Piano Sonata in B-Flat D960
This is a wonderful record; it will wring your heart and haunt your dreams. The Piano Sonata in B-flat--Schubert's last and perhaps his greatest--was written in the final year of his life. Its subdued, yearning, wistful inwardness seems to breathe the air of another world. Though the grand opening theme is expansive and resigned, the ominous, rumbling trill in the bass soon disrupts the serenity. You can feel the angel of death hovering nearby, and the anguished slow movement, with its turbulent middle section, seems like a reluctant farewell to life. Andsnes communicates an uncanny identification with Schubert's changing moods. His command of the keyboard is formidable, his variety of touch, color and nuance seems unlimited. His phrasing is clear but not fussy, his liberties always feel just right, his expressiveness is deeply felt but never sentimental. The first movement is dreamy but flowing, the second quite slow but cohesive; the scherzo is very fast, but light, crisp and clear, the finale is also fleet but not rushed. He makes this very long piece feel like a single outpouring of heavenly inspiration. For the songs, Schubert used his friends' poems and, with his usual magic, turned literary dross into musical gold. "Viola" is a whole operatic scene; its 19 verses are divided into three sections, separated--and unified--by the recurrence of the first stanza. "Der Winterabend" is a tender reverie evoking a wintry night's quiet, peaceful solitude, but also its aching loneliness. The third song, composed for an obscure play, is a "melodrama:" the text is spoken while the pianist plays music so exquisitely beautiful as to rank with Schubert's best piano pieces. Bostridge, who has collaborated with Andsnes on stage and three discs for EMI (Schubert sonatas and songs, includingWinterreise), sings with great intelligence and expressiveness, but, especially in the soft, held-in passages, he consistently delays his vibrato and puts a swell on every long note. When he lets his voice ring out, he is marvelous.--Edith Eisler