These two CDs of Murray Perahia's Schumann present well-established performances that have met with virtually universal critical acclaim. The only possible reservation that one might have is that the second, containing the Etudes symphoniques and Papillons, runs for only 46 minutes, which seems unnecessarily brief. I hope I have got my sums right in suggesting that CBS could have put Papillons on the first disc and could have added the Fantasy in C to the second. Perahia's masterful recording of the latter would have fitted well beside the Etudes symphoniques.
The Davidsbundlertanze and Fantasiestucke readings are now 15 years old, and yet in them the young Perahia demonstrates extraordinary maturity alongside his natural flair. He follows through melodic lines with disarming fluency, avoids extremes of tempo and rises to the lightning changes of mood demanded by the composer. Phrases in the Davidsbundlertanze are never pulled about for 'expressive' effect. Occasionally he is perhaps a little too refined, as in No. 14, marked Zart und singend, but generally he is able to avoid preciosity in this very intimate music.
In comparing his Fantasiestucke with that of Brendel (Philips) and Rubinstein (RCA), I noticed that it was Perahia who was the one more willing to take risks. Whereas Rubinstein has the strongest personality of the three, and triumphs in the quieter pieces, he rather misses the whimsy of ''Grillen'', as does Brendel, and the finale, ''Ende vom Lied'' emerges as over-deliberate. The obssessive gloom of ''In der Nacht'' is all the richer in Perahia's performance for his highlighting of unusual harmonic details. The Brendel CD has playing that is highly competent, if not terribly imaginative. And of course he does not have the piano tone of either Rubinstein or Perahia.
The Etudes symphoniques is more concerned with classical form and it requires a conventionally serious treatment. Pollini (DG) takes a magisterial and tonally rich approach that at once makes Perahia sound a more self-contained artist. Pollini is less spontaneous and intimate than Perahia, although in his greater breadth of phrasing and his tonally grandiose handling of accompaniments he succeeds in conveying the music as of greater import.
In Perahia's version, the five posthumous Etudes are placed after the main work, almost as an encore. Pollini, on the other hand, plays them in their numerical order after Etude No. 5. Perahia treats them with great delicacy and intimacy and in the fifth of these posthumous Etudes his wonderfully transluscent way with high treble sonorities is especially charming. Regarding piano technique, he has a greater range than Pollini, in that the fastest Etudes, such as Nos. 3 and 9, are impeccably articulated. The piano tone is a little clattery in fortes on the CBS disc. Perahia's famous recording of Papillons should not be missed. His extraordinary control in changing from one mood to another in such small miniatures is something rare. Pianists so easily let Papillons slip by without ever managing to get into the mood of any of the pieces.
The first CD has piano sound that is a great improvement on the quality of the original LP. Whereas the DG version of the Etudes is richer in sonority, the quiet moments of the CBS are finely judged, though perhaps the recording is a little too close.'