Robert Schumann(1810-1857)
     Kinderszenen, Opus 15

Part 12 concludes my reviews of Kinderszenen recordings with:

Jeno Jando.......Naxos 8.550784(1992)
Ingrid Haebler...Philips 456823(1959)

After finishing reviews of the Jando and Haebler recordings, I will have
covered thirty-two versions of Kinderszenen.  Although this number does
not constitute every recorded performance, it's the bulk of them and I'm
getting thoroughly saturated.  Therefore, it's a good time to close out the
review project.

Jeno Jando is no stranger to piano record collectors.  He's been in
the Naxos stable for many years and has recorded dozens of releases for
the company.  Overall, Jando is a fine pianist, and it is in his Liszt
recordings where I feel he really hits his stride.  This particular
Schumann disc also has Carnaval and Papillons, so it represents three
of the most inspired works that Schumann composed for the piano.

Jando's Kinderszenen won't give you much emotional depth, and technical
virtuosity is not strong.  Articulation could be much better, and
inflections are often of little impact.  Piano banging hits center stage
in two of the scenes, and the recorded sound (typical for Naxos) is not
very crisp or clean.  Overall, these are light performances sounding more
appropriate for entertainment than for enlightenment.

Why not simply give the performance a 'pass' and move on to Haebler? Life
isn't that neat, and Jando does have a few pluses to offer:

a. Price is low.

b. Pacing and intervals are excellent.

c. Blend of child and adult is natural.

Jando's readings flow very well and are fully enjoyable as long as you're
not looking for any profound situations.  I'll go with a mild
recommendation, and price matters greatly in this case.

Switching from Jando to Ingrid Haebler is analagous to changing the main
course from chuck steak to filet mignon.  Actually, Haebler's version may
just be the 'filet mignon' of all recorded performances.  It's a wonderful
set of performances highlighted by a perfect blending of child and adult.
In so many of her notes, I hear the wide-eyed child and the reflective
adult; the articulation and inflections are outstanding.  Listen to the 1st
Scene or the last or any in-between, and you'll likely notice it as well.

Haebler's strongest point is the poignancy of her readings which shows up
most in the slower scenes and the Postlude.  However, the fast scenes are
exciting, never bloated, and totally without any keyboard banging.  Outside
of wishing that Haebler had done a more effective job of 'winding down' at
the conclusion of "Important event" and conveyed a little more fright in
"Being frightened", I find each scene to be among the best on record.

Haebler's 2-cd set is one of the volumes of the Philips Great Pianist
Series.  Along with Schumann, the set contains music of Bach, Haydn,
Mozart, Schubert, and Chopin.  You won't be disappointed.

Don's Conclusions:  My essential recordings are from Cortot, Arrau,
Haebler, Haskil, Moiseiwitsch, Kubalek, Schnabel, Horszowski, and Moravec.
That's nine outstanding versions, so there's little reason to bother with
any others unless you are a dedicated collector.

Well, this review project has been a major treat for me.  In the Woody
Allen movie, Crimes and Misdemeanors, there is a scene where the revered
eye doctor/cheating low-life tells the girlfriend he eventually has
murdered that Schumann is all about flowers and pastels.  How wrong the
doctor is, because Schumann is about extreme contrast and the baring of
one's inner thoughts, dreams, and fears.  Each of the versions of
Kinderszenen I consider essential buys into the real Schumann and does so
with a poetic touch which is irresistable.

Don Satz
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