Schubert - Wanderer Fantasy, D 760

[andhow04]

i have always wanted to play this superb piece which is so unreasonably difficult. so i did! this recording is not perfect but which is ? however you might still find it exciting. and it was done all in one take so there's that. love to hear comments

[chopinlover01]

Quite nice, shame this got somewhat buried.
Having taken time to listen to the whole thing, I feel like your main issue is control over your sound in the fast sections. The arpeggios in the beginning especially feel rushed and out of control, rather than pulsed and controlled. In some music (i.e. Rachmaninoff, Liszt, even some late Beethoven) this is a good thing, but that isn't the effect that you're going to want here. At least, I don't think so, haha.

[piulento]

First of all, let me say I'm impressed as hell. This is such a hard piece to put together, and you did an overall good job. The main theme is properly heard and understood all through the piece, and it's quite clear that you put a lot of thought into its articulations, dynamics and voice leading. I also have to point out what a great job you did in the second movement. I really liked it.
Like chopinlover, I'd say the biggest problem is control and clarity in the fast sections (anyone would in a piece like this). Some of the fast sections are completely fine, but others (especially ones involving arpeggios) are a bit blurry and clumsy. I'd suggest working on making them clearer and as accurate and well articulated as the columnized sections (It's a hell of a work, but you did a real good job in most sections so I'd say you can definitely do it well).
But like I said at the beginning, you did very well. It seems that you really like the piece and put a lot of though into figuring out how everything has to sound, which in this piece, is 80% of the struggle. If you get some of the bugs out of the way, it could be a great piece to perform with, because you play it with a lot of passion and drama. Especially the finale!
Best of luck!

[rachfan]

Hi andhow,

Bravo!  I enjoyed your rendition of this wonderful piece.  Schubert and Beethoven both are considered to be--in their late years--transitional composers.  It's as if they stood with one foot in Classicism and the other in the Romantic Age.  Another example would be Schubert's "Earlking".  I believe you played with fine accuracy.  The singing tone sounded with the voice leading in the foreground. Passage work was more subdued to good effect.  I liked your fluency throughout in the background.  Phrasing was excellent and colors and shadings well controlled.

Overall I believe that your rendition is successful and inspiring too. 

David   

[andhow04]

thanks for all the comments. it's always a struggle for me somehow in schubert, how much to be precise and how much to be sort of gestural. as rachfan you mentioned he is a transitional composer and sometimes i feel his music could go either way, but over all this being from the early 1820's probably needs more precision in the sixteenth notes. i do love this piece and will keep it around for a long time. the second mvoement is in the tradition of his great variations, like the B-flat impromptu, the Trockne Blumen variations for flute & piano, the death and the maiden, the trout, there are so many.
thanks again for listening

[emill]

hi andhow04,

Although I am not a pianist, this is one piece which I truly find enjoyable to listen to almost anytime. Unfortunately my son, Enzo, has not taken much interest in it or other Schubert pieces for the moment. Despite that the recording could have been much better as the lower frequencies seems to have been filtered, I found your playing to be quite "accurate", musical and very enjoyable. Deserves a BIG & LOUD BRAVO ! !

emil

[andhow04]

hi andhow04,

Although I am not a pianist, this is one piece which I truly find enjoyable to listen to almost anytime. Unfortunately my son, Enzo, has not taken much interest in it or other Schubert pieces for the moment. Despite that the recording could have been much better as the lower frequencies seems to have been filtered, I found your playing to be quite "accurate", musical and very enjoyable. Deserves a BIG & LOUD BRAVO ! !

emil

thanks yes i just recorded this on the iphone, i really need to invest in a good device. somehow i have always loved schubert and wanted to play this piece for a long time, but it is a pretty big commitment, because you have to find a way to make it listenable for 20 minutes, so it is not too loud all the time, and so that the tempo is understandable all the way thrugh. especially hard in the second movement.

there was recently an interview of Paul Lewis, who is a youngish - type pianist who studied with Alfred Brendel and plays all the classical repertoire especially Schubert, I think the interview was on america's public radio, and they asked him what his favorite page in all of Schubert's piano music was. he said a page from the haunting slow movement of the final sonata in B-flat major. Well, my favorite page in all of Schubert's piano music is the first page of the Wanderer Fantasy, because he captures so much energy and vitality and power in such simple music. maybe that will interest your son in playing it. hope he is doing well thanks for listening