Donald Satz <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>After fixing the mailbox and doing the usual evening chores, I got down to
>listening to some of the new music.  I opened the BIS disc of Freddy Kempf
>playing Schumann, and I noticed that two cd's were in the case.  They were
>identical - Kempf playing Schumann.

I heard him for the first time at the John Ogdon Gala Recital in London
at the end of June.  He played only "Humoreske", that is included in that
CD and that is said to be his fovorite.  His performance was the best
among pianists (John Lill, who disappointed me very much by playing stiff
Shumann's Fantasie, Ogdon's wife, Ovchinikov, etc.) who showed up at that
night.

In my personal opinion, compared to that recording, he was much more
spontaneous and risk-taking in live (so I still prefer Nikolai Demidenko's
Humoreske to his for recording of this piece).  For example, he played so
brilliantly fast octaves of the right hand in Intermezzo that might be
the most technically uncomfortable part of Humoreske.  In addition to
his astonishing technical skills, I thought that he was one of the rare
pianists who really understand Schumann's music.  I hope to listen to him
again.

*** Hitoshi Asaoka ([log in to unmask]) ***