Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 18 in G Major, D. 894; Piano Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959

Chronique

David Korevaar's first album of piano music by Franz Schubert offers the Piano Sonata No. 18 in G major, D. 894, and the Piano Sonata No. 20 in A major, D. 959, played with the clarity and sensitivity required in these transcendent late works. Recorded in 2014 at the Grusin Music Hall at the University of Colorado, these performances have a heightened presence and the clean ambient sound needed to appreciate the finest details of dynamics, phrasing, touch, and tone color that Korevaar brings to the music, without the distracting background sounds that often attend recital hall recordings. The warmth of the music and the soothing flow of Korevaar's polished playing make this an attractive CD that any listener can appreciate, though the care that went into the playing and the recording suggests that Korevaar was striving for something deeper and richer than making a pleasant album. Schubert's final works in this intensely personal genre inspire complex emotions, and Korevaar has found the inner resources to convey not only the lyricism and energy of the late sonatas, but also the enigmatic and tragic undercurrents that give the music its tension. Korevaar's readings are compelling and ultimately moving, so one hopes that this is just the first of many Schubert recordings to come from him.
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