- Piano Music collection.
Austrian-born composer Franz Schubert was a lonely figure in musical history. He was a dreamer who brought to music a degree of intimacy, despair, hope and disappointment previously unknown. Schubert was a sincere, shy and vulnerable man, and his personality is clearly reflected in his music.
We can hear some of these personal qualities in a lot of Schubert’s compositions that are performed on this recording:
Schubert:
- Piano Sonata No. 4 in A minor, D537
- Adagio in E major, D612
- Two Scherzi, D593
- Piano Sonata No. 18 in G major, D894
Performed by Vladimir Feltsman, piano.
Schubert produced an incredible amount of work during his brief lifetime. His productivity peaked in 1828, the last year of his life, with a huge explosion of creativity.
He learned how to tell a story and how to create an atmosphere in the limited space of the “Lied” (song), and how to compress his material in the most direct and effective way.
Schubert’s musical language and his perception of the world were poetic, and many of his works could be seen as intimate diaries or private meditations.
I remember my brief meeting with Vladimir Feltsman. I saw him standing outside the back of the concert hall at the Aspen Music Festival. We spoke about the music of Bach. He was about to perform the Goldberg Variations. He was personable and thoughtful; and, of course, highly knowledgeable about Bach.
Born in Moscow in 1952, pianist Vladimir Feltsman debuted with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra at age 11. In 1969, he entered the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory of Music to study piano. He also studied conducting at both the Moscow and Leningrad Conservatories.
Here is Mr. Feltsman in a performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra:
And next, here he is in the Haydn Piano Sonata in E minor:
Tags: Vladimir Feltsman, Franz Schubert, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, Piano Sonata, intimacy
