Product Review

Alfred Brendel is arguably the most outstanding exponent of Schubert's piano music currently
before the public, a man capable of bringing to vibrant life not only the verve of this music but
also its poetic intensity and intellectual depth.
On Volume 1 of the 5 DVD series he plays Schuberts famous 'Wanderer' Fantasy in C major,
written in November 1822 and admired and often performed by Franz Liszt, the Sonata in A minor,
composed in 1823 as his first sonata after his 1822 illness and the unfinished Sonata in C major, that
was written in April 1825 being a good example of Schubert orchestral imagination and inspiration.
For each piece there is a introduction by Alfred Brendel himself, throwing light on its compositional
substance and at the same time revealing his own highly personal relationship with these
masterpieces of Romantic music, and complete performances under studio conditions.
The series, shot in 1976/1977, has never been shown ever since and therefore embodies
a document of unmitigated fascination.
The way Brendel plays Schubert gives us all the reasons to believe he is a living legend and the
dean of today's pianists. For those who are not familiar with him or his approach of Schubert this is
a good start. It is a most rewarding experience!