Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
        Solo Piano Works

Kinderszenen, Op. 15 (1838)
Kreisleriana, Op. 16 (1838)
Fantasy in C, Op. 17 (1836-38) *
Annie Fischer, piano
Recorded BBC Facilities, London, 1971 * and 1986
BBC Legends 4141 [79:05]


Program: Three of Schumann's greatest piano compositions written at the
height of his imagination and artistry.

Performer: Annie Fischer, one of the legendary pianists of the 20th
century, is treasured for her lyricism and supple rhythms.  Making her
reputation on the established masters such as Beethoven, Schubert, and
Schumann, Fischer is a perfect match for the alternately volatile and
gorgeous music of Robert Schumann.

Recorded Competition: Fischer is among the finest Schumann performing
artists and deserves full billing with the likes of Richter, Gieseking,
Cortot, and Rubinstein.  The most direct competition comes from Fischer/EMI
recordings of all three programmed works made in 1959 and 1964.  As
exceptional as these EMI readings are, the BBC performances go to the
head of the class for two reasons.  First, the BBC sound is cleaner,
more detailed, and spacious than the EMI counterparts.  Second, there
is a robust and exciting quality to the BBC readings somewhat lacking
in the EMI performances.

Fischer's Kinderszenen: When the pianist conveys both the wide-eyed
innocence of the child and the nostalgic remembrances of the adult in a
single note, we know that we are in the company of greatness.  Fischer
does this routinely as well as offering some of the most lyrical and
melancholy music-making ever heard on record.

Fischer's Kreisleriana: With every real and imagined person involved
in this work being emotionally dysfunctional, Kreisleriana stretches the
extremes of the human condition and does so in sudden personality shifts.
Fischer captures it all, and the most compelling features of her performance
are the unbalanced nature of Florestan's thought processing and the
ravishing beauty of the Eusebius music.

Fischer's Fantasy in C - Written as his contribution to a project
initiated by Franz Liszt to erect a monument to Beethoven in his hometown
of Bonn, The Fantasy in C is a three-movement work greatly influenced
by Schumann's hunger for Clara Wieck and his imaginary but fractured
heroes Florestan and Eusebius.  The rapture in the Fischer 1st Movement
leaps out of the speakers, and the 3rd Movement love song to Clara has
never been presented with as much feeling and lyricism.

Don's Conclusions: An essential disc for the Schumann enthusiast and
anyone who treasures the marrying of fantastic piano music to consummate
performance artistry.  Even if you own Fischer's EMI Schumann recordings,
the BBC disc is a must.

Don Satz
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