Paul Lewis review – Schubert begins with a stutter and ends with conviction

A rogue hearing aid forced a restart to the pianist’s survey of Schubert sonatas, but once things settled, Lewis confirmed what a superlative interpreter he is of these works

Barokksolistene review – group reinvent Schubert but are best in the tavern

Reworked as a music theatre piece with a puppet and guitars, Die Schöne Müllerin loses focus, but the second half’s terrific Alehouse Sessions make up for any doubts

Jeremy Denk and friends – an intimate performance that invited the audience in

A chamber music programme of Ives and Schubert saw Denk, the festival’s artist-in-residence, at his best

Vanitas: Lieder by Schubert, Beethoven and Rihm review – songs in the key of life

Nigl’s controlled, supple voice is aided by Pashchenko’s fierce accompaniment in a thoughtful selection

Solitude review – loneliness or reverie? Intense songs with lockdown resonance

Singer James Gilchrist and pianist Anna Tilbrook explore aspects of being alone with composers including Purcell and Schubert on a powerful, poised album

Ibragimova/Bezuidenhout review – music-making held in almost miraculous balance

Perfectly paired, violinist Alina Ibragimova and pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout’s recital was a masterclass in how familiar repertoire can be lifted from the page and fashioned anew

Schubert Symphony No 9 review – high-octane and purringly smooth

Conductor Maxim Emelyanychev inspires the SCO in Schubert’s massive work, with grandeur and great washes of feeling

Schubertiade festival review – Levit and Feng dazzle amid outstanding talent

The festival sticks closely to its relatively narrow musical margins, but with world-class musicians offering fresh insights into familiar works, there was plenty to intrigue and move audiences

Schubert: Sonatas & Impromptus review – Schiff’s 1820 piano brings fascinating insights

A 19th-century Viennese fortepiano shows off its special tonal qualities in this magnificent detailed and expressive double disc set

Schubert/Berio review – casting light on each other’s magic

Combining Schubert’s Ninth Symphony with Berio’s reinterpretation of his unfinished Tenth, this disc has style and spirit

Home listening: Llŷr Williams’s Beethoven at Wigmore Hall; Marc-André Hamelin does Schubert

The Welshman’s nine sonata concerts arrive on box set; as does Hamelin. Plus: Inside Music gets better and better

The Schubert Ensemble review – quintet bid farewell with gentle wit and Weir

With a programme of Schubert, Chausson and Weir, the chamber group stuck to the formula that has proved so successful for them

Artea Quartet: Schubert D887 CD review – a bold choice but too safe expressively

The Artea’s second disc for Champs Hill is devoted to one of the challenging works in the quartet repertory. Schubert’s vast G-major work ranks alongside Beethoven’s late quartets as one of the supreme achievements in the repertory, and it’s certainly … Continue reading →

Schubert and Szymanowski: Piano Sonatas CD review – Debargue proves he’s one to watch

Lucas Debargue (Sony Classical)

Schubert/Zimerman: Piano Sonatas D959 and D960 CD review – thoughtful and technically impeccable

Krystian Zimerman was 60 last December. As he reveals in an interview included with these performances, approaching that milestone convinced him it was time to “find the courage” to record the late sonatas by Schubert and Beethoven that he has … Continue reading →