Clarity of Vision
I'm unabashedly biased in my review of this box set. Schiff has fundamentally changed my view of the first Viennese School through his recordings & live performances of the works of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven & Schubert, amongst others.
The defining qualities of his playing are the limpid tone and thoughtful phrasing. The bass line is more prominent than you'd expect.
This set represents his earlier take on Mozart, and he has since substantially revised his thinking & playing. Last summer he gave an all Mozart recital in the Royal Albert Hall. The programme included K331 and K310. In 'Alla turca' he prompts the listener rethink both the bass line and the all-too-familiar melody, in this case more subdued than elsewhere.
In this set, the same sonata doesn't take a dramatic departure from accepted wisdom. He plays on a Steinway, using pedalling only sparingly. The sound is slightly brittle compared to that of his most recent performance on a Boesendorfer.
So why is this 'Boesendorfer coup' relevant to the set in question?
Because the sound of a Boesendorfer comes with a softer, warmer feel of ambience. If for some, Schiff's playing hasn't evolved that much, the sound world conjured up by the new instrument is totally mesmerising and far superior to the dry, closely miked sound of the current set.
That said, Schiff's clarity of vision in this set is astounding. He has absolute mastery of the overarching structure of these pieces without losing sight of every single detail.
Critics tend to favour Mitsuko Uchida's Philips set. I find Uchida's dynamics a bit restrained. Schiff's lightness of touch signficantly increases the contrast without sidestepping the classical idiom.
Although I won't hesitate to recommend this set I still secretly hope that he will record Mozart's sonatas again on his beloved Boesendorfer.
The defining qualities of his playing are the limpid tone and thoughtful phrasing. The bass line is more prominent than you'd expect.
This set represents his earlier take on Mozart, and he has since substantially revised his thinking & playing. Last summer he gave an all Mozart recital in the Royal Albert Hall. The programme included K331 and K310. In 'Alla turca' he prompts the listener rethink both the bass line and the all-too-familiar melody, in this case more subdued than elsewhere.
In this set, the same sonata doesn't take a dramatic departure from accepted wisdom. He plays on a Steinway, using pedalling only sparingly. The sound is slightly brittle compared to that of his most recent performance on a Boesendorfer.
So why is this 'Boesendorfer coup' relevant to the set in question?
Because the sound of a Boesendorfer comes with a softer, warmer feel of ambience. If for some, Schiff's playing hasn't evolved that much, the sound world conjured up by the new instrument is totally mesmerising and far superior to the dry, closely miked sound of the current set.
That said, Schiff's clarity of vision in this set is astounding. He has absolute mastery of the overarching structure of these pieces without losing sight of every single detail.
Critics tend to favour Mitsuko Uchida's Philips set. I find Uchida's dynamics a bit restrained. Schiff's lightness of touch signficantly increases the contrast without sidestepping the classical idiom.
Although I won't hesitate to recommend this set I still secretly hope that he will record Mozart's sonatas again on his beloved Boesendorfer.
