Schubert - Piano Sonata 21 [Pollini]
Seems like i play this a lot, this Sonata has appeared three times in my Blog this year so far, however each time it's a different performer, i must really love this work, which i do.
So this time it's the Italian Maurizio Pollini, he recorded this when he was in his mid forties, he's now 68, but he looks so much older, i think he's a chain smoker.
The last Piano Sonata is Schubert's crowning achievement to his Sonatas, certainly he saved the best to last, and who knows what he would have gone on to achieve, if he had lived longer than his 31 years on the earth.
Again the first movement really touched me, it's those opening gently rolling notes of the utmost breathtaking charm, Pollini takes this movement moderately fast, but there's a nice sense of onward momentum because of it, he has a nice legato in the left hand, which keeps things motoring nicely in the background, but can be a touch loud, Pollini like so many others takes the exposition repeat, there's a nice passage where the notes become more complex [11:29-11:40], and Pollini gets the left and right hand volume perfect, an exciting moment, ultimately i feel that the final analysis is that certain moments are taken too fast, and it loses some of the aching nostalgia and sadness that this music should portray, but Pollini is never 'wrong', his interpretation is still valid and refreshing, a hugely enjoyable forty minutes.
Here he is playing Chopin's Nocturne 8 on YouTube.
