Prokofiev: Sonata No.7/Toccata, Op.11/Barber: Sonata, Op.26/Kabalevsky: Sonata No.3/FaurA©: Nocturne No.13/Poulenc: Pr

THE BARBER IS OUT OF THIS WORLD

Worth getting for the Barber. A terrific piece of music, in my opinion much more worth hearing than still another Beethoven sonata.

Superb playing by Horowitz! The fugue, oh my! He kills! That's why he was Horowitz!

The other pieces are fine even though Prokofiev's 7th is by now a little passe.

But the Barber is not and sounds as fresh as if this was 1950!

Get it! May 20, 2007

The Mad Barber

I last listened to this CD years ago, and now that I'm working on the Barber sonata myself, I checked it out of the library again after spending some time alone with the piece. Now that I'm listening to it with new ears, I was shocked at how different it was from how I remembered it! It's a great performance which can be a little bit too hard-edged at times.

The pianistic exactitude displayed in the first movement is absolutely authoritative. The tempo is correct and rock-solid (without being mechanical), the dynamic contrasts are all beautifully executed, and there is no romanticizing of this very modern score. I went back and listened to Olga Kern's Cliburn CD again, and I was surprised to hear all kinds of misreadings I missed when I heard her play in San Jose - so many rhythms which are scrambled, so many dynamics steamrolled over, so many wrong articulations. But Horowitz is extremely precise, especially for his time - I had never appreciated how astute he was.

That goes for all the rest of the movements, too. The scherzo is not as colorful as some other readings I've heard, but it suits the starker overall conception. Horowitz's staccato is phenomonal, too. The slow movement is a bit bumpy, but it is certainly expressive, without being indulgent or overdone. I've heard it played so affectionately that it inflated the entire sonata like a balloon - that's not what Barber was going for.

Finally, the fugue. It's tremendous, and it's earthshaking - a performance meant to ring every ear in La Scala - and Horowitz's legendary finger independence is on full display here. The tempo is fairly moderate, but it feels fast - that is the Horowitz magic at work. A slip right at the end, in the 5 against 2 section, is the only tiny error in the entire diabolical movement. What I would have liked a little more of is a jazzy feeling - more like Browning, in other words. This is American music, and it has a certain swing to it which can be tremendously effective. Horowitz is deadly serious and granitic - no room for rhythmic or agogic liberties. But that's a minor complaint. This remains, pound for pound, the best recording I've heard - though not quite ideal.

There's a lot to learn, and a lot to enjoy in this performance. December 8, 2005

Pure, Unadulterated Horowitz...

This recording makes it clear why Horowitz is so often referred to as "king of the piano". His staggering technique is more than evident, and his seemingly limitless tonal palette is constantly in effect. The Barber Sonata is a most electrifying experience, especially in the insanely virtuosic fugue, and definitely the best on record. The Prokofiev Sonata has more rivals (Richter, Argerich, Pollini, etc.), and to no one's surprise, it stands with the best. The last movement may not be as exciting as Argerich's version, but on the whole, the performance is top-notch. The Toccata is taken in a record four minutes flat, but does anyone notice that Horowitz makes a cut several pages from the end? Still, this account in one of the most stunning on record (the only real competition coming from Argerich on her debut CD). It is interesting how Horowitz slows down the tempi in certain sections to prepare for more heart-stopping climaxes. The rest of the CD is also enjoyable, but it is composed of less well-known repertoire such as a Kabalevsky Sonata and a short Poulenc piece. This CD is strongly recommended, at least until some one of Horowitz's abilities decides to record the Barber Sonata (I'm still waiting for an artist like Argerich or Pollini to come around). July 7, 2003

What can I say?

I just want to support the rewiever from Marsch 27th 1999. I personally have three copies: one at home, one in a safetybox at the bank and one at my girlfriends house (just to be sure if anything should go wrong) and I ceep them all in vacum and in steel boxes (the temperature always beetween 19,2°C-19,5°C).

This should tell you what I think of this recording. I tried to rate it six stars but the computer didn't except that. Well... June 24, 1999

Get this CD. Be amazed. Tell a friend.

This is a desert island disc if ever there was one.

Let's get skip ahead and talk about the Toccata. This piece can only be described in roller-coaster terms. For 4'00" you will experience every conceivable twist and turn, the music will only slow down to gather momentum (like when you are slowly hoisted up on a bungee cord just to get ready for a free fall). Exhilerating!

Don't think for a minute that we would skip over Prokofiev's 7th Sonata. The first movement has enough material to last for hours. Only someone like Prokofiev, with his limitless supply of fresh material, could rapidly shift between themes without milking them for all they are worth. The 2nd movement could be described as haunting, lyrical, mysterious, and chilling. The 3rd movement is a pure show of brute force. This is the kind of music that annoys the neighbors, unless they have exceptional musical taste.

The Barber Sonata bursts on to the scene with a brash into. Nothing on this CD is ordinary, especially not when played by the king of the piano. March 28, 1999

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