Disappointing Schubert by Perahia

Has anyone listened to the new Schubert Late Sonatas double CD by Perahia? What do you think? For me, it is a huge disappointment. The playing is unimaginative, dull and the pacing just seems too slow. For D958 and D959 I still favour Uchida on Philips. The last sonata (D960) also suffers from the same - it feels as if Perahia is dragging the music, not letting it speak for itself. For D960 my favourite recording remains Curzon.

It seems that Perahia hasn't done any recent recordings to equal his Goldberg Variations. I couldn't listen to his Keyboard Concertos and how *he* thinks they should be played... Having said that, I haven't listened to his recent Chopin Etudes CD.

Having said that, I haven't listened to his recent Chopin Etudes CD.>

Well, if I say I prefer his Schubert to his Chopin you might get some idea.

I wouldn't really expect much from this so my disappointment level would not be high. Perahia really doesn't sing at the keyboard and Schubert really needs this.

I agree, though this is pretty much what I expected.

For

Ummmmm....

But they're nothing to write home about either.

I couldn't listen to his Keyboard Concertos and how

I rather like his playing on those two discs. What irritates me is the delicate, almost embarrassed-to-be-heard, playing of the orchestra.

Having said that, I haven't

Much like his Schubert.

Steve, I wish you had employed a different metaphor. You've raised the shade of Gould, and he's humming his way through D.960 for me now.

Sorry! I welcome a recommendation for a synonym to replace 'sing'. Schubert was so in tune with song that I feel it comes through in his instrumental music as well.

The Etude performances are somewhat 'un-etude-like'; Perahia gives them the character of preludes, emphasizing implied melody as opposed to figurations.

Only heard the Schubert C minor so far. Like it pretty well, but I could stand a bit more 'brutality' in the 1st and 4th movements.

I would love to hear a Volodos C minor; don't know if this is in his repertoire. At the moment he may have only D894 and a couple of early sonatas in his bag.

Sad, but true. About one year ago I heard a recording of Grieg's concerto on the radio. It was so bad that I had to find out who it was: Perahia/Davis.

Sad, but true.>

Yes, there's nothing satisfying about pianists who can really play - like Perahia and Kissin for instance - just not coming up with any depth of interpretation. Does anybody think this is happening more and more to contemporary pianists? Why?

Maybe the old ones who couldn't have just been forgotten. On the other hand, having dozens of recordings of any major work available probably does not stimulate creativity of interpretation in current pianists.

Samir, could you please explain the matter to the honorable gentleman from London?

thx,

dk