Search - Franz [Vienna] Schubert, Malcolm Bilson :: Schubert: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 6

In his demonstration lectures, Bilson says that Schubert is the composer who benefits most from being played on the early piano. Schubert's lyrical phrases were conceived, according to Bilson, with the tonal decay (dying away) of the wood frame piano, and the modern metal frame grand blurs those phrases. Many great pianists have played Schubert successfully on the modern piano, from Artur Schnabel to Radu Lupu, and we wouldn't want to be without their performances. But Bilson's playing here is fascinating, clearer than we're used to without ever being antiseptic. This is a good volume to start with. All three works are relatively unfamiliar, so we can listen to them without preconceptions of how they ought to sound, and all three are definitely worth hearing even if they're a notch below Schubert's best. Anyone who can play the dizzy opening theme of the finale of D. 459 with a straight face, as Bilson does, must be a thorough Schubertian. The combination of music, performances, instrument, and realistic sound is irresistible. --Leslie Gerber