Robert Schumann(1810-1856) Waldszenen, Opus 82 Abdel Rahman El Bacha Forlane 16722 Recorded 1993 Couplings: Sonatas, Opus 14 & 22 TT 63:19 Waldszenen Comparisons: "Elisso" - Richter - Arrau Sometimes I do wonder why I acquire recordings from relatively obscure artists on equally obscure record labels. Of course, the answer is that there can be 'gold' in these discs, and one will never know without going through the listening experience. As it happens, El Bacha's performance of Waldszenen is more like a trip through a thin layer of rust than through a rich vein of gold. "Thin" is the theme of the performance and recorded sound. Bass response is weak, and the piano sounds hardly up to professional standards. El Bacha is up to professional standards, but not by a large margin. His phrasing is frankly unattractive and reveals a lack of immersion in Schumann's soundworld; he often goes legato when a light staccato is needed, and he also offers us staccato when a legato is in order. In "Place of Evil", El Bacha's legato strategy is cloying and entirely erases any chance of feeling danger from the music. He can be poignant at times, but those brushes with real feelings are not frequent. In "Bird as Prophet", El Bacha's poor phrasing ruins any chance for an evocative reading. When excitement and power are called for, El Bacha gives us some generalized interpretations that could come from any early Romantic composer. It's always a land-mine to start discussing what an artist should be doing when performing a particular piece of music, and the fact is that artists can do whatever they please. So, I'll couch this in terms of what I personally expect from an artist. I remember a recent TV series called "Homicide - Life on the Streets". In one episode, the veteran detective tells his younger partner, "We speak for the victims". That's how I feel about performing artists; they speak for the composers(especially the dead ones). Artists need to get a good handle on the composer's life, personality, and musical idiom. Otherwise, they only speak for themselves, and most of them don't have much to say. With El Bacha, be assured that he does not speak for or represent Schumann. If he knows anything at all about Schumann, it hasn't penetrated his Waldszenen interpretation. Why did he bother and why would he want this performance as a permanent documented legacy? I'd say it's bad judgement all-around. I won't say at this time that the disc is a loser, because I will be reviewing different versions of Schumann's Piano Sonatas at a future date. However, El Bacha's Waldszenen does not give me high hopes for his performances of Schumann's last two sonatas. Don's Conclusions: El Bacha's performance of Waldszenen leaves me cold; not one note or phrase in the entire reading penetrates me. This generic and not very appealing reading has little to offer given that there are plenty of other recordings which are superior. El Bacha, of Lebanese origin, needs to go back to the drawing board and develop some insight into Schumann's psychology before he tackles any more of Schumann's piano compositions. Don Satz [log in to unmask]