Piano Works

All the previous reviews have been by fans who find this Schumann program from Nelson Freire self-recommending. I approached it not having heard Freire in decades. Here he is from 2002, in his late fifties, playing on a vintage Steinway in Milan. At first the instrument gave me pause. Decca found an exquisite modern piano for Freire's Chopin, but the timbre of this one is buzzy when the strings are struck hard, and there's not the rich fullness I'd hoped to hear. But those considerations are minor and rarely figure when Freire plays softly. The real success here is Freire's bold, extrovert Carnaval. Schumann's piano writing invites pianists to express themselves freely with plentiful rubato, romantic rhapsodizing, and strong contrasts between light and dark. But Carnaval is essentially joyous and vibrant all the way through, with a few excusions into limpid lyricism. Freire is very free with tempos, and he has Richter's habit of leaning impatiently into the line, which can be quite exciting. Carnaval suits this approach; the result is one of the most vital readings I've heard in a long time, totally free of fussiness, seemingly improvised on the spot. (If only he had slowed down and been more tender in the portrait of Chopin, no. 12.) But Papillons and Kinderszenen are not quite as compelling. Leaning constantly into the tempo makes both cycles feel restless and ungrounded. I didn't get the impression that Freire was paying enough attention to each individual number, nor was he willing to change his style to suit their differences -- everything becomes free form and slightly pushed. But that's not to cite any faults; I imagine my interest would be rekindled if I weren't listening to the whole CD at one sitting. If you want a superb Carnaval that sounds different Michelangeli's and Uchida's (to name two personal favorites), and which avoids Kissin's heaviness and Kempff's brittleness (to name two non-favorites), Freire is a lovely alternative.

wonderful, a latter-day Schnabel.

Today the great Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire is turning 69. With a hugely acclaimed international career spanning more than 50 years, Freire continues to delight audiences world-wide in stunning live performances and on fabulous recordings as well. It is an obvious fact that he favours mostly the romantic repertoire, with a special affinity for Chopin, Schumann and Liszt. His pianistic technique of great finesse and an exquisite musicality entitles Freire to approach pieces from the inside, not merely interpreting them but living them with a deep insight and refined feeling. It’s the case with this CD where Freire offers a seductive reading of Schumann’s miniature cycles Carnaval op.9, Papillons op.2 and Kinderszenen op.15, along with Arabeske op.18. Released a decade ago, this stands as a benchmark in Schumann piano recordings catalogue. Don’t hesitate to acquire this five-star CD to celebrate one of the foremost musicians of our time! Happy birthday, Nelson Freire!

For some reason, playing Schumann well seems to escape a lot of otherwise great pianists. Too often these pieces are played brusquely and hurriedly making for a jarring listening experience. So I felt I was taking a risk when I picked this up because I wanted a performance of the Kinderszenen and this CD was on sale. I was previously unfamiliar with Nelson Freire. Well sometimes risk pays off handsomely. Mr. Freire turns out to be a master of Schumann interpretation. He sees the delicacy and beauty in all of these works and it makes for a very enjoyable listen. In his hands, Schumann easily comes off as an equal to Chopin for piano composition among his Romantic contemporaries. The recorded performance on the Steinway is reference quality. Although these works differ thematically, what they have in common is that they are each made up of multiple short (typically 40 seconds) vignettes, so this really foreshadows Impressionism. I'm not quite as keen on the Papillons as on the Carnaval and the Kinderszenen, but that's just my personal taste. For thoroughly convincing performances of all of these lovely works, look no further.

Nelson Freire, the Brazilian pianist, is recognized as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. His recent recordings will allow him to accumulate the recognition that he deserves. That he deserves recognition is clear in his interpretation and performance of Carnaval, Papillons, Kinderszenen, and Arabesque. I especially appreciated these performances because they reflected the phrasing and tempo of my own attempts to play them. I feel comfortable in stating that you will find no better interpretations or performances of Schumann's piano music than those on this CD.

This Cd contains Carnaval, Pappillons, Kinderzenen and Arabeske, all Schumann works. Nelson Freire plays every single note with emotion and technical control like no other pianist --although the Kempff interpretation of the "Scenes of Childhood" is very delicate and emotive. If you want a beautiful record of this pieces, your search is over: buy immediately this wonderful disc.

The great Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire is superb. His touch is a mix of Horowitz, Rubinstein and Novaes, three pianists who he loves. His Schumann is adorable, the Papillon, the Kinderszenen, the Arabeske, specially the Carnaval Op. 09. He is one of the best pianists of our time." Mr. Freire, my congratulations!"