Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Kinderszenen, Opus 15 Gerhard Oppitz RCA 60856 Recorded 1990 Couplings: Fantasy in C, Op.17 Papillons, Op.2 TT 65:48 I did a few searches of Gerhard Oppitz's discography and was surprised at how many recordings he has made and the number of labels he has recorded for. They include RCA offerings of lieder with Waltraud Meier, Brahms solo piano music, mutiple discs of Grieg's solo piano music, and the Weber piano & orchestra works with Colin Davis. Oppitz has also recorded the Brahms cello sonatas for Philips, Brahms clarinet sonatas for Orfeo, Brahms/Prokofiev/Faure/Schumann violin sonatas for Chandos, Hans Pfluger works for Bayer, Schoenberg and Zemlinsky chamber works for Tudor, Schubert piano trios for Novalis, Carlos Verhoff works for Col Legno, and a disc for Deutsche Grammophon with Gil Shaham. So Oppitz has been a very busy man in the recording studio and also found time to record this RCA disc of Schumann piano works and another disc as well with Schumann's Carnaval. Oppitz's interpretation of Schumann's Kinderszenen is the subject of this review; I will be covering his readings of Papillons and the Fantasy in C at later dates. As an aside, I obtained this recording on the used market, and it is available (used and new)on various websites including Amazon/CDNOW. I started listening to the performance in my computer room on the CD-ROM, because the housekeeper was cleaning the other parts of the house. Although I only got through a few scenes until the clean-up came my way, my initial impression was most favorable. Later, the much more extensive listening experience on the main speakers was again very enjoyable. Further hearings only solidified my views. I've never heard Kinderszenen played with zero affectation, but Oppitz achieves this goal. He just sounds like a regular guy with a great love for the music. In psychological terms, Oppitz is a role-model for mental health. He doesn't try to make any cute moves, call attention to himself, or over-interpret any themes or passages. Nor does he give short measure when the music requires great poignancy or reflection. Every scene gets an honest reading which radiates with a deep understanding of Schumann's overall soundworld and a particularly innate awareness of the unique properties of Kinderszenen. His blending of adult and child is superb at all times. As for the recorded sound, it couldn't be better: rich, detailed, and crisp. Let's take a look at the performances: 1st Scene (Foreign lands and people) - The required blending of adult and child isn't stronger in any other scene of the work. Many pianists either neglect the child or the adult; Oppitz gives each the full treatment. Many pianists display little nuance or go overboard; Oppitz provides just the right degree of nuance and variety. 2nd Scene (Curious story) - Exuberance, bouncing rhythms, and a thoroughly wide-eyed curiosity permeate Opptiz's reading. 3rd Scene (Catch me) - Oppitz turns up the speed and gives a very exciting rendition with momentum that never falters. 4th Scene (Pleading Child) - I couldn't ask for greater poignancy in this piece about the continuous pleadings of a child. Oppitz's pacing is perfect with inflections to die for. 5th Scene (Happiness) - It's so important for this music to leap out the speakers with a strongly coiled urgency. Opptiz does just that, and I don't believe there's a better version on record. 6th Scene (Important Event) - The ceremonial scene in the work, Oppitz gives it the royal treatment. My sole reservation is that he doesn't wind-down at the conclusion in a compelling manner; this is where Wilhelm Kempff on Deutsche Grammophon is supreme. 7th Scene (Dreaming) - A lovely performance from Oppitz. He imbues each note with significance, and his intervals are loaded with meaning. Such comfort and enchantment is not easy to find. 8th Scene (By the fireside) - Another triumph for Oppitz as he offers both adult and child watching the flames flicker upward - great vitality and reflective properties. 9th Scene (Knight of the hobby-horse) - Fine exhilaration from Oppitz although his mix of strength and whimsy is tilted slightly away from whimsical thoughts. 10th Scene (Almost too serious) - I love the tension and urgency Oppitz conveys while maintaing the music's comforting foundation. 11th Scene (Being frightened) - A scene of sadness/weeping with three strategically placed passages intended to frighten. Although Oppitz is quite frightening, I would have liked a more vivid display of sadness and melancholy. 12th Scene (Slumbering child) - Schumann sets intense melancholy and reflection against the peaceful and idyllic sleeping of a child. The contrasts are stunning, and that's the effect that Oppitz has on me. Postlude (The poet speaks) - This is absolutely pensive and gorgeous music where the sensitive adult ponders the meaning of life and the connections/disconnects between youth and maturity. Spacing is very wide in the Postlude, so pianists need to make sure that their intervals are not empty. Oppitz invests his intervals with great poignancy. Don's Final Thoughts: I hope it's clear by now that I have great affection for Gerhard Oppitz's version of Kinderszenen. The astounding element of his performance is how he manages to be straight-forward and no-nonsense without ever sounding routine or uninvolved. In a sense, it's a 'meat and potatoes' meal, but it tastes anything but ordinary. With the additional attribute of exceptional sound, I strongly urge those not familiar with the performance to start tracking it down. My cost was just about the price of a Naxos disc, and I'm a very happy camper. Don Satz [log in to unmask]