There’s nothing remotely “Impromptu” about Tzimon Barto’s Schubert Impromptus, where nearly every phrase is vulgarly over-articulated, over-stressed, dynamically exaggerated, and underlined in multi-colored ink, as if the composer couldn’t speak for himself. Inner voices pop up like disembodied fun-house faces, accompaniments sometimes stick out for their own sake, and forget about consistent pulse and rhythmic flow. Actually, there are two exceptions: both the E-flat Impromptu and F minor Moment Musical move steadily, although Barto rewrites Schubert’s dynamics. But listen to his boorish clipping of phrase ends throughout the A-flat Impromptu, or notice the dynamic hairpins in the C major Moment Musical that belabor the obvious. A seasickness pill ought to have been included with Barto’s lurching rendition of the famous F minor. The G major sonata offers more of the same swooning and strutting. But wait, I’ve saved the worst for last!
Have you harbored a perverse desire to hear the sublime G-flat Impromptu stretched to 12 minutes and 14 seconds? In other words, two times as long as most recordings (many of which ignore Schubert’s alla breve indication)? Well then, you’ve come to the right party disc, and I dare you to sit through it without breaking down and begging for mercy. Give Barto credit for having the technique and the tonal resources to execute his warped musical concepts (and I use the word “musical” carelessly!), but don’t dignify them by investing your hard-earned cash with an interpretive swindler. Schubert need not turn over in his grave on account of this two-disc set, now that Barto has rendered him thoroughly “decomposed”. [5/19/2010]
