the astounding technique but some tempo problems(转发)

Schubert: Three sonatas for piano, D958, D959, D960, allegretto in C-minor (D915), and three piano pieces (D946), performed by Maurizio Pollini.

Schubert composed his last three piano sonatas during the last summer of his short life, in 1828. (He also composed the Mass in E-flat and the great string quintet in C during the same summer.) These piano sonatas were long considered to be lesser works in the canon of sonatas, but today they are considered to be the equal of Beethoven's middle-period sonatas. But Schubert's are more lyrical and less introspective that those of Beethoven, a point that needs to be considered in performing them.

Pollini is a very talented piano artist who possesses an astounding technique, and there are many fine things one can say about his performances on this set of two CD's. However, I have problems with his handling of tempo in these performances. Mainly, it is that he tends to accelerate in a disconcerting way in some movements. It's not that I'm opposed to tempo variation when it's warranted by the nature of the music, but Pollini sometimes sounds like he's just rushing to get to the end of the movement or section.

I think Pollini is most successful with the C-minor sonata (D958), mainly because he keeps a more even tempo throughout most of this sonata. He does take the second theme in the second movement more quickly than the first, but at least is consistent throughout the section. Pollini picks a fast but suitable tempo for the galloping finale and hold with it throughout. The C-minor is the least well-known of the three sonatas, but it is every bit as rewarding musically as the other two.

The sonata in A (D959) is considered by some to be the greatest of the three sonatas, although the B-flat sonata (D960) is more immediately appealing. Pollini's penchant for acceleration shows up in both the first and last movements of D959. An egregious example of this occurs near the beginning of the finale, when the lovely tune (my personal choice for favorite Schubert theme, and possibly based on a now lost song - Schubert also used it in an earlier sonata) is repeated in varied form. For me, this detracts from the wonderful serenity of this melody.

Somewhat surprisingly, Pollini handles the dramatic middle section of the D959 andante rather tamely. This difficult section seems to be a puzzle for many pianists; they don't know what to make out of it. My own take is that Schubert is very uncharacteristically in a full-out rage here, practically unhinged as it were, and the playing should reflect the almost "off the rails" character of the music. Of the recordings I've heard, only Brendel's really rages, with an ad libitum tempo, even though it's not marked as such. The contrast with the doleful principal melody is extreme!

The B-flat sonata (D960) is the most lyrical of the three. Again, Pollini indulges in accelerated passages in the first movement. But his playing of the second movement, with its haunting theme, is truly inspired. The finale is marked allegro ma non troppo, but Pollini takes it as allegro assai and races through this movement, so that the lyricism, especially of the second theme, is lost. Pollini even has to introduce a ritardando (not in the score) before launching into the prestissimo coda in order to effect a contrast between the two sections. Surely, this is not what Schubert intended!

Also on this CD are four other compositions from 1828: the Allegretto in C-minor (D 915), a simple but lovely ternary piece, and Three Piano Pieces (D946), or Impromptus, as they are sometimes named. In some respects, these are the most successful performances on the CD, not that Pollini doesn't engage in acceleration, but when he does it seems more appropriate here. By taking a suitably fast tempo, he makes the main section of the first piece (marked allegro assai) quite exciting; against that, he produces a very lyrical tone for the andante trio section.

The music on this CD was recorded in four different venues from 1983 to 1987, and the sound quality is excellent throughout. There are some differences, for example, the B-flat sonata has the driest sound, compared to the others. These performances have been re-mastered using what Deutsche Grammophon calls "original-image bit-processing." The included notes are more about Pollini than about the musical selections. Both Gramophone and Compact Disk Review gave the original 1988 CD and Pollini's playing rave reviews.

The other reviewers here praise Pollini's playing highly, and none mention the tempo considerations that bother me. So you may find that the performances of D959 and D960 are entirely to your liking. But if you're bothered by uneven tempi, you may want to consider other performances. Brendel also varies tempo a lot, mainly by slowing down in the lyrical second themes, giving his performances a more "romantic" character. I haven't heard Perahia's versions, but knowing his style of playing would expect him to keep very regular tempi. Wu Han's performance of D959 on the ArtistLed label is rhythmically quite precise and also quite good; she hasn't recorded either D958 or D960. Of course there are also the legendary performances of Wilhelm Kempff, but the sound quality is generally sub-par, and you have to buy the entire boxed set of sonatas.