Schubert doesn't seem to get much exposure on the list(except very
recently), and I'm as negligent as anyone in that regard. But I am going
to do my part to rectify my neglect by reviewing some recordings of many of
Schubert's piano sonatas. I'm starting with D.664. There's some prevalent
opinion that this particular three movement work is Schubert's last piano
sonata of his youth. Regardless, it's his earliest piano sonata which I
greatly enjoy and could listen to for hours at a time.
What's so good about Schubert's solo piano works? I think they have a very
wide range of moods which Schubert expresses so well and genuinely. His
music has that "singing " quality that's hard to resist, and he provides
such a strong level of contrast in his music. His melodies and melodic
development are a wonder to behold. So it's on to D.664. The versions for
comparison are:
Sviatoslav Richter - Vox/MMG 10030 (paired with D.784) 1979.
Radu Lupu - Decca 440295 (paired with D.960) 1994.
Wilhelm Kempff - DG 463766 (box set of Schubert) 1967.
John Damgaard - Classico 245/49 (box set of Schubert) 1998.
Olga Tverskaya - Opus 111 30-193 (paired with D.566) 1997.
Alain Planes - Harmonia Mundi 901713 (paired with D.850) 2000.
I assume that the Richter disc is long out of print, although it might have
resurfaced in a different guise. This is a live performance from Tokyo,
and the sound is outstanding except for some clanging at high volumes. Who
are the last three artists? The Damgaard set received a fantastic review
in one of the leading review mags. He's a Danish pianist and looks fairly
young from his photograph. What I've heard of the set has impressed me.
Ms. Tverskaya seems to be the house fortepianist for Opus 111 and has also
recorded two discs of Schubert chamber music for the label. She looks
young as well. Alain Planes has been recording a Schubert piano sonata
series for Harmonia Mundi; this is his fifth disc. I've enjoyed very much
his other Schubert cd's. Planes also recently recorded Debussy's Preludes
for the same label. I assure you that Damgaard, Tverskaya, and Planes are
no second stringers; they are excellent and should present highly
competitive performances. I'll know more about this when the review is
finished, but they've always sounded great in isolation. I used to say
that about Andras Schiff's Bach also, but there's nothing like immediate
comparisons to separate the good from the superb.
The first movement of D.664 always amazes me. It begins with a totally
serene and relaxed theme which sounds so simple and unadorned, yet I enjoy
it increasingly as the years go by. The reason is that I see this theme
as "home"; it recurs frequently, and I need to feel that I've come home
with every reiteration. I can't stress enough the importance of this
theme conveying that sense of utter serenity; it's what makes the theme
memorable, and it also provides the strong contrast with the more dramatic
and tense sections of the movement. Two artists have a problem with the
initial theme - Damgaard and Kempff. They are quicker than the other
versions, although that alone is not detrimental. The problem is that they
sound a little unsettled and choppy; the singing quality isn't sufficient
and there's little sense of serenity. Thus, when drama and tension
increase, the contrasts are not as well defined. So, although the other
aspects of both performances of the first movement are fine, their first
theme deficiences pervade the movement and render their versions the least
idiomatic and memorable.
Lupo and Planes give very good performances. They are relatively serene
and at peace in the primary theme, and they deliver excellent drama and
tension when required.
Can a fortepiano provide sufficient peace and tranquility? That's no
problem for Tverskaya; the basic theme is lovingly played and very light.
There is a little deficiency in the bass response of the powerful passages,
but I prefer this version to all but one.
That one would have to be Richter who chimes in with a perfect reading.
The man takes me to a home where peace, joy, love, and security reign
supreme; it's my ideal notion of what "home" is all about. His slow flow
never bogs down, and the fact that he keeps my 100% interest for 12 minutes
is a feat in itself. Richter is also superb in the powerful passages; his
left hand is magisterial, and the sound quality of the bass region, so
clear and distinct, is better than in any of the other versions.
