Schubert Live - Volume One

(5 stars) Compelling...Cooper strkes a balance between the music's grandeur and intimacy, its boldness, delicacy and grace...absorbing.

Her profound understanding of the nature of Schubert's music is wonderfully conveyed...performances of the highest order...not to be missed.

Imogen Cooper returns with the first in a series of 3 double CDs, recorded live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, exploring the late piano music of Schubert. Imogen Cooper returns to AVIE with the first in a series of 3 double CDs, recorded live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, exploring the late piano music of Schubert written between 1823 and 1828. The first volume includes the A minor Sonata D845, the D major Sonata D850 and the A major Sonata D959. Imogen says: "I'm not afraid of being described as a Schubert specialist," even though her active repertoire ranges from Bach to Thomas Adès. "He has taken up a lot of my waking time for more than 30 years. In fact, you could say that his songs and his piano music have sometimes been close to an obsession for me." It is more than 20 years since Cooper made a live and recorded survey of all the piano music Schubert composed from early 1823 until his death in 1828. "One of the reasons I've taken it all up again is that I feel it ten times more strongly than I did 20 years ago: the message has become more direct to me. Schubert has become even more necessary to my well-being, and I sense strongly that he is important for an audience's well-being too. Tracks: CD 1 - Piano Sonata in A major D959 / 11 Ecossaises D781 / 3 Klavierstücke D946 CD 2 - Piano Sonata in A minor / Piano Sonata in D major