Schubert, Franz - Piano Works, Vol. 4 - Oppitz, Gerhard (piano)

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Throughout his career, Gerhard Oppitz has been recognized for his deep understanding of the piano works of the great German Romantics, especially Beethoven and Schubert. This fourth installment of Oppitz performing the major piano works of Schubert the unfinished Sonata in E minor, D 566, whose fourth movement has either been lost or was never composed. Also on the program are the Four Impromptus D 935, which was considered by Robert Schumann as a "Sonata in disguise", owing to the typically Schubertian sequence of keys and tonalities found in the composer's larger scale works. On closer inspection, this appears not to have been the case, but as a cycle, the Impromptus are four beautiful, charming, alluring at times demonic miniatures - each possessing its own character. Sonatas and Impromptus are at the heart of Schubert's piano work, but less so are the numerous smaller pieces: the Scherzo in B flat major D 593 has enjoyed enduring popularity as a teaching and recital piece, while its companion, in D flat major has remained less well-known owing to its difficulty. In all the works on this program, the inimitable Gerhard Oppitz delivers his trademark intelligent, emotionally charged performances.