Notes and Editorial Reviews
Curzon’s Wanderer Fantasy is the most satisfying I’ve encountered, and in Kinderszenen, Curzon is unsurpassable, because he treats these short pieces as the profound music they are, yet without straining their apparent simplicity.
Curzon’s 1949 recording of Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy is the most satisfying I’ve encountered on disc. Curzon quite rightly views the work as Classically conceived, though shot through with a Romantic wildness which he contains with a rugged will. His steady tempo for the first movement is absolutely right. Schumann’s Fantasy is a less stiffly formal work, with outer movements that unfold like vistas as you travel through a landscape. Recorded in 1954, Curzon communicates a wonderful sense of
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progress, while relishing the scenery on the way, but in the triumphal middle movement he’s a bit on the cautious side. My choice for the most exciting and poetic Fantasy on CD would be Argerich’s. In Kinderszenen, Curzon is unsurpassable, because he treats these short pieces as the profound music they are, yet without straining their apparent simplicity.
-- Adrian Jack, BBC Music Magazine
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Works on This Recording
1.
Phantasie for Piano in C major, Op. 17 by Robert Schumann
Performer:
Clifford Curzon (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1836-1838; Germany
Date of Recording: 1954
2.
Kinderszenen, Op. 15 by Robert Schumann
Performer:
Clifford Curzon (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1838; Germany
Date of Recording: 1954
3.
Fantasy for Piano in C major, D 760/Op. 15 "Wanderer" by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Clifford Curzon (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1822; Vienna, Austria
Date of Recording: 1949
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 
( 1 Customer Review )
Historic Essential September 4, 2012
By W. Brown (Centerburg, OH) See All My Reviews
"Decca has done it again by going back into its archives and reissuing historic legendary performances. This is a wonderful recording of Schumann's Fantasie and Kinderszenen. The playing is exceptional and the recorded sound (for being mono) is superb. The only drawback for me is the recording of Schubert's wanderer fantasie. The playing is great, but the recorded sound is a little worn. Of course the recording dates around 1949, so it definitely shows signs of wear. Nevertheless, this recording is a essential for one's Classical music library. Don't hesitate to pick up a copy!! Recommended."
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