Appearing on CD for the first time, these two Schubert sonata interpretations tell a tale of two Serkins. The B-flat Opus Posthumous sonata was recorded in 1975 in the pianist’s home studio (his live 1977 remake from Carnegie Hall awaits its CD debut). Digital remastering hasn’t softened the dry, somewhat harsh sound quality I hear from my not-too-well preserved vinyl copy. Still, it reveals a greater degree of tonal heft and inflection to the pianist’s softer playing. As a consequence, Serkin’s firmly held tempos in the outer movements seem far less ascetic and rigid than they did on LP. Serkin’s 72-year-old fingers may not toss off the Scherzo with the poise and lightness of his younger self, yet his unusual elongation of the Scherzo’s sforzandos in the Trio intrigues me. As in Leon Fleisher’s sublime comeback recording, Serkin illuminates the Andante sostenuto’s songful tension with carefully orchestrated dynamics and by keeping accompanying figures rock steady. There’s no question that every note smacks of fierce commitment and authentic feeling, although more warmth, poetry, and rippling calm can be gleaned from the aforementioned versions by Fleisher, Lupu, Kempff, Uchida, and Perahia–or Goode and Curzon, for those who can do without the exposition repeat.
However, Serkin is on peak technical and musical form in his 1955 recording of the C major D. 840 sonata’s two completed movements. The pianist’s variations of touch in regard to Schubert’s frequent repeated phrases, reiterated chords, and stark unison or single-note lines creates a vibrant, expressive landscape without drawing undue attention. Although Serkin’s tempos are on the brisk side, it’s not so much his speed as the concentrated force of his inner rhythm that draws you in. Annotator André Tubeuf knows his Serkin discography and chronology cold, but his flowery, obtuse prose (at least in English translation) is hard to digest, let alone take seriously.
