Search - Robert Schumann :: Schumann: Carnaval, Waldszenen, Romances, Arabesque

A Schumann Artist of Great Stature

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 06/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Maria Joao Pires continues to please audiences with her sensitive, very romantic approach to the piano standards. But what sets her apart form the many fine pianists who have recorded the piano works of Robert Schumann is not only her fine artistry, but also her programming instinct.



Pires caresses the keyboard creating some of the most languid phrasing heard today. That is not to say she does not have the fire or power to tackle the rigorous passages: she has fingers that can fly across impossible passages leaving not a key untouched.



This very satisfying CD contains, for this listener, one of the truly perfect 'Arabesque' Opus 18 on record. It is pure satin and carves a niche in the atmosphere that is unforgettable. Yet Pires also performs the lengthy 'Waldszenen Op.82 (Forest Scenes)' with elegance and tenderness and a fine sense of style. In addition she performs the 'Three Romances Op.28' and the 'Carnival Jest From Vienna Op.26' allowing her to cover a significant period of Schumann's compositional output.



Maria Joao Pires does not try to impose her stamp on these works. She is content to let the music speak for itself and Robert Schumann could not ask for a more genteel and dignified representative! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, June 06"