Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1956)
Fantasiestücke Op. 12 [28:19]
Humoreske Op. 20 [26:02]
Jörg Demus (pianoforte, Op. No. 1810 by Conrad Graf, Vienna c. 1835)
rec. 1984, Erbdrostenhof, Münster, Germany
MDG 604 0150-2 [54:25]
I would like to think that this re-release is in a small way, Dabringhaus und Grimm’s memorial to the great Austrian pianist, composer and pioneer of the original instrument movement, Jörg Demus who died in April 2019. This recording is a fitting statement of his skill.
Jörg Demus was no stranger to Robert Schumann. He had already recorded the complete solo piano music on LP in the 1970’s, which Nuova Era later released on CD (NE 7353), a set that I am happy to own and which in my opinion is underappreciated: the recordings are now available in a bargain thirteen-disc Documents box (231752), and what a bargain it is. Demus was also a champion of the use of period pianos and in 1970 he made the earliest recording of Beethoven's ‘Waldstein’ Sonata on a Broadwood from 1802. This present recording has Demus demonstrating his two loves: the music of Robert Schumann performed on a mid-1830’s Graf piano which is very similar to the Graf model that Schumann is known to have given Clara as a wedding present in 1840.
The two recordings differ slightly in tempo, with this new recording of the Fantasiestücke being marginally quicker than his earlier recording, although that recording did offer the Supplement zu op. 12 as a bonus. I am surprised that he did not record it here, as he was known to have included it in performance, but it is not something that you really miss. In contrast, this later recording of the Humoreske is marginally longer than his earlier version, only by two minutes. However, Demus uses this time well, especially in ‘Zum Bescluß’; this performance is more relaxed and well measured, leading to a more compelling performance.
Humoreske, as with Fantasiestücke, opens quite tenderly with ‘Einfach’, although the music does become more animated. The documentation is wrong in stating that Demus takes 9:11 to play this movement; that would make his performance nearly twice as long as everyone else. In fact, at just over five minutes he is one of the quickest interpreters of this piece and only a few seconds longer than Imogen Cooper’s wonderful performance (CHAN10841). The rest of the work is also played more swiftly than by most pianists, although he never sounds hurried. In the final section, ‘Zum Beschluss’, Demus even takes nearly thirty seconds off Cooper’s time, but still manages to sound in keeping with the music and to appear unrushed.
The other star of this recording is the Graf piano. Whilst I know some readers will not appreciate the piano’s sound, for me it has a nice rounded sound, one which belies its early age. It may not have the heft of a modern grand piano, but it also has a lot less twang and buzz, a factor that some listeners find unappealing about fortepianos. Rather, the Graf offers a half-way approach which gives the best of both worlds. You listen and think that this is the sound that Robert Schumann had in mind as he listened to Clara playing the works for the first time. The usual excellent MDG sound quality helps this, whilst the unusually brief but still informative booklet notes also add to the overall enjoyment of this disc.
These are the best performances on a period piano that I have heard.
Stuart Sillitoe
