Schubert: Piano Trio No 2

Advantages: Music to take you beyond this world
Disadvantages: Needs a bit of patience

...superfluous. But if it was worth hearing once, why not hear it again? That’s exactly what happens on the disc under review here, which is why the first movement runs to nearly twenty minutes. The central part of this movement is spent developing some of the music that went before – there’s a restless march that seems to reflect Schubert’s troubled mental state, snatches of the glorious cello tune and much more. And to round it all off, a return to the music of the opening. 2 The second movement is so deeply haunting that musicians have often been seen playing it with tears running down their cheeks. One of the slowest-moving melodies ever written, so slow it’s hard to get a “fix” on it, is played by the second violin, viola and cello, while the first violin plays sad little “bugle- calls.” The effect is like a lone survivor wandering around... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Sublime, soulful songs by Schubert
Disadvantages: Sung in German

...The Music This is the first of two albums of Schubert’s Lieder composed for piano and voice. Schubert composed the music to the work of such classical poets including, Goethe, Collins and Shakespeare. Each Lied tells a story of its own. The lyrics are sung in German but a translation is included in the cover. I won't give a track by track listing of the CD as this is easily available but will mention some of my personal favourites. 1. Lieder: Die Forelle: The Trout (Schubert) A playful a cheerful tale of a trout's journey through a stream. Most people will know and love Schubert's piano quintet also entitled The Trout. 5. Lieder: Heidenröslein: Wild Rose (Goethe) A serious ode to the beauty of the wild rose. 6. Lieder: Wandrers Nachtlied II: Wanderers Night song (Goethe) A tranquil tale of a man wandering through the deserted and quiet... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Outstanding playing, interesting repertoire
Disadvantages: Full price disc

...This disc from Murray Perahia on the Sony label is quite simply one of the best solo piano discs to be released in recent years. Containing four Bach/Busoni transcriptions, excerpts from Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words and some of Liszt's transcriptions of Schubert songs, the disc shows off Perahia's astounding technique and musicality simultaneously. I've listened to this disc almost every day for the past two months and I'm STILL not bored with it! It seems to have a piece of music for every mood, from the upbeat, almost jazzy feel of the Bach to the sombre gallop of Schubert's Erl-King. This is the first disc of Perahia's that I've really got into - can't wait for his forthcoming disc of Bach's Goldberg Variations!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful