NORTHERN ECHO 25 August 2001:

Divine Art, the South Shields-based record company has been bringing out some excellent solo piano discs in recent months. The latest promises to be the start of all Schubert’s music for solo piano. The first two discs include Impromptus D935, the Sonatas D960, 665 and 894 plus the great “Wanderer” Fantasy. Anthony Goldstone brings a nice sense of shape and flow to the music. Perhaps not with the raptness of a Brendel or Schiff, but still very imaginative and enjoyable. * * * *

Dave Robson

AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE Sept/Oct 2001:

The British pianist Anthony Goldstone has an affinity for Schubert; with his wife Caroline Clemmow, he has recorded the complete four-hand works, and here he offers a number of the solo pieces. At first I thought his performances were rather blunt and unfeeling, and I still think that’s the case, but the more I listened the more I was impressed by his sound technique, linear clarity and solid musical structures. He misses some things –for instance, others make more of the question-and-answer passages in Impromptu no.1 and probe more deeply into the underlying pathos of the Adagio of Sonata in B-flat – but his sincere and straightforward performances are rewarding on their own terms.

MORIN

BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE October 2001:

"After Richter, both Anthony Goldstone [and Nikolaus Lahusen] seem pretty ordinary, as would almost any other pianist....Goldstone's two-disc recital will give pleasure to those who like their Schubert presented with no-nonsense directness. For me though, these robust, clear-eyed performances underplay the vernal tenderness of the "little" A major - here too emphatically projected- and the contemplative ecstasy that lies at the core of the B flat and G major sonatas "

Performance *** Sound ****

Richard Wigmore

Federation of Recorded Music Societies Bulletin, Autumn, 2001:

Anthony Goldstone is one of Britain’s leading pianists and is a sixth-generation pupil of Beethoven who has always felt a special affinity to the music of Schubert. He has recently finished a seven-CD cycle of all of Schubert’s four-hand piano works with his wife Caroline Clemmow. Having now been playing for more than fifty years he decided to record his views of Schubert’s great solo works to disc.

This is a field which has been very well served with pianists like Wilhelm Kempff, Alfred Brendel, Clifford Curzon and Mitsuko Uchida all having made excellent recordings of this repertoire. It says much for Anthony Goldstone that his stands up very well to this competition. Like all very good players he has his own style which is not identical to others. For my taste he has a lot to offer and I believe most would be delighted with these new recordings.

The Allegretto in C minor is a short and relatively less well known work which offers a fascinating mix, so common with Schubert, of intensity and tenderness. The second set of Four Impromptus, although not quite so well known as the first set is a wonderful composition which as played here could almost be a single sonata. Listeners by now will have grasped the main characteristics of Goldstone’s playing. Tempi are slightly on the fast side (probably historically correct) with plenty of dynamic range (but not to extremes). His technique is very good but unlike some pianists you end up by thinking “what wonderful music Schubert has written…” not “ what a marvellous technique this pianist has…” – praise indeed! Even in slow passages he does not use the modern gimmick of gaining tension by playing so slowly that you wonder if and when the next note will arrive.

The astonishing Sonata D.960, completed two months before he died, is probably Schubert’s greatest piano work and receives an appropriately intense and stimulating performance by Goldstone. Incidentally Goldstone has written his own (very good) notes for the set and he gives the very good advice that the listener may well wish to take an interval before the main sonata which concludes each disc. The second disc starts with the earlier Sonata D.664 which with its delightful melodies and fast waltz-like finale shows Schubert at his happiest. The famous “Wanderer” Fantasie (which apparently defeated Schubert the pianist) is given an extraordinarily brilliant performance by Goldstone (who describes the work as a “musical super-organism”). The last work is the D.894 Sonata which is rather special with its mellow cantabile first movement and serene slow movement which give great joy to the listener. Altogether this is an excellent set which is well recorded and well presented which can be fully recommended.

