Search - Franz [Vienna] Schubert, Wilhelm Kempff :: Schubert: Impromptus; Moments musicaux; Piano Sonatas

The non-pareil!

F. W. Brownlow | Holyoke, Massachusetts | 01/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I heard Kempff play the great Schubert B-flat sonata when I was a schoolboy, and to this day, many years later, I've never heard anyone catch the heart-breaking, valedictory lyricism of that first movement in quite that way. To my mind--and fingers--the rather slow tempo that others have noticed is absolutely right. Then the figure-work is so delicate! And no-one, in my longish experience, no-one, has ever played the scherzo with such sweet, rippling grace. The impromptus are beautifully played, too, especially the first one of the second set. What a player Kempff was! And what a great age of music-making he lived in: such nobility of approach and understanding."

Great recordings

Wiili | 07/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These selections of Schubert are among the best the composer can offer, and we also have Kempff performing them, so it's a double deal. In D.960 Kempff finds such a calmness interrupted by bursts of tension and passion. It is slower that others saved only by Richter and Arrau, but it never gets boring or feels dragged. Kempff's sense of phrasing here is marvellous.



The shorter pieces (impromptus and moment musicaux) are nicely done. While you can feel they all belong to sets, Kempff also creates a sense of individuality for each piece.



On the whole, I should say this is a very good introduction to Schubert and also a good item for Kempff fans such as myself. The sould is also very good for the time of the recording."