Robert Schumann(1810-1856) Humoreske, Opus 20 Vladimir Ashkenazy Philips 456715(Great Pianist Series) Recorded 1972 Comparisons: Kempff/Schein/Horowitz/de Larrocha Summary: Not a Version for Any Season I recently obtained this Ashkenazy volume of Philip's Great Pianist Series for Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit which I am using for another review project. Since the set happens to include Ashkenazy's 1972 Humoreske, I thought I should offer my opinions on it for enhanced completeness of my Schumann/Humoreske reviews. Recapping from my initial review, the best versions of Humoreske, listed above, take me completely into Schumann's psychology and soundworld to the degree that I stop thinking about tension, abruptness, lyricism, or the Florestan/Eusebius debate. These versions are utterly compelling and even magical. Kempff delivers the detail, Schein the lyricism, de Larrocha the boldness, and Horowitz the extreme and sudden mood swings. Unfortunately, I don't find myself immersed in Ashkenazy's interpretation for a couple of reasons. First, the sound is quite raw in the powerful Florestan music and hurts my eardrums. Yes, the volume can be reduced, but that move eliminates any opportunity for an exciting display. Second, there is a lightness of touch and even humor in Ashkenazy's Florestan which I find at odds with Florestan's personality; he is an aggressive warrior, not a humorist. As for Ashkenazy's way with Eusebius, even here the lightness of touch can damage the level of poignancy. There are some very appealing aspects of Ashkenazy's performance, the best being the sheer velocity of the Florestan music. I don't believe any recorded performance of Humoreske has a faster Florestan than Ashkenazy offers us. However, speed does not automatically translate into equal measures of tension/weight, and the raw sound is a continuous hindrance. At least the hiss in the soundstage does not infect the notes at any time. Don's Conclusions: Ashkenazy's Humoreske is an enjoyable issue, but far off from being able to contend with the best recordings. I suggest that listeners sample his performance to hear if the raw sound, humor, and lightness are as negative in their impact as I have found these factors to be. I must emphasize that, setting these factors aside, the Ashkenazy recording still is not among the most rewarding on the market. Don Satz [log in to unmask]