Comparisons:
Sonata No. 1 - Gilels/Classica D'Oro,
Glemser/Naxos, Pollini/DG, Wirssaladze/Live
Classics
Sonata No. 2 - Berezovsky/Teldec, Blanchard/Vanguard,
Kempff/DG, Wirssaladze/Live Classics
Papillons - Freire/Decca, Richter/EMI
Three Romances - Kempff/DG, Nat/EMI
Born in 1947, Catherine
Collard was a splendid French pianist
who died from cancer in 1993. I first
became familiar with her artistry through
her Haydn piano sonata recordings for
the Lyrinx label, and upon further investigation
found her recordings of Debussy, Fauré,
D'Indy and Satie also highly rewarding.
Warner recently reissued this Schumann
disc that further confirms that Collard's
early demise was a sad day for keyboard
enthusiasts.
Collard's best performances
on the disc are of the Three Romances.
These are not among Schumann's most
popular piano works, but each is compelling
music fully possessing the gorgeous
musical lines, impetuosity and contrast
of action/enlightenment for which Schumann
is so well known. The 1st Romance, "Sehr
markiert", is full of tension and restlessness,
and Collard gives the most urgent performance
on record with triplet cascades in constant
distress. "Einfach", the 2nd Romance,
is a beautiful piece where Schumann
comforts us with his hymn-like phrasing
and pacing; Collard excellently captures
the security of the music, although
she can't match Wilhelm Kempff's mesmerizing
account. The 3rd Romance is a rather
extended contrapuntal affair with two
Intermezzos and a wealth of varied themes
and emotional content. As in the 1st
Romance, Collard is superb as she highlights
Schumann's vigor and playfulness in
the primary theme, the enchanting nature
of the Intermezzo I and the frenetic
energy of Intermezzo II. Overall, I
find Collard's readings of the Romances
the most rewarding available on the
market. Although the recorded competition
is not huge for these pieces, the exceptional
versions by Kempff and Nat are hard
to beat, and Collard does just that
with a superior achievement.
Schumann's Papillons,
like his more extended Carnaval, revolves
around a masked ball where layers of
emotions are impetuously uncovered and
displayed. Collard gives another winning
performance. She does not match the
magnificent Richter interpretation or
the spontaneity of the Freire, but her
well characterized reading is among
the better versions in the catalogues.
Schumann began work
on his Sonata No. 2 in the same year
as No. 1, but his second effort displays
a greater command of sonata form and
he was able to fully convey his musical
fantasy within the sonata's architectural
boundaries. Schumann's two alter-egos,
Florestan (man of action) and Eusebius
(enlightenment) are constant fixtures
in the four-movement work. Eusebius
is the central personality in the lovely
and reflective 2nd Movement Andantino,
but Florestan grabs the other movements
by the throat. The 1st Movement is especially
angry and angst-ridden, the very short
3rd Movement Scherzo amazingly contains
two Trios, and the 4th Movement Rondo
requires great virtuosity with its speeding
figures.
An excellent performance
of Sonata No. 2 must convey Florestan's
tremendous strength and immediate response
to stimuli as well as the measured guidance
handed down by Eusebius. Collard does
all this with a tempestuous and muscular
Florestan countered by an insightful
and spiritual Eusebius. I particularly
love her 1st Movement where Florestan
is in charge of a world out of control;
Collard's ferocious and helter-skelter
display is just the ticket for this
music. Her version of the Sonata easily
stands tall next to the exceptional
comparison recordings.
I am not as enthusiastic
concerning Collard's performance of
the Sonata No. 1 in F sharp minor, and
my reservations apply to the 1st Movement
with its Introduction of brutal intensity
and the first theme's wildly sinister
dance rhythms. Each of the comparison
versions fully conveys these features,
especially the scorching Gilels and
Wirssaladze interpretations. Unfortunately,
there is nothing scorching about Collard's
performance. Her introduction is relatively
benign, and the necessary tension that
builds in the beginning of the Allegro
vivace is absent.
In conclusion, this
reissued Collard disc has much to offer
with the exception of the 1st Movement
of Sonata No. 1. Given the super-budget
price tag and clear sonics, I heartily
recommend the recording. If the Three
Romances are your main priority, Collard
becomes essential listening.
Don Satz
Catherine Collard, piano 
