Schubert’s Moment
When I had my 7th birthday, my parents gave me a special gift: A ½ – size violin. I remember that it had been hidden under the dining room table, so I would not find it in advance; and I soon had a teacher who helped me get under way with my skill building.
As time went on I learned to play the fiddle. And I came to have a special affinity for playing the music of Franz Schubert. While he did not write much music for the violin, I just loved his violin and piano sonatinas, and I played them often. For me, much of Schubert’s music communicated the great loneliness and the sad tragedy of this man’s life.
While Schubert wrote a lot of heart-wrenching melodies, songs, symphonies, and chamber music, he also wrote some shorter pieces, especially for piano solo.
On this wonderful CD, we hear several of these shorter pieces, as performed by French pianist, David Fray. The selections he performs are:
• 1. Moments musicaux (6) for piano, D. 780 (Op. 94): No. 1 in C major
• 2. Moments musicaux (6) for piano, D. 780 (Op. 94): No. 2 in A flat major
• 3. Moments musicaux (6) for piano, D. 780 (Op. 94): No. 3 in F minor
• 4. Moments musicaux (6) for piano, D. 780 (Op. 94): No. 4 in C sharp minor
• 5. Moments musicaux (6) for piano, D. 780 (Op. 94): No. 5 in F minor
• 6. Moments musicaux (6) for piano, D. 780 (Op. 94): No. 6 in A flat major
• 7. Allegretto for piano in C minor, D. 915
• 8. Impromptus (4) for piano, D. 899 (Op. 90): No. 1 in C minor
• 9. Impromptus (4) for piano, D. 899 (Op. 90): No. 2 in E flat major
• 10. Impromptus (4) for piano, D. 899 (Op. 90): No. 3 in G flat major
• 11. Impromptus (4) for piano, D. 899 (Op. 90): No. 4 in A flat major
Here is a video of David Fray performing the Moment Musicaux #3 of Schubert. While he plays it somewhat slower than many other pianists, I find the slightly slower tempo to be lovely and expressive, and I like Mr. Fray’s wonderful pianissimo that he provides in the repeated melody; hear it for yourself, below
Please tell me your own preferences; Hey… there’s no “right answer”; just your own musical taste. Do you prefer how this piece is played by Barenboim, Horowitz, Brendel, or someone else? Feel free to comment below…
Tags: Schubert, Moment Musicaux #3, David Fray, Barenboim, Horowitz