Arthur Baker

Fanfare, Nov/Dec 2001:

On my first traversal of this mostly very successful set, I began at what turned out to be the wrong end. A glance at the timings accompanying the track listing had me wondering how on earth one could play the first movement of the G Major Sonata in 10:57,and I was eager to find out. This - bear in mind - is a movement that takes 26:51 in Richter's admittedly sui generis interpretation, 18:42 on the Edelweiss disc by Daniel Levy that I praised warmly , 17:16 in Brendel's 1988 Philips recording and 16:56 in Lupu's Decca/London version. Of course, one way of reducing the duration is to omit the repeat, which Brendel has done in his more recent live recording, but even there the movement still takes 12:31.

A timing of 10:57, then, seemed pretty extreme. I am bound to say that, when I listened to Anthony Goldstone's performance, it did not actually sound rushed. There is a naturalness about the veteran Englishman's playing, an ease in the ebb and flow of his rubato, that convinces even when one does not necessarily agree with some of his decisions regarding tempo and other matters. At the same time, I find a certain shallowness in the piano tone, at least as recorded here, and the music in consequence sounds one-dimensional and lacking in mystery.

So far as this particular sonata is concerned, then it seems to me that if you take a piece of music that is intrinsically hypnotic and try to wake it up a bit, the result is bound to lose character. Happily, however, as I went through the rest of the set, the playing - and even the recorded sound - became more and more persuasive. The little A Major Sonata, D. 664, is charmingly done (and incidentally, aside from that instance in the G Major work, all repeats except in scherzo da capos are observed throughout the set). The Wanderer Fantasy, the C Minor Allegretto, and the ravishing second set of Impromptus all receive deeply sympathetic performances, especially eloquent in the dreamlike crossed-hands passages of the first Impromptu.

The great last sonata, too, is finely played, with a freedom of pulse that ensures vitality without ever going beyond reasonable stylistic bounds. Whether the first movement at Goldstone's pace - the timing is 18:04 - can really called "Molto Moderato" is open to question, and the silences around measure 94 are perhaps clipped a trifle short, but this is thoughtful and often touchingly beautiful music-making. It does not, for all that, supplant Stephen Hough's wonderful Hyperion performance as my own favourite among current versions of the Sonata. Goldstone's slow movement flows finely, but Hough captures the music's processional quality more comprehensively; Hough, too, takes more seriously the delicatezza of the scherzo, at the start of which Goldstone is hardly pp (though Goldstone's accents in the trio are particularly effective), and in the finale the sense of hesitancy that Hough evokes until the music finally settles down into its main tonality is a profoundly perceptive touch.

In sum, a few shortcomings aside, the Goldstone set is an achievement that it would be niggardly to describe as merely worthy. This is a compelling presentation of Schubert's almost impossibly lovely piano music, and I look forward to further instalments with lively interest.

Bernard Jacobson

International Piano, Nov/Dec 2001:

Listeners to these discs may well find themselves asking how it is that Anthony Goldstone can play this well and not be better known. On this evidence he is a Schubertian of the first rank, combining in equal measure the qualities of imagination, intellectual grasp and alert keyboard command necessary in that composer's elusive mature style.

Now in his late fifties, the Liverpudlian Goldstone has had a long relationship with these works, and in committing them to disc he has initiated a project distinguished by a determined individuality and a dedication to the spirit of the composer. Each disc is designed effectively as a balanced recital programme culminating in one of the last sonatas.

Goldstone's playing is at once personal, flexible and spontaneous. He allows himself a fair degree of rubato at times, but balances this with an overarching concern for the architecture of the work with the result that everything fits perfectly into place. His choice of tempi is mostly excellent, with ideas allowed plenty of space to develop whilst not becoming sluggish and room for variation of tone-colour and voicing that is often very beautiful.

My only sight disappointment was that he did not find a better edition of the Wanderer Fantasy; hence the classic misprints of the first edition, such as the missing chord at 2:30 in the first movement, and, much more seriously, the missing D natural immediately before the Presto, are writ large for all to hear. Here, too, Goldstone's approach at times stops short of the ease of the true virtuoso, although what he does is always elegant and never less than artistically successful.

