GG & Perahia

[Bradley P Lehman <bpl@UMICH.EDU>]

Fred Stubbings wrote:
>In all fairness to Perahia it would probably be best to listen to some of
>his memorable recordings.  Ted Libby in his book, "The NPR Guide to
>Building A Classical CD Collection" lists the following by Perahia:
>Beethoven Concertos Nos. 1,2, & 5.  Greig Piano Concerto A Minor.
>Shuman. Schubert. Mozart Concertos 22,23,27. I haven't heard them yet but
>will probably venture there.


I have Perahia's disc of the Schubert "Wanderer" Fantasy and the Schumann
C-major Fantasy.  Very nice, especially in terms of a "classical" clarity
of texture, balance, and structure.  Yet, I find Sviatoslav Richter more
compelling and intense in both those works: more inside the tortured minds
of those composers, or something....

There is an exquisite Perahia disc of Mendelssohn, including the
"Variations serieuses" and "Rondo capriccioso"...works (and a composer)
that seem tailor-made to Perahia's strengths.  Mendelssohn's music has a
notably low "quirk quotient" as Gould pointed out in an essay.

Those Perahia solo recordings I mention here are both produced by Andrew
Kazdin, by the way, if you're looking for a GG connection.  [One Degree of
Separation from Glenn Gould!]

I've heard some of the Mozart concertos but am less impressed by those:
I'd like to hear more fire in them.  Again it's the lack-of-spontaneity
thing.

Has Perahia recorded any Haydn?  That could work well.


Bradley Lehman, Dayton VA
home: http://i.am/bpl  or  http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl
CD's: http://listen.to/bpl or http://www.mp3.com/bpl

"Music must cause fire to flare up from the spirit - and not only sparks
from the clavier...." - Alfred Cortot