I should say a few words about repeats in the first movement. Damgaard
uses up less than 6 minutes; Richter and Tverskaya, observing all repeats,
take twice as long. Lupo and Planes, slower than Damgaard, clock in at
over 7 minutes. Kempff, all repeats observed, is a little under 11 minutes
with a quick tempo. I want to emphasize that my preferences concerning the
first movement versions are not related to any repeat issue.
Lyricism and enchantment are key components of the second movement
Andante's first theme. Alternate passages are in the minor key and express
varying degrees of melancholy, longing, and urgency. Timings range from
Damgaard's 4 minutes to Richter's 6 minutes, and the difference is entirely
due to tempo. Olga Tverskaya gives a 5 minute reading which is curiously
uninvolved compared to the other performances. A notch up finds Richter
whose very slow tempo unfortunately gives the music a somewhat comatose
quality; although Richter plays excellently at this slow tempo, it's not
one that I would regularly want to listen to. Moving up a little further,
we have Damgaard; his relatively fast speed is great for the enhanced
urgency he provides. On the debit side, there are times when the reading
sounds a little rushed.
Planes, Lupo, and Kempff equally gain my affection. Lupo and Kempff are
quite similar with a very nice "home" quality to the first theme and strong
elements of melancholy and longing elsewhere. Planes isn't quite as serene
in the first theme as the other two versions, but his urgency in the
alternate passages is excellent. I was very glad to hear Kempff eschew
the "unsettled" element of his first movement's primary theme.
The third movement Allegro is the lively and playful movement of D.664.
I tend to think of it as the exuberant element of the "home" atmosphere
which pervades the work. Forward momentum becomes very important in this
movement as well. Damgaard's is the least attractive version. He pulls
the tempo about, hesitates frequently and loses momentum, and speeds up any
time he likes. Damgaard's reading is excessively romantic, self-indulgent,
and schizophrenic; it's not a home I would want to be part of. Lupo is
better, but he tends toward a little chopppiness and sounds rushed at
times.
Richter, no slower than Lupo, never sounds rushed or choppy. His home
is divinely playful, and his left hand is supreme. Forward momentum is
excellent and smoothly delivered. Planes is also outstanding with the
slowest version of the six. The playfulness isn't quite as strong as in
Richter's performance, but a fine degree of reflection is added, and "home"
can be a fine spot for reflection. Also, Planes delivers the best chord
progressions of all.
Kempff does not quite make it to the level of Richter and Planes. All the
elements are in place except that Kempff clips off a few of the bass chords
and gets a little heavy on occasion. Still, it's a very fine reading
capturing the essential aspects of the music.
Saving the best for last brings us to Tverskaya who delivers the most
playful reading of the six versions with her Brodmann fortepiano. However,
what really puts her at the top is her outstanding execution of the more
powerful passages - absolutely mesmerizing.
Summary for D.664:
Planes and Richter are my preferred readings. Each is idiomatic in every
movement and carries the "home" theme throughout the work. Tverskaya,
Lupo, and Kempff are just a little lower in my estimation. Kempff's
Andante is wonderful, Tverskaya is outstanding except for an ordinary
Andante, and Lupo always gets close to or reaches the heart of the music.
Only Damgaard has significant failings, and they suface strongly in the
first and third movements. Overall, he is too fast, choppy, and displays
disturbing mannerisms.
Whatever version you can get your hands on, do try out D.664. Fall is the
perfect time of the year to savor this piano sonata; the leaves are turning
and falling, the family is spending more time together indoors and in
cleaning up the yard, and being in the bosom of one's family is very much
my perception of Schubert's D.664. For those in the Southern Hemisphere,
you're just in the wrong place (only kidding).
Next up will be Schubert's D.784 which is worlds removed from D.664.
Home and family play no part in this piano sonata, but if the sonata does
remind you of your family, you have my strongest sympathies.
Don Satz
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