However, in the remaining works Goldstone is at his best, playing with a naturalness that sounds as if we are eavesdropping on private music-making. His readings of the two late sonatas are most distinguished, with a spiritual focus that lifts them above the ordinary. The warmth with which he approached the slow movements is particularly notable, with that of the B flat sonata in particular receiving a performance that shows a profound understanding of its multi-faceted structure. Goldstone is perhaps more viscerally human in this music than more "intellectual" and restrained artists such as András Schiff, but this is a quality that certainly should not count against him; it is simply the outcome of the natural exuberance of his art. You would certainly have to make a conscious effort in order not to enjoy the charm with which he displays the myriad twists and turns of the finale of the G major sonata, or the variations of the B flat Impromptu. At the same time, he is alive to the suggestions of tragedy hidden beyond the surface despite taking a less bleak attitude to the B flat sonata than some (notably Kovacevich).

All lovers of Schubert will want several versions of these works, but I would suggest that Goldstone's are among the most generally recommendable and make for a thoroughly rewarding listening experience.

John Kersey

(The Schubertian), November 2001:

Goldstone reminds us in his own sleeve notes that Schubert's productivity was quite 'miraculous', and as if to prove the point, this double CD set comprises a generous two-and-a-half hours of favourite Schubert piano music. The format is reminiscent of an unusually long recital, and the feeling is also that of a live recreation of the music.

Like any critical audience, we may not always agree with details of Goldstone's interpretation, but he is a dedicated Schubertian and has decided it is time to 'commit his views of the great solo works to disc'.

All the works here have been recorded many times over, of course, and we set high standards; two items satisfy the highest standards without qualification. Goldstone's account of the 'Wanderer' Fantasy is distinguished by a fine sense of overall structure, technical brilliance and absolute clarity. It is rare to hear every note in this very demanding piece, and Goldstone achieves this feat by sensibly chosen and flexible tempi, and by a discrete use of the sustaining pedal. The forward impetus of the piece, given by the rhythmic figure which dominates each section, is not affected.

There is tremendous drive in the outer sections, a lyrical fluency in the Adagio section and an unrestrained spirit of the dance in the third Presto section.

For me, the most enjoyable of the sonatas on this disc was the G major (D894). Whereas the 'Wanderer' Fantasy is a tight-knit construction, the G major Sonata contains four fairly disparate movements, and under the hands of a lesser pianist can prove intractable. It is Goldstone's achievement to present this piece as a convincing single item, as a contrast in moods, a whole which is finally greater than its constituents, despite his individual characterisations of each movement.

There is much to enjoy in the rest of this recital too, although I feel that Goldstone has a tendency to excessive rubato, particularly in slow movements. This can be effective in live recital, but may pall on repeated hearing. The Allegretto in C minor, a simple and wistful piece, seemed suffocated by the pianist's exaggeration of nuance. I found the flexibility of tempo in the first Impromptu of D935 excessive, but the sprung articulation of the fourth Impromptu, in which Goldstone recognises the Bohemian 'Furiant', was exhilarating. The final sonata in B flat is here a full four minutes shorter than any other recording I have on CD; the slow movement, played Andante but hardly sostenuto, lacked magic, although the final two movements were

again exciting. It must be added that the piano sound is very good, enhancing the sense of personal communication between pianist and listener.

Paul Reid

MusicWeb:

Excellent sound and beautiful, well-shaped performances of admirable elegance and supreme style. If you like Schubert you can but love these discs.

The Allegretto is a pretty tune but it is nothing else. It is played with loving devotion, expertly judged nuances but, as Arthur Rubinstein said "The only thing in its favour is its brevity."

The Impromptus are also superbly played but the music is full of repetition, tedious clichés, predictable harmonies and there is no real or substantial contrast or drama, no tension, no satisfactory form or logic just the same main theme chuntered out time and time again. For me, this makes the music over-blown and tedious. Well might my critics say that the melodies are glorious. Yes, I will agree but there is little else and this is one of the many reasons why I do not like Schubert. He could say all his thematic material in a third of the time he expends on these impromptus and that complaint can be made of much of his work. It has been said by many musicians that Schubert's music is inconsequential but excellent background music; not good enough to pay attention to. Be that as it may. Once you have heard the tune ten times in each piece you get fed up with it. Neither do I like Schubert's vamping style and Alfred Cortot said the same so I am in good company.

