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Hi Mark. You agree about the fascinating charm of the Impromptu in G flat major, a key rarely used but very interesting for the piano, since all five black keys are used.

Apart from this most celebrated piece of Schubert, I guess the next should be Bach's two Preludes and Fugues from the two Books of the Well-Tempered Klavier (where the arguably greatest composer of all managed to composed Preludes and Fugues in every single tonality...twice!). Third, comes Chopin with his two Etudes from his two sets, namely op. 10, no.5 and op.25, no.9. Wonderful pieces too, musicwise. However, Schubert's Impromptu should be the best example of a truly beautiful piece in such a difficult and rare tonality, apart from its musical significance, anyway.

Parla

Interesting, Uber!

Not just before Mozart's time either.  Mozart was famous for his improvisations too, and the surviving piano parts of many of his concerti are incomplete, presumably because he improvised them as he played them.  Beethoven is different of course and didn't leave anything to chance.

Gulda played Mozart concerti supremely well, and was not afraid to extemporise here and there as needed.  Not in Beethoven of course, but certainly the freshness is there in his playing (it may be nothing to do with whether he played jazz or not).  It works better in the more Mozartean early sonatas and best of all in the middle, more rhetorical ones, less well in the late sonatas.

Whether this 'freshness' will still seem fresh after repeated listening is a good question.  I've known the Kempff and Backhaus recordings for nearly 50 years and have not tired of them.  About Gulda, well you'll have to ask me again in another ten years time.

Chris

The Decca Recordings 1950-58 (on Spotify) have quite noticeable tape noise.  How about the Orfeo recordings Chris (not on Spotify)?  I don't know what to to buy now.  Maybe I'll just do something wild and collect the new Jean-Efflam Bavouzet version.

(p.s. This forum is good for my knowledge of history too - I didn't know Austria had been occupied by the Russians).

Uber, Kev:

Well, the Orfeo set is only available complete, unfortunately.  From his later Decca set there is a pair of CDs available cheaply containing sonatas 14,15,17, 21-24 and 32. But the earlier Orfeo ones are better played and, surprisingly, better recorded, less hiss, less hard piano sound.  I strongly recommend the Orfeo set to you both!

Chris

Kev, I just noticed that the unsurpassed Kempff 1951-56 version of the sonatas has just been re-issued (licensed by DG) by Regis for around £17 for the nine CDs.  Their transfers are usually very good. Difficult decisions!

Chris

I don't know much about those, I'm afraid.  Gulda recorded the sonatas three times complete.  Besides the Orfeo and Decca sets recorded in the 1950s there was another cycle issued by Amadeo in 1967.  In addition there are other individual CDs around of live performances at Salzburg.  I've had mixed experiences with other Membran sets. It's unlikely that the Membran performances are the same as those on Orfeo because those were all recorded in 1953. More probably they come from the Decca. The Decca pair I mentioned is about the same price as the Membran ones (different sonatas though).  Difficult!

Chris

Parla,

You wrote: "You [Mark] agree about the fascinating charm of the Impromptu in G flat major, a key rarely used but very interesting for the piano, since all five black keys are used. Apart from this most celebrated piece of Schubert, I guess the next should be Bach's two Preludes and Fugues from the two Books of the Well-Tempered Klavier (where the arguably greatest composer of all managed to composed Preludes and Fugues in every single tonality...twice!)."

Indeed!  Both these Preludes and Fugues in G flat (although notated in F sharp), are superb works.  The one in Book 1 has a lovely flowing Prelude in 12/16 time, and the short Fugue is one of my favourites with a beautiful, rippling, countersubject that becomes more prominent as the fugue progresses and brings it to a close.  The Prelude in Book 2 has a powerful dotted rhythm played in one hand mostly against a regular rhythm in the other; rather unusual.  The dancing Fugue subject is very similar to the duet for soprano and bass in Cantata No.32. Lovely pieces both.  It just made me think: does anyone have particular favourites amongst the 48?

Chris

[PS: Once Bach is mentioned there is no stopping me!]