This previously unissued live recital from Hilversum (February 14, 1952) unfortunately comes in fluffy, veiled, hiss-ridden sound. The transfers were made from acetates, and it was probably impossible to clean the material further without altering the musical content. Clara Haskil is more celebrated for her musicianship than for the solidity of her technique. While she establishes a unique, intimate atmosphere for each piece, her technical limits sometimes disturbingly interrupt the musical continuity with holes and occasional wrong notes. This is a minor reservation, but a reservation nonetheless. The Bach Toccata in E minor has grandeur and fervor, as opposed to the bouquet-like delicacy of Schumann’s Bunte Blätter. The two main dishes of the recital, however, are Haydn’s D major Sonata (the only known recording of this piece by Haskil) and the B-flat Sonata D. 960 by Schubert. Haskil’s Haydn is distinguished by its humor and by the pianist’s