Robert Schumann: Piano Works, Vol. 2 in Bloomington, MN

The veteran pianist
Gerhard Oppitz
has released several albums of
Schumann
's piano music with a distinctly restrained approach, and some listeners find them too dry.
Oppitz
's concept seems to be that works by the young
such as
Papillons, Op. 2
, and
Carnaval, Op. 9
, which must have seemed absolutely shocking in their day, can take care of themselves in the shock department and need no additional help from the pianist. His readings are technically impeccable, painted in small strokes rather than big gestures. It may be quite a surprise for those accustomed to hearing
as arch-Romantic, but once one adjusts one's frame of reference, his
playing has an intriguing, even bracing quality. He may be at his best in the ubiquitous
Kinderszenen, Op. 15
, where
himself called for a more deadpan approach; he advised
Clara Schumann
to forget about her virtuoso training when playing it.
Papillons
and
Carnaval
seem to fly by, seeming like hints in the wind or mind rather than the radical kind of representation they usually carry.
may not be at his best in the rather rarely played
Piano Sonata No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 11
, which is less a sonata than an assemblage of shorter ideas in the outer movements; his readings in the outer movements seem undifferentiated, although his take on the lovely songlike Aria second movement has all the virtues of his work elsewhere on the album. With an album like this, diverging so far from the norm, one has to give credit to the artist for sheer nerve, and listeners should sample well before dismissing it. ~ James Manheim