András Schiff - Handel, Brahms, Reger: Piano Works (1995)

Here, together with a Schumann recital (see page 126) are the first fruits of Andras Schiff's new Teldec contract; a live recital taken from the prestigious series, ''Meesterpianisten'' in Amsterdam. I wish I could be more enthusiastic about such a debut, for Schiff is unquestionably among the most gifted and mercurial musicians of our time; a 'masterpianist' indeed. His programme, too, is exemplary with Handel's theme heard again in Brahms's Handel Variations and with Reger's massive Bach Variations as a daunting and enterprising close. True, Schiff is admirably suited to the Handel suite, getting off to a bold and improvisatory start and continuing with much of his recognizable brio and originality. But the Brahms is another matter and I was much less convinced in such epic virtuosity. By Var. 10 the playing has lost much personal flavour, is sturdy rather than coruscating, while Var. 13 is po-faced, quite without the fullness and glamour central to Julius Katchen's performance in his complete cycle of the solo piano works for Decca. Var. 17 is hardly piano as marked and I couldn't detect much natural grazioso flow to Var. 20. Schiff hardly allows Var. 21 its full expressive range and the build up through Vars. 23-5 is disappointingly tame. More generally, I found Schiff often treading an uncomfortable path between classical sobriety and romantic exuberance, unsure where his truest sympathy lies.
The Reger, too, is a let-down, particularly when you recall Serkin's more committed recording (CBS, 1/87 – nla). Music which fascinatingly foreshadows several aspects of Godowsky's massive Passacaglia surely needs a virtuoso grandeur that is hardly second nature to Schiff, and although he can unravel Reger's opacity with impressive lucidity he seriously lacks voltage and muscle power. The recording, of what sounds like a notably bland Bosendorfer, is reasonable given the circumstances and applause (respectful rather than ecstatic) is retained at the end.