Album DescriptionIf one were to list some of the supreme masterworks of piano literature, Schumann’s Fantasia in C Major, Opus 17 would be in that Pantheon. Every marvelous page holds the full measure of Schumann’s passion. His Etudes Symphoniques, Opus 13 (here, finish with the five posthumous variations) is likewise a rich, glowing, intensely personal musical work. The highly difficult and devilishly virtuosic Toccata in C, Opus 7, on this disc was taken from a live performance. These three outstanding piano works are performed by the Romantic Master of the piano, Grammy® award winner Earl Wild. Mastered by Ivory Classics using 24-bit HDCD technology.
The Schumann playing here is surprising from a widely known and esteemed virtuoso like Earl Wild, since he fends off virtuosic display in most of this music. Wild’s playing on the opening Toccata, recorded live in 1974, is genteel and urbane, handling Schumann’s difficulties without a trace of exertion–until the climactic chords near the end, when the pianist goes wild, slamming them out in a rush. Overall, though, it’s a delighting contrast to more aggressive performances by such greats as Sviatoslav Richter and Simon Barere. In the remaining two big works, studio recordings from 1990, Wild again stresses the lyrical and more relaxed elements in Schumann’s music. This leads to memorably songful interpretations of such music as the slower (mostly posthumously published) variations of the Études and the intensely introverted finale of the Fantasie. Some big moments (like the central march of the Fantasie) may seem underpowered, but that’s plainly the artist’s choice. Sound is fine in the live recording, a trifle boxy in the studio recordings. Not your basic Schumann performances, perhaps, but an intriguing alternative. –Leslie Gerber
Fanfare, May/June 2000On this disc Earl Wild maintains the look of a dignified, convinced master, and his playing underscores that appearance.
