Title: Subtle
Product review: I was prompted to buy this CD upon rehearing Askenazy's soulful version of the Schumann Piano Concerto with Uri Segal. This CD lives up to the promise of that performance. Coming from the strengths of his Beethoven and Rachmaninoff recordings, you may be unprepared for the readings Ashkenazy gives these pieces. The Arabeske is songful and intimate, filled with nuance and sentiment. Papillons offers salient contrasts between Schumann the poet and Schumann the virtuoso. Ashkenazy's fortissimos here in the big moments are thrilling. As for the Symphonic Etudes, they receive a beautifully thought out rendition. Ashkenazy includes the etudes that were excised by the composer but published by Brahms. From the first moments, when Ashkenazy subtly rolls into the piece, this is a performance of stature. The sound engineering throughout the CD is superb, offering the nuanced but full sound Ashkenazy produces in concert. This is lovely Schumann.
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