Claire Huangi’s ambitious all-Schubert program, aptly titled META, features four late sonatas, excerpts from Schwanengaseng with baritone Thomas E. Bauer, and the D 946 Drei Klavierstücke. This multifaceted selection that spans 3 CDs speaks to the special musical relationship she cultivated with the composer from a young age. When I looked at the track listing, I found it interestingly arranged: rather than grouping pieces by category, she alternates the sonatas with the other pieces. Not only does this provide more variety and flexibility in the listening experience, but it is also a clever way to balance out the heft of the longer form works.
The late sonatas come with precedence both artistically and in terms of notable reference recordings by Brendel, Schiff , Richter, Paul Lewis, and Krystian Zimmerman (last 2 sonatas, DG 2016), among others. The D. 958 stands out among the set as the only one in a minor key and a distinctly stormy character. Despite the vigor, Huangci upholds the idiomatic beauty of Schubert’s writing throughout. The opening movement (track 11), for instance, is commanding and orchestral when it needs to be but never aggressively harsh; in the more intricate passages, the right sense of urgency comes from fine fingerwork. But eschewing the pedal, we hear crisp staccatos and finely enunciated phrasing. I found the Adagio (track 12) filled with plenty of personality ranging from the elegant tenderness of the major sections to the rich expanses of the minor ones. And as far as the Finale goes, it is a lengthy Tarantella indeed at nearly eight and a half minutes, but Huangci never lets up on the dance in energy, spirit, or finesse.
The other sonata I really looked forward to was D. 960. Take the opening of the Molto Moderato (track 22), for instance: its sound deceptively simple but relies so much on simultaneous consideration of tempo, voicing, articulation, balance, and sound quality. Huangci’s walking pace is a sensible way to keep things moving along in an already long movement, but it is her voicing and balance that are especially impressive. She creates a texture reminiscent of a lied, which is something I haven’t necessarily heard in other recordings. The ‘vocal’ line is supple and melodious yet introspective, yet the ‘accompaniment’ is not without its own character, thanks to lovely touches of non-legato. Schubert’s harmonic language is at its finest in this movement: the variety of tonal twists and turns leaves Huangci ample room to introduce us to different musical characters. The G-flat theme (1’00”) takes on a warm and inviting hue which duly prepares us for a more symphonic revisitation of the B-flat melody; likewise, she creates a vibrant development section (11’06” onwards) as she works her way through the ever-metamorphosing tonalities.
Related Classical Music Reviews
- Review: Schubert – Sonatas D. 784 & 959 – Eric Lu, Piano
- Review: Schwanengesang – Ian Bostridge, Lars Vogt
- Review: Schubert – Impromptus, Moments Musicaux – Alexandre Tharaud, Piano
The slow movement is all about balancing lyricism with profundity. Huangci continues beautifully the lied texture but I felt something was missing, namely the deeper nuances of melancholy which come across powerfully in the Brendel—something I suspect has to do with choices of dynamics. There are moments of subtle tension in Brendel’s playing via a contradiction of expectation: certain phrases seem to call for more sound but he ultimately chooses to play them piano. This is exactly what creates emotional conflict whose catharsis is revealed elsewhere.
As for the shorter selections, I was a bit confused with Schwanengesang, some songs which Huangci presents as Liszt transcriptions and others as-is with the vocalist; these choices felt a bit random but perhaps the liner notes offer more clarification. Huangci’s performance of Lizst’s arrangement of Liebesbotschaft (track 5) is quite nice, though. She captures the optimistic spirit of the original song with sprightly articulation and it’s nice to hear how she preserves the ‘bubbling brook’ texture that plays such a central role in the lied. The voice leading throughout is faultless, especially when secondary voices join in on the conversation. Die Taubenpost (track 7) with Bauer is a delight: his natural timbre, full and warm, serves as an effective baseline upon which he creates equally well both buoyant and sensitive moments. This expressivity is a fine complement to the gentle yet idyllic lilt of the piano accompaniment.
The sound engineering across the board is pretty good, with well-positioned mics capturing the pianist’s and the instrument’s mellow tone. The only thing I wished was that there was a touch less reverb. This miniscule issue aside, though, this is a wonderful effort from Huangci: her devoted performances only call for an equally devoted listen.
META
Claire Huangci, Piano
Berlin Classics, CD 0302967BC
Recommended Comparisons
Brendel | Zimerman | Richter | Lewis | Schiff
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