of the works by Franz Schubert.

Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus. A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate (honorary)

Schubert is regarded today as the greatest melodist of all time, and understandably so. His piano music has won a soft spot in my heart that very few composers have. His last piano works are unquestionably his best - the Impromptus and the pieces featured on this disc, the last three sonatas. There is always such a sense of melody in these works. For me, the melodies are so sweet and beautiful that they are almost heartbreaking. And how does Perahia do conveying these qualities? Simply wonderfully. His piano tone marvelously captures the deep emotion of which these pieces are full.

The first of the sonatas on this disc is the one is c-minor. This one is certainly the least known of the series, although it by all means deserves listening. Perahia's interpretation of this sonata can only add to its merits. The second movement contains a gentle theme that reminds one of Schubert's 6th Impromptu. And the finale contains a lighthearted, skipping tune. While this piece could become a bit monotonous, it doesn't in Perahia's hands.

The sonata in A, the second-to-last one, is even better. Schubert's reflective, introspective qualities have come to their fullest potential. Well, almost. The opening movement has a strong heroic quality Perahia delivers stunningly without becoming harsh. The second movement has a gentle, lyric theme that Perahia makes sing rapturously here. The scherzo is one of Schubert's most brilliant; Perahia gives us glittering pianism here. And then we come to the finale, where Schubert gives us much more laid-back, melodic material than in the previous sonata. This is the kind of material in which Perahia has no peers.

And now we come to the last and the greatest of all Schubert's sonatas, and, in fact, of his entire piano repertoire. Throughout the entire piece, there is a wonderful, resigned sense of melody with few peers in the entire literature of music. And Perahia, well, he does a simply staggering job. Those who have heard his Bach will hear the same sense of steadiness, yet the ever-present beauty that has won Perahia has fame. In the opening movement, we hear resignation and retrospection spilling from the keys of the piano. Perahia does not exaggerate here, but neither is this a run-through. I cannot possibly describe the amazing effect this brings. And then in the moonlit second movement, Perahia gently pulls lyric beauty out of every note. In the scherzo and finale, Perahia gives excitement, but also refinement. Only one of the world's greatest pianists could even dream of this good of a performance.

This album certainly belongs in your collection. It will fill you with immense satisfaction. Highly, highly recommended.

These are works for musicians of the highest caliber. Schubert's piano sonatas can be celestial or, depending on the interpretation, a succession of painfully disjoined notes. Therefore, let's all take off our hats and humbly thank Murray Perahia for this jewel that honors the music of Schubert in the best possible way.

imho,this is one of the truly great performances on [DDD].possibly only uchida is an equal.i've never heard a subpar performance from perahia..a true virtuoso.

It is believed that Schubert completed these three sonatas in September 1828, just weeks before his death. He knew, of course, that he was dying. His final year produced a vast catalog of magnificent works, as if he was laboring under a sense of urgency to produce as much as he could in the time he had left--and these sonatas, perhaps more than any of the other works of that period, reflect a sense of his impending death. A breath of melancholy hangs about them, even in the livelier and brighter sections. The second movement of the B-flat Major (D.960) in particular, with its persistent brooding in the deep bass region, carries a sense of doom only slightly mitigated by the bright figures surrounding it.

Listening to these recordings it is hard to understand how such music could have languished virtually unknown for nearly a hundred years, considered derivative and shallow by most of the music world. Thanks to the insightful work of many great pianists over recent decades, we can now appreciate the emotional depth and technical originality that infuse these sonatas. I have generally not been overly enthusiastic about Perahia's playing, but his handling of these sonatas has made me a convert. I have to place these recordings by Murray Perahia at the head of a long list of magnificent performances. His phrasing is exquisitely flexible and perfect throughout. The score offers many possibilities for interpretation, but upon hearing Perahia's rendition, one has to say in every case, "Yes, that's the right way." And his tone...! I had to frequently restrain myself from rushing to my Bsendorfer to see if I could match it.

As is common with Schubert, the music is intensely song-like. Singable melodies seem to spring forth with the abandon of poppies on a hillside, and Perahia exploits each snippet of melody as if he were phrasing lyrics being sung rather than figures on a keyboard. And he does it all with great humility, reflecting the score, not trying to dominate it. I like it immensely.

Aside from the recording itself, I think it useful to spend some thoughts on the internal sensibilities of the magnificent B-flat sonata in the context of Schubert's physical suffering and recognition of his imminent death.

This strikes me as an extended prayer. The first movement, almost 20 minutes long, carries the weight of intense spiritual turmoil, asking the questions: Why this trouble? How do I face this personal disaster? What does the future hold for me? The second movement is a statement of faith, a calm and relaxed acceptance of whatever God may ultimately proffer. The third movement is an outburst of joyful exuberance (Lob und Jubel), a song of thanks and victory. The fourth struggles with twinges of doubt, still a courageous stepping forward, but asking again the deeper questions while continuing the walk of faith, sometimes in pain, sometimes in deliberate courage, but again and again reaffirming his submission to the divine will and his assurance of ultimate victory over pain and death.

From this perspective I think this sonata may be the crowning work of Schubert's life in music.