More than Artur Schnabel’s other recorded collaborations with Pro Arte Quartet members, this 1934 Mozart G minor Quartet represents a true meeting of minds. Schnabel’s eloquent, flexible pianism and sterling musicianship are at their finest, while the pianist’s cohorts keep their swooping tendencies to a minimum. Of equal distinction is Schnabel’s ravishingly inflected 1948 Mozart B-flat Sonata K. 570. Seth Winner’s remasterings capture the air between the notes within a warmly equalized sonic spectrum. I prefer them to their quieter yet less impactive Arabesque CD incarnations, but cannot comment first-hand on EMI’s 1991 Mozart/Schnabel transfers.
The remaining selections on this disc stem from broadcast airchecks circa 1943/44. The close-miking gives Schnabel’s sonority a rather strident twang, yet Winner’s restorations vastly improve upon what was once available on a private LP release. The B-flat Sonata K. 333 stands out for the linear interplay the pianist brings to the first movement, and for a cosmically spun slow movement. Schnabel makes a tiny distention between the third and fourth notes of the Rondo’s main theme, which helps move the melody over the barline. Likewise, his angular distpatch of the Schubert A minor Sonata (D. 845) scherzo’s outer sections emphasizes (to a fault, perhaps) the composer’s metric displacements, while the finale explodes with hurling brio. Too bad the first two movements of this performance don’t exist! Producer Jerome Goldstein’s informative notes communicate valuable insights about the music and the performances. Schnabel fans won’t want to be without this disc. [11/25/2000]
