On the basis of Elisabeth Leonskaja’s fine Schubert recordings for Teldec, this release (with one exception) is something of a letdown. Leonskaja takes broader than usual strides through the E-flat minor Klavierstücke’s driving triplets, softening their propulsion with superfluous ritards. A more dynamic approach to the final C major piece would have enlivened the ingenuous syncopations. Klavierstücke No. 2 is stylish and secure, although I prefer Konstantin Lifschitz’s faster, more transparent treatment of the main theme and Pollini’s greater sense of inflection and drama.
Leonskaja’s “old school” gearshifts, breath pauses, and lingerings throughout the A major sonata are executed with sincerity and authority but are not to my taste, despite her care shaping bass lines and her admirable energy in the finale’s climactic sections. Pianists such as Richter and Fleisher have proven that you can reveal all of this sonata’s charm and melodic freshness with more expressive economy.
Nor do I care for Leonskaja’s prim little holdbacks and pecked-at articulation in the B-flat Scherzo, yet her timing and phrasing are right on the money in the companion D-flat major piece. Heard on its own, Leonskaja’s pliant, purposeful interpretation of the C minor Allegretto satisfies, yet it lacks the tonal distinction and lyrical depth that distinguish Arrau, Goode, and Richter. How strange, because on the disc’s final track, Leonskaja floats the E major Adagio’s sublime melody to high heaven, surrounding it with ethereal trills and runs in the higher registers that transcend MDG’s slightly metallic sonics. So there we have it: one drop-dead gorgeous performance preceded by 75 largely unmemorable minutes.
