10 April 2013

Music to Soothe a Ruffled Soul

     Those of you who follow this blog know of my obsession with Schubert's late piano music. I wrote another post and even a poem about his last piano sonata. Today I offer you one of his most sublimely melodic and introspective pieces, the Impromptu in G-flat, Op. 90 no. 3, played here by one of the undisputed masters of Schubert's music, Alfred Brendel. Equally beautiful is the rendition by another undisputed master, Wilhelm Kempff, which you can listen to here. For me, Brendel edges out with his ice-melting tone, though both he and Kempff give Schubert's long, arching melodies the fullness of singing romanticism without overt sentimentality, and give the rest of the texture wonderful clarity.
     I suppose someday I'll have to write a poem about this piece as well.

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