Octo_Russ

Schubert - Piano Sonata 21 [Curzon] 

Here's a disc that i've had for quite a while, and i've been in two minds whether to sell it or keep it [yes i sell discs too], well i thought i'd give it a spin to make my mind up, this is acytually the first time i've listened to any Clifford Curzon!, so this was an experience.

Clifford Curzon was an English Pianist, born in 1907, he passed away in 1982, he hasn't left a lot of recordings for posterity, as he had a tendency to shun recordings, this work was recorded in 1970 in very good analogue sound, the booklet front cover is a very pleasing shot of Curzon [by Fritz Curzon], with the white lettering in the top right hand corner, i feel that white on black works so well [consider my Blog here!].

The movement that i keep coming back to again and again is the opening, it really is the most fantastic movement of any Piano Sonata by any Composer, Curzon actually plays it quite fast, or at least the opening, he actually achieves a rather happy sound because of this, very upbeat and positive, other Pianists find the gravitas and solemnity in this work, especially by weighting the opening with a more funeral face, i like the slower weightier idea better, it's an opening that be 'sublime with the utmost melancholy', Curzon seems to miss that, but what we get in its place is different and welcome also, but those opening notes are still glorious [0:00-0:22], gentle and consistent by Curzon, and later a nice forte version of the opening tune [1:25-1:45],!].

Here's Clifford Curzon playing the first movement on YouTube, it's actually so good to have a video of Curzon playing, and in colour too, he's really quite animated, he head shaking movements, and his lisping the words as it were, very animated, reminds me of Glenn Gould.