Schubert - 4 Impromptus D935 [Schiff]Here's Andras Schiff's set of the second book of Impromptus, it would have been so nice if Decca had released this as a full set of the 8 Impromptus.
The Hungarian Andras Schiff, plays Schubert of the highest order [including his chamber works as well], very much a pianist with the same repertoire as Brendel, but they are quite different soundwise.
Again i liked the first Impromptu, it has that everlasting quality of length, it seems to want to go on forever, and you want to let it, i'm sure that Schiff is playing a Bosendorfer, a very nice ring to it, it has an extremely slightly fortepiano sound to it compared to a Steinway, its main feature is that it has this nice 'autumn ring' to it, especially in the treble end of the spectrum, and especially when played loud, reviewing this piece last month with Elizabeth Leonskaja [24th April 2010], i said her version was slow at 12:35, Schiff on the other hand is 10:31, and it shows in a very flowing reading, maybe too fast at times, [Brendel is around 11:00], on the legato/staccato scale, Schiff is slightly staccato of centre, you can hear the flowing-ness in an early passage [1:35-2:30], there's extreme repetition in this piece, and yet the whole thing is really only played twice, there's subtle changes everywhere, so you really have to be on your toes, one passage naturally leads to another, and then another, and then seamlessly back to the beginning in one huge everlasting rondo if you let it, i like Schiff because he is so wonderfully flowing, no rubato all over the place, lovely and sustained.
Here's the first Impromptu [D935/1] played by Andras Schiff on YouTube.
