Shocked by Schumann

Over the last week I have purchased two Schumann recordings which I have thoroughly enjoyed - especially since, for some unknown reason, I have never really been tempted by him before.

first was the disc of string quartets by the Zehetmair quartet on ECM - I got this for a tenner on MDT - and can fully understand why it won the Gramophone recording of the year for 2003. Excellent music superbly played.

Second was the Schumann recording by John Lill of various piano pieces. This is on the Green Room label and out on vinyl (wahey) - good to see a new recording of classical music being released in this format. The recording of the piano is superb. I'm not a huge fan of solo piano but the difference in the sound of the instrument on vinyl compared to cd is quite surprising. An excellent pair of records with some superb music on them.

I do find it strange how I have completely missed music by this composer especially with such excellent recordings. Also it will be good to see what other classical music the Green Room releases on vinyl if this is the way it is going to go especially since most classical labels ignore this format now when it comes to new releases.

 

I'm sure you're not short of sources for recommendations and things, but FWIW my personal favourite Schumann work is probably the Piano Quintet, which is a marvellous piece of music (though still a bit of a poor relation IMO to the almighty Brahms piano quintet with which it's often coupled on CD).

I don't know Schumann's solo piano music though - in fact I hardly know any solo piano music at all, it's just never really been my thing.

 

Funnily enough, those two were the same Schumann CDs I bought last year too, along with the Andsnes Grieg/Schumann concerti. I also have had my problems with Schumann - even as an arch-romantic he's never really done much for me, he just seems to try too hard to too little effect. The only other Schumann I have is the Sawallisch set of the symphonies.

The Lill I bought (on the CD version - about £5) after a recital he gave at the RFH which was stunning. Despite his reputation for being a bit staid (and looking like a middle-ranking tax inspector ) he's really impressed me with everything I've heard him play recently (in about 4 concerts over the last couple of years). That recording actually made a bit of a splash in Hi-Fi Plush (IIRC), as it was made on both digital and analogue kit (a much modded ancient Studer? reel-to-reel), and was a major about-face for Tony Faulkener, who was one of the initial gurus of the digital revolution. Talking to him at that concert he reckoned he wasn't going to make a lot on the vinyl release though as the production costs were so high (i.e. much higher than the retail price of the CD).

In contrast, when I heard the Zehetmair quartet in concert they were v. disappointing. They were working so hard at pianissimo and atmosphere they could hardly be heard further than halfway back through the QEH, and what you could hear was thin and scratchy. And given the fuss they make about no music stands to interfere with their rapport and communications - they never looked at each other once and seemed to play all in their own little boxes. Give me the Takacs or an ad hoc Batiashvilli/Faust/?/Isserlis/Andsnes(?) grouping (that were fantastic in Dvorak recently) any day. The performance on that CD is great though.

 

Schumann's piano solo music is about the best there is. Ignore it at your peril. You will look back on a life wasted.

If you insist on vinyl I'm fairly confident you can get good copies of these essential works:

Fantaisie in C (Op 17): Pollini (DG)

Kreisleriana: Horowitz (DG)

Kinderszenen: Horowitz (RCA)

Davidsbündlertänze: Perahia (CBS)

Fantasiestücke Op 12 Rubinstein (RCA)

Carnaval: Rubinstein

 

Thanks Herman - I will be trying to get more of his piano music and will try and hunt down some of your recommendations.

It's not just that I insist on vinyl - just nice to be able to buy a new classical recording on my prefered playback system. I hope Tony Faulkener doesn't give up on producing his recordings on vinyl - as this was an excellent start and cost wise not too expensive considering what you pay for audiophile pressing double albums - worth the gamble IMO.

Until now I had only got a couple of discs of Schumanns song cycles - the first 3 released by Hyperian - but had never really been too impressed with any of his orchestral music to go out and buy any of his symphonies.

 

Which means you must have the Christine Schäfer disc (vol 1), hurrah!

Do you have any of her Schubert songs?

 

I certainly do have the schafer Schumann disc - and very good it is too.

Unfortunately I don't have any of her Schubert but do have her on a Boulez disc and again her performance here is very good.

Regarding Schumann I have a recital by Von Otter which I never got into - it bored me. Most of the same music is on the Schafer disc and I have returned to that recording on many an occasion. Although I seem to have a bit of difficulty with Von Otter for some reason.

 

As I was saying in an earlier thread, have never got Von Otter either, but there was a prom last year where she sang some Swedish songs and her voice came to life for me.

 

Must be a lot easier singing in your native tongue although I have never heard her singing in Swedish so can't comment.

Having heard some Vivaldi and Monteverdi discs with Rinaldo Alessandrini and Concerto Italiano I find their discs very enjoyable compared to others performing the same music - Italians singing Italian music. I assume they have a better grasp and understanding of the words and what is behind them when singing in their native tongue.

Although I still admire Von Otter and other singers needing such a grasp of languages while also trying to sing in key especially in live environment.

 

This:

Vivaldi Mentre dormi
Sara Mingardo (Licida); Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini
Opus 111 OP 30373
tr.22

was on radio this morning, and yes sounded good to me.

 

I don't think much of the Zehetmair disc of Schumann's quartets - the music does not live up to the marketing hype.

But I've just been transfixed by Ronald Brautigam playing Fantasiestucke on R3 - excellent.