Robert Schumann(1810-1856)
           Kreisleriana, Op.16

Vlado Perlemuter, piano
Recorded 1982
Yves Nat, piano
Recorded 1955
Concerto, Papillons, Arabeske, Opus 28 Romances, Fantasy in C, Humoreske,
Symphonic Etudes, Toccata, Fantasiestucke, Novelettes

Vlado Perlemuter - Have you ever heard a version of Kreisleriana
where Eusebius is often as loud or louder than Florestan?  It's the
oddest thing, and I consider it likely that Eusebius received 'extra'
amplification from the recording engineering crew.  The effect is also
strange as Perlemuter appears to be telling us that Florestan has finally
met his match in the new and improved Euseibus who has suddenly become
demonstrative, blaming, and loaded with pizzaz.

There are other problems as well.  Sometimes, Florestan seems too
relaxed and even weak in the knees.  Also, Perlemuter is not in top
technical form and gives the perception that his generally slow tempos
are more a function of capabilities than inspiration.

Yet, there are moments and sections of the work where Perlemuter clearly
displays the innate artistry that was one of his trademarks.  He begins
the interlude to the 1st Movement with voices not in sync but then
recovers to give a beautifully shaped and mesmorizing interlude.  His
primary subject of the 3rd Movement begins in a relaxed but ends with
tension coiled ever so tightly.

The above type of examples abound in the performance.  Just when I'm
ready to write this recording off as a loss, Perlemuter comes up with
some transcendent pianism to offset my negative opinion.  Florestan keeps
switching from a whimp, to a blustering blow-hard with nothing to back
up his bravado, to a bastion of tension and energy accumuation/release.
Eusebius can make the most beautiful, melancholy, and insightful sounds,
then become a demonstrative autocrat more concerned with position than
teaching.

To make matters more confusing, the Nimbus sound is not at its best.
Notes and chords blow around the soundstage, and the reverberation is
excessive.  However, applying some patience while adjusting the audio
controls does mitigate the situation.

What this recording of Kreisleriana gives us is the best and worst
of Perlemuter, often within the same  subject or interlude.  I'm glad
to have the recording, but it has a low priority in the larger market.
The lack of consistency is a debilitating feature that results in one
of the less rewarding interpretations on record.  Recommended only to
avid Perlemuter fans, and most of them have probably had this recording
for many years.

Yves Nat - There are a few historical recordings of Kreisleriana that
are so spell-binding that they eclipse their sound limitations.  Nat's
version is close to this level, but 'close' does not get the job done.
His inflections, pacing, and intervals just don't measure up to what
Gieseking and Cortot offer.  In addition, Nat creates a humorous rhythmic
pattern in the final movement's first interlude that makes it a caricature.

The main negative of the recording is 'bloated' sound.  No note is
incisive, and contours are always rounded.  There's also more than a
trace of the old 'underwater' treatment that only adds to the distractions
caused by the soundstage.

Wrap-up:

Strongest Recommendation: Gieseking(2), Cortot, Schliessmann, Moiseiwitsch,
Brand, Horowitz(2), and Karnavichius.

Hearty Recommendation: Rose, Kempff, Argerich, Pollini, Cherkassky,
Neuhaus, Brendel, von Karolyi, Gambaryan, Walker, Mathis, Lupu, Jegorov,
Banfield, Fou Ts'ong, Grimaud, and Egorov.

Mild Recommendation: Rubinstein, Wirssaladze, Kissin, Anda, Austbo,
Fischer, Felcman, Fiorentino, Gulda, Jando, Kurtz, Perahia, Schiff, Vogt,
Uchida, Perlemuter, and Nat.

Not Recommended: Duphil, Edelstein, O'Rourke, and Arad.

For those who just want a couple of Kreisleriana recordings, my advice
is to select Schliessmann for a blend of wonderful performances and
recorded sound and Gieseking for the maximum degree of contrast and
extreme emotions.

My next major review project will be the recordings of "Goyescas" composed
by Enrique Granados.  However, before starting this project, I have some
other discs to review: Trabaci on Naxos, Alkan's Esquisses on Hyperion,
chamber recordings from Bax/Grechaninov/Silvestrov/Bliss/Holbrooke/Piston,
and solo keyboard discs from Martinu/Jongen/Alexandrov/Scriabin/Koechlin.

With all the talk about the decline of classical music, there sure are
tons of recordings that make me feel that the 'sky is falling' pronouncements
are merely self-serving and/or the product of over-anxious minds.

Don Satz
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