BBC Record Review - D.960

[Bozo]

50 minutes of comparative recordings and analysis by pianist David Owen Norris :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09jbwhj

Horowitz D.960 great ; Schnabel’s “ Mozart sonata “ reading ignoring tempo markings ; Zimerman “ too many Gothic edifices in every phrase” ; R.Serkin’s “ honesty” ; Pires “ melting icicles “ at the start of the slow mov. and the only one with courage to slow down for a difficult passage in the finale;
Lupu’s “ vieled” approach to the work ; Bilson's sound ; Richter,Eschenbach too slow ; several others pro and con.

Horowitz,Bilson on fortepiano, Lupu, Pires, Serkin, Brendel (live) Owen’s favs, Pires’ 2011 DDG cd his top choice.


Also, some interesting comments on modern pianism and recording in general, as well as live in the room vs. recorded of that live, finding the pianism of Hough and Andsnes unimaginative in general, that of Lewis,Douglas exaggerated in general.

[Andy Evans]

An enjoyable program. David Owen Norris uses simple language - none of the "mellifluous" and "filigree" we got from the usual bunch of pretentious reviewers, which took up the rest of the program. But even in his simple and direct language he was full of idiomatic images and just plain fun to listen to. He came across as a bit of an idiot savant - just in the "unworldly" sense of the phrase - but very much with the emphasis on savant. Good choice.

I was glad to hear praise for Horowitz, who remains by far my favourite in this work. Except that my preferred version is the live 50s Carnegie Hall recital. It was the later DGG recording that was featured.

[Bozo]

>On Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 5:49:45 PM UTC-6, Andy Evans wrote:
> I was glad to hear praise for Horowitz, who remains by far my favourite in this work. Except that my >preferred version is the live 50s Carnegie Hall recital. It was the later DGG recording that was featured.

I have that live Horowitz 50's, not the later DGG. Horowitz not my fav, but excellent.I remain partial to my Pires early Erato lp ( 80's I believe; got it for 99c brand new shrink-wrapped in bargain bin of a store making way for the " new " cd onslaught ) ; I dont have her 2011 DGG Norris liked.

Pires' Erato :

http://www.warnerclassics.com/shop/380694,0825646138234/maria-joao-pires-schubert-sonata-d-960-impromptu-d-899

[Bozo]

>On Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 6:41:28 PM UTC-6, dk wrote:

> Any D.960 survey that ignores Schnabel, Sofronitsky and Afanassiev
> and finds Richter and Eschenbach too slow, yet praises Brendel and
> Serkin must be deemed farcical.

I disagree. You obviously did not hear Norris at all. You may disagree with his conclusions, but as Andy pointed out, Norris is an intelligent and perceptive reviewer, not a farce. BTW, Norris did not ignore Schnabel at all, in fact played an excerpt of Schnabel's 960. He admitted time did not permit a discussion of every recording, even though he had heard them.

Norris bio : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Owen_Norris

[Frank Berger]

Norris has recorded all of Elgar's piano music.

[sabi...@gmail.com]

I listen to Records in Review for the same reason I follow this group, to help me organize my listening. I have too many CDs, and can feel overwhelmed, not knowing what I want to listen to. If a recording is being discussed here, I will make an attempt to listen to it saying I have it. If Records in Review is doing D. 960, I will listen to one or two recordings of the piece during the week before the program. At some point in the next two weeks I will listen to both of Horowitz' readings, the Erato Pires and probably the Richter versions as I had the Eurodisc on vinyl and played it to death when I was in graduate school. (The Richter Eurodisc box arrived two weeks ago. It is on sale at jpc.)

The most interesting snippet of D. 960 to my ears turned out to be a the new version by Krystian Zimerman on DG, which was discarded by Norris without playing an example for having too many agogic distortions. But later in the program, as part of a discussion of recommended discs from 2017, we were given two and a half minutes of the Scherzo. Norris' comment on Barenboim's D. 960 trio on Elatus came to mind, that it gave him sea sickness.

[howie...@btinternet.com]

I'm inclined to agre about Zimerman's rubato in 960

[Bozo]

>On Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 8:01:23 PM UTC-6, Bozo wrote:
> I disagree.

Sorry, DK, I did not intend to be nasty, but I do try not to post farcical matters here, although do not always succeed.

[Herman]

On Sunday, December 17, 2017 at 1:41:28 AM UTC+1, dk wrote:

>
> Any D.960 survey that ignores Schnabel, Sofronitsky and Afanassiev
> and finds Richter and Eschenbach too slow, yet praises Brendel and
> Serkin must be deemed farcical.
>

Or maybe it's just a discerning overview.

The Wagnerian live Richter performance is special as an one-off, but it is silly, too.

[Herman]

why apologize for standing by your views?

[AB]

On Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 7:41:28 PM UTC-5, dk wrote:

> Any D.960 survey that ignores Schnabel, Sofronitsky and Afanassiev
> and finds Richter and Eschenbach too slow, yet praises Brendel and
> Serkin must be deemed farcical.
>

> dk

farcical and disgraceful!

AB

[Herman]

Like Norris says: "I bet they were amazing if you happened to be in the room at the time."

Obviously the Statlers and Waldorfs who deem Norris's survey "farcical" have not listened to it.

[gggg gggg]

On Saturday, December 16, 2017 at 5:56:47 AM UTC-8, Bozo wrote:

(2023 Y. upload):

"Schubert - Piano Sonata No. 21, in B flat. - the most beautiful piece ever written for solo piano?"