Schubert’s big A minor sonata D. 845 (once known as Op. 42) has been unusually well served on disc for decades, and the winning streak continues via Barry Douglas’ masterful account. He brings power, authority, and flexibility to the first movement, demarcating transitions and climactic surges with carefully judged rubato and dynamic scaling. The Andante is not quite so “poco mosso” as Mitsuko Uchida’s more animated reading, nor do Douglas’ meticulous embellishments and thoughtful phrasings match Uchida’s winged virtuosity. Still, the gravity and seriousness of his interpretation holds validity.
Outsize accents and tiny holdbacks help generate tension in Douglas’ Scherzo, although the movement would benefit from more rhythmic spring in the manner of Christian Zacharias’ splendid recording. Douglas picks up the pace for the Rondo Finale, shaping the intricate piano writing in sophisticated curves that avoid any hint of squareness.
In the Four Impromptus D. 935, some may find Douglas’ treatment of the big opening F minor Allegro moderato epic to the point of episodic, but at least it moves inexorably forward. That’s not the case for Douglas’ stern, charmless, and mostly static A-flat Impromptu. Even the mobile central section is often too loud and lacking in tenderness.
Such overly serious and fussy playing prevails throughout the Theme and Variations encompassing the Third Impromptu, while the pianist’s heavy-handed final F minor Impromptu is anything but Scherzando. It’s a matter of touch and attitude more than tempo; Radu Lupu, for example, plays slower, yet his supple syncopations enliven the music.
As for the concluding Schubert/Liszt Ave Maria, Douglas’ pounding accompaniments dominate over the melodic line, yielding to Benjamin Grosvenor’s lither, beautifully contoured textural control in the same transcription. My rating, in sum, splits the difference between the Sonata and the Impromptus.
