Robert Schumann: Geistervariationen (2011)

András Schiff, he of the mighty left hand, isn't 100 percent suited to the gauzy world of some of Robert Schumann's shorter works. The Papillons, Op. 2, that open this two-disc collection are iron butterflies indeed, and the famed Kinderszenen, Op. 15, are recollections of a somewhat obstreperous child. But the larger works here, which show Schumann struggling with the legacy of Beethoven just as Brahms would a generation later, are superbly done, with the clarity of structure and detail for which this Hungarian pianist is ... Read More

András Schiff, he of the mighty left hand, isn't 100 percent suited to the gauzy world of some of Robert Schumann's shorter works. The Papillons, Op. 2, that open this two-disc collection are iron butterflies indeed, and the famed Kinderszenen, Op. 15, are recollections of a somewhat obstreperous child. But the larger works here, which show Schumann struggling with the legacy of Beethoven just as Brahms would a generation later, are superbly done, with the clarity of structure and detail for which this Hungarian pianist is known. Schiff's Hungarian background is relevant, for it was he who brought to light in Budapest an alternate finale for the Fantasy in C major, Op. 17; he had been apprised of its existence by American musicologist Charles Rosen, who asked for a copy of it. "In the Budapest of the 1970s that wasn't exactly easy," Schiff remarked in a booklet note. But the alternate finale, played at the work's first appearance on the program, is worth hearing. It adds a more declarative conclusion... Read Less