Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat, D960 [41:19]
Moments musicaux, D780 [32:39]
Hungarian Melody, D817 [4:10]
Edward Rosser (piano)
rec. January-May 2011, Fraser Performance Studio, Boston, Massachusetts
CONNOISSEUR SOCIETY CD 4275 [78:12]
Edward Rosser’s Schubert is like nobody else’s, not in an overt
or self-important way but with every subtlety examined from a new angle. This
alone will provide Schubert fans with fascination. The great B flat sonata
has each phrase reimagined: the way that the first movement’s climaxes
feel muted, not celebratory, the clean pacing and immaculate tone brought
to faster passages, the omission of the moderato repeat, the unusual cohesion
of the finale. The scherzo falls a little shy of these standards, in that
it’s performed the most “normally,” but that is offset by
the andante second movement, at 12:51 maybe the slowest ever. Rosser previously
recorded this movement by itself in a recital which was one of my 2010
Recordings of the Year, and at that time his interpretation was a full
minute faster.
A thirteen-minute andante in the sonata D960 probably shouldn’t work,
and yet it does, because Rosser’s tone is ethereal and his pacing so
strong that you immediately internalize the new speed and understand why it
is so. It’s like a slow-motion deathbed dreamland. As with the rest
of the sonata, Rosser rethinks every phrase, every pause, and many a dynamic
shift. Midway into his career, Rosser dismantled his technique and relearned
how to play the piano from scratch. He says that this new technique emphasizes
“use of the wrist to achieve a fine legato, tonal beauty, and natural
phrasing.” He now uses the Vengerova method, named after the piano teacher
of Gary Graffman and Leonard Bernstein.
The Moments musicaux also benefit from this re-imagining. Take the
tiny third Moment, famous as it is: Rosser doesn’t play it straight,
not at all (see Brendel), but his mannerisms are interesting ones.
You might disagree. The final Moment, at ten minutes, may test your
patience, but others can be enchanting. No. 4, played in almost baroque style,
Schubert meeting Scarlatti, is unturnoffable.
The Hungarian Melody is a wonderful encore, beautifully played; the
booklet notes, including one by Rosser, are excellent; the recorded sound
is the tiniest bit over-bright and the sound-space is very small. When I turned
the volume up, the high notes had an unpleasant glare which is certainly not
the pianist’s fault. Everything sounds much better on speakers than
on headphones.
I did a quick double-check by passing that incredibly slow andante to two
connoisseur friends, who both responded with interest and enthusiasm. One
especially praised the affirmation of the final pages but criticized the opening,
whereas the other described the opening as “zen.” Both thought
Rosser did an incredible job sustaining his chosen speed. That this appears
on the Connoisseur Society label is very appropriate, because for Schubert
connoisseurs, this is a mandatory experience.
Brian Reinhart
For Schubert connoisseurs, this is a mandatory experience.
Masterwork Index: Schubert sonata D960
Youtube videos of Rosser playing Debussy: Serenade to The Doll ~~ La fille aux cheveux de lin
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