Schumann - 200 years old today
His best-loved piano repertoire matched to recordings
Jed Distler 12:31pm GMT 8th June 2010
Robert Schumann is 200 years old today. I’ll wager that his afterlife has been more bearable than the last few years of his mortal life, and certainly pianists and piano lovers would agree to that.
To celebrate, I thought I’d match up Schumann’s best-loved piano repertoire to recordings I enjoy, without repeating any artist. Yes, I’m leaving out many landmark versions and points of reference, but you don’t need me to tell you about Rachmaninov’s 1929 Carnaval, Lipatti’s A Minor Concerto, or Argerich and Friends playing the Piano Quintet for dear life.
However, you certainly can tell me about your favorite versions, especially ones that I may not have heard (and believe me, I’ve heard a lot!). So hear we go, and happy listening.
Op. 1 Abegg Variations – Clara Haskil (Philips)
Op. 2 Papillons – Wilhelm Kempff (DG)
Op. 6 Davidsbundlertänze – András Schiff (Warner Classics)
Op. 7 Toccata – Josef Lhevinne (RCA)
Op. 9 Carnaval – Nelson Freire (Decca)
Op. 11 Piano Sonata No. 1 – Klára Würtz (Brilliant Classics)
Op. 12 Fantasiestücke – Earl Wild (Ivory Classics)
Op. 13 Symphonic Etudes – Andrew De Grado (Centaur)
Op. 14 Concerto without Orchestra (Piano Sonata No. 3) – Aldo Ciccolini (Cascavelle)
Op. 15 Kinderszenen – Ivan Moravec (Supraphon)
Op. 16 Kreisleriana – Herbert Schuch (Oehms)
Op. 17 Fantasy in C – Sergio Fiorentino (APR – studio recording)
Op. 18 Arabeske – Arthur Rubinstein (RCA – live at Carnegie Hall 1961)
Op. 19 Blumenstücke – Vladimir Horowitz (Sony)
Op. 20 Humoreske – Radu Lupu (Decca)
Op. 21 Novelleten – Claudio Arrau (Philips)
Op. 22 Piano Sonata No. 2 – Marc-André Hamelin (Hyperion)
Op. 26 Faschingsschwank aus Wien – Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Testament)
OP. 54 Piano Concerto – Rudolf Serkin/Eugene Ormandy/Philadelphia Orchestra (Sony – stereo recording)
Op. 82 Waldscenen – Sviatoslav Richter (DG)
Comments
A great list, Jed. My favourite Toccata is the ancient Gilels played with the all-out fire and gusto that , for me, only he possessed ( his Liszt Spanish Rhapsody is another from the same exalted plane). I have an Italian radio recording of Arrau playing the Fantasy in C which is absolutely astonishing and find his early Carnaval fabulous, too.Another lovely Kinderszenen is Yves Nat from the thirties. What a pity he recorded most of his Schumann when his technique had become so fallible.I could go on...
antony
Thank you for this list, Jed. But I would like to express my adoration of Sviatoslav Richter playing Schumann's Waldscenen, Op. 82. A chance purchase of this recording many years ago was my introduction to Richter's piano playing. I was captivated by his amazing control over tone and touch; his simplicity, yet subtlety of phrasing, and his clarity of vision, all combining to create unforgettable poetic imagery. My tribute to him is that he is the only great artist whose playing regularly brings tears to my eyes. I fear we will never quite see his like again in the future - he is a one-off!
Robert Schumann - the greatest pianist composer of the Romantic Era. So unfortunate that the device that he created was also the reason of his failure. Anyway, great list you have there. Millionaire Mind Intensive Team honors this great musician.
Argerich and Friends playing the Piano Quintet for dear life. Demir Leather