Beethoven, Schumann- Piano Works

Schumann: Fantasie; Kreisleriana; Arabeske This is a beautiful CD, filled with fine, unaffected playing that gets to the heart of the music. The Arabesque is an easy-going piece with a surprisingly deep and stunning finale. Biss's graceful reading flows naturally, even with occasionally almost-dangerously swift tempi. Th...	Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 8 'Pathétique', 15 'Pastoral', 27 & 30	Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto Op35; Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Op77	Piano Favorites	Liszt: Piano Concertos; Totentanz; Hungarian Fantasy
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; Violin Concertos	Elgar: Pomp & Circumstance Marches; Enigma Variations; Cockaigne Overture Sir Adrian Boult's recording of the Enigma Variations with the London Symphony was made when both he and the orchestra were at their peak. It reflects an extraordinary blend of spontaneity and the grand manner, and shows great insight into the score. Smooth, flowing, and majesti...	Schoenberg Violin Concerto Op.36/Sibelius Violin Concerto Op.47 In another original pairing violinist Hilary Hahn brings together the familiar, highly commercial and long-awaited recording of the famous Sibelius Violin Concerto with the rarely performed Violin Concerto by Arnold Schoenberg. Hahn brings out the romantic qualities of Schoenberg...	Brahms: Violin Sonatas	The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century Anyone who has ever gamely tried and failed to absorb, enjoy, and--especially--understand the complex works of Schoenberg, Mahler, Strauss, or even Philip Glass will allow themselves a wry smile reading New Yorker music critic Alex Ross's outstanding The Rest Is Noise. Not only d...

Refreshingly sincere
I'm happy to see an artist like Jonathan Biss come along: a young, wonderfully talented musician who has chosen to tackle the great repertoire, and sidestep the virtuoso path. His playing is youthful, impetuous, and his sound is magnificent, especially in the low register. I think he could experiment with more color and pedaling - but those things usually come with age and experience. I heard Biss perform Mozart in San Francisco several weeks ago, and it was marvelous! I vastly prefer him to Lang Lang, whose playing I consider every bit as empty and flamboyant as Biss' is sincere. Matt

An Introduction to Jonathan Biss
Jonathan Biss is rapidly becoming known as one of our more important young pianists on the concert stage today. His technique is dazzling, his involvement with the works he elects to perform is respectful of the composers' markings and relates to the spirit of the music from the period of the time of composition, and he manages to draw his audiences into the music with his straightforward 'music first' approach. He is very much on the ascent and EMI Classics is to be commended for allowing his recording introduction in 2004 with this VERY affordable CD of works by Beethoven and Schumann. Yes, he has grown in depth and finesse since this four-year old recording as we would expect from a serious artist of his young years, but this CD is still a superb recital. Opening with Beethoven's 'Fantasy in G minor', Biss immediately demonstrates his mastery of technique as well as his beautifully managed phrasing. Following is Schumann's 'Davidsbündlertänze' in as satisfying a performance as is available from the recordings of the older masters. The recital closes with Beethoven's 'Appassionata Sonata in F minor' and it is here that the combination of technique and musicality are best wedded. Biss is an intelligent, articulate and communicative pianist as his subsequent recordings and performances have proved. This CD may have been a 'beginning' but it is one that belongs in the libraries of all lovers of superb piano performances. Grady Harp, February 08

Biss is not bliss
My wife and I heard Jonathan Biss recently perform with The Cleveland Orchestra. We thought his performance was outstanding. Thus my desire to purchase this CD. I am disappointed, however, with the CD. Good, but not extraordinary. Too much pedal, runs not precise in some cases. I would think he and his agent would not want to muddy his image by distributing performances that are not as good as he can be.

An auspicious debut, but Biss quickly got even better
This 2005 debut recording from Jonathan Biss immediately displays authority, self-confidence, and a whirlwind technique. In the two years since its release the young American pianist has gone on to much better things, however, and therefore I'd rate this the least of his current output. To me, he feels impatient and overly explosive in the 'Appassionata' -- he comes close to banging. The clattery moments mar a reading that otherwise shows real stature -- Biss's later CD of four Beethoven sonatas displays more maturity. The Beethoven Fantasy deserves its obscurity -- it's a rackety, sprawling faux improvisation with too many outbursts and too little genuine inspiration. Schumann is another great strength of Biss's, but I am prejudiced against the Davidsbundlertanze, which provides too many similar segments and no overall unity -- Biss clearly relishes the work, however, and throws himself into it, perhaps too crashingly at ties. In sum, despite his enormous gifts, I think Biss makes the same mistake as many yo9ung pianists given their first big break. He wants to convince us with might and main that he deserves to be heard. Frankly, he didn't have to try quite so hard. EMI's close-up, raucous piano sound doesn't help.

Fine Beethoven and Schumann from Biss
Jonathan Biss is yet another young pianist who has been garnering rave reviews for his playing, and here, in his CD debut, he shows why. Much to his credit, this fine CD opens with a glistening performance of the Beethoven Fantasy, replete with Biss' technically proficient, rhapsodic playing. His Schumann is some of the best I have heard in a while, played with ample expression and technical brilliance, showing why he deserves to be regarded as among our finest contemporary concert pianists. His version of Beethoven's Appassionata won't persuade me to overlook superb versions I have heard from the likes of Ashkenazy, Brendel and Kempff, however, to his credit, it is a fine performance in his own right (Though I concur with another customer review that the fourth movement isn't nearly as dramatic as it could be.). Judging from this recording, Biss should have a long, distinguished career as an interpreter of Beethoven and Schumann.