Which are the stand-out Schubert Piano Sonatas

The thread on D959 made me pull out a few Schubert sonatas, and I've enjoyed the revisit to these deeply musical works. My stand-out performances are Horowitz live in D960, Lupu in anything, and - something that surprised me, Ashkenazy. His D664 is wonderfully light, graceful, fresh and played with impeccable pianism. Lupu is predictably good - more monumental and extremely well played down to micro details of timing and volume. Richter is just marvellous.

What are your stand-out performances of these sonatas?

As a rule I find the Schubert Sonatas difficult to listen to. Clear exceptions are:

D664 Bashkirov D850 Bashkirov D960 Sofronitsky D960 Horowitz

D960

Still waiting for it.

I thought you've ordered it a long time ago?. . .

regards,

I did but seem to have been misplaced...

and nobody mentions Schnabel??????

more effort.

I hope that the Philips Great Pianists discs are not in the 'more effort' category already! Those weren't released that long ago (wasn't it about 1998-2000 that the series was getting the roll-out?).

Anyway, MDT has the Eschenbach entry with that sonata

earlier sonatas; anything by Lupu, Richter, Michelangeli

D664: Richter, Bashkirov, Ashkenazy, Leonskaja D784: Richter, Sofronitsky, Bashkirov, Ashkenazy D840: Richter D845: Richter, Pollini D850: Gilels, Richter, Schnabel, Bashkirov D894: Richter, Lupu, Afanassiev D958: Richter, Brendel (Vox) D959: Schnabel, Lupu, Leonskaja, Eschenbach D960: Schnabel, Richter, Sofronitsky, Afanassiev, Eschenbach

There are several of us 'nobodies' who have done so.

I would add a marvelous performance of D960 by Annie Fischer. I think it's available on Hungaroton.

Martin Cohn