this has always been one of my favourite readings of this piece alongside Horowitz, Hofmann and Cortot. his poetic freedom in phrasing and tempo as well as his lively rhythm are an art which is now largely lost. I like how he takes so many risks, sometimes even losing control in service of the music.
I am insanely enamoured of Moiseiwitsch (if you'll forgive my effusiveness!)…the more I listen to his playing the more I am totally enraptured by it. His romantic temperament was ideal for Schumann…he is alert to the kaleidoscopic colours and textures of Schumann's sound world…he conveys the passion but also the poetry in the more intimate passages. This is a wonderful recording, one to savour and return to again and again!
There's no lack of speed, energy and power from this 71-year-old - perhaps even a little bit too much at times! But there's also that marvellous tonal control and sense of phrasing ...
Wow, it sounds to me as he knows Schumann. However, since I don' know what Schumann actually dreamed of, so it would be more accurate to say I see the pianist's dreaming by his playing. Thank you for sharing this masterpiece of record.
He reveals his wonderful mastership on the piano in Schumann's Kreisleriana, lyric approach in the 'Eusebius' and mastering the most difficult 'Florestan' passages with adequate technique and passion, although there is an overall control missing in general. But it doesn't matter IMO, this piece is very difficult. Benno Moiseiwitsch the poet!
It would be probably easier to cite the great pianists who weren't... I think Gould was too hypochondriac to smoke, but Rachmaninov, Cortot, Gilels, Michelangeli, Horowitz, Richter, Arrau, Rubinstein all did. Not sure about Hofmann and Gieseking, though the smart money is probably on smokers.
Btw not only pianists, many people in general smoked a lot in the past!
7 лет назад
Smoking was considered quite chic and stylish right up to the 1990's. In the 1960's nobody mentioned anybodys' cigarette smoking until they got up to three(!) packs a day and only then was it seen to be worth commenting about.