This music is like Jane Austen novels. They may have a charm but nothing of any real consequence happens whereas, by contrast, in Charles Dickens, and in the great Beethoven, things do happen.

The Second Impromptu highlights my case. The tune, although very slightly varied, is played eight times in the first minute, twelve times in two minutes and sixteen times in the first three minutes. This over-saturation is very boring and makes me quake at the designation that Schubert wrote masterworks which, I presume, is another way of saying 'masterpieces'. This reminds me of the end of Britten's War Requiem where two men sing to each other, Let us sleep now non-stop for the last four minutes. Pop musicians, if we can call them that, do it all the time. The pop group Blur, who certainly need lessons in diction, have a song with the repeated phrase 'In the country' sung thirty six times in about three minutes to the same melodic line. Absolutely awful!

Hello ..., five minutes into this Second Impromptu and what have we got? That same tune and.. guess what? ... it is repeated time and time again.

The Third Impromptu has a main theme, again slightly varied, which comes eight times in succession in a minute. Now, is that excessive or not? The theme is flogged to death but won't lie down. The music is lightweight but this could be said of much of Schubert's music

The Fourth Impromptu may be the best of the bunch. It has a scherzo flavour but all the many faults that I have already mentioned are still there.

The Sonata in B flat is the same vein. The opening movement is far too long to sustain the scant material at 18 minutes and the constant repetitions are really tedious. If you can put up with all these endless repetitions then you will enjoy this superior performance. The main theme is a good one and Goldstone has the ideal interpretation. The variety he brings to the theme does a great deal to ease ennui but what is so tellingly obvious is his love for this music. You won't find a better champion. His fingerwork and integration makes the piece bearable. Again, the sound quality is excellent.

Richter used to play Schubert in concerts very slowly and with all the lights out! He was a really eccentric player. I remember his making a first movement of a Schubert sonata 29 minutes long. Ugh! In the D major sonata, not on these discs, he made the passage of nothing but broken chords over seven minutes long! Really dreadful!

The second movement of the B flat sonata bored me to frustration and always has. The scherzo and trio benefit from brevity, if I can use Rubinstein's phrase and the finale is lightweight although Goldstone does his utmost to maintain interest.

The D major Sonata has a very good theme but guess what Schubert does to it? Yes, you've got it in one. It is done to death like a meal that has been in the oven too long. The melody keeps recurring as do Schubert's other devices but where is the drama, the tension, the contrast, the counterpoint, the clever modulations that one finds in Beethoven, the melodic variation, imitation and how many times does that tune appear in ten minutes? I have lost count.

The Andante left me cold and with the desire that it would hurry up and end. It reminded me of that wonderful story when Sir Alexander Gibson took his young son to see him conduct Elgar's Second Symphony. After the concert, Sandy asked his son if he thought the Elgar was too long.

The reply was, "Ach, nae, Daddy. It were nae too long. It just seemed too long!"

To return to the Schubert. The finale has a slight scherzo feel but is so typically Schubertian lightweight material. The quasi-waltz style was infuriatingly banal. One expects sonatas to have depth and purpose.

The Wanderer Fantasy is well-named and epitomises Schubert. It wanders and keeps coming back to the same signpost, the main theme. It has a good theme, a splendid signpost as it were, but we walk a few yards and come back to the same signpost to seek direction. It really is very tedious!

The G major Sonata should not receive any comment from me. I have used restraint and tried to be positive. But this piece is simply a waste of space and time. I would rather watch paint dry on a lovely summer's day. Listening to this sonata filled me with ire. It is an unmitigating bore. However, I do know people who love it and I respect them for it.

But... .Mr Goldstone is really superb.

Perhaps these discs should not have been sent to me for review. Nonetheless I have to be honest.

In Murray Schafer's book 'British Composers in Interview' one composer reminds us that Schubert wrote a theme several times in succession, left empty bars, wrote the theme again, left empty bars and so on, filling them in later. Rather like laying the footings of a new house and then building and fitting the roof before the walls etc. Daft!

David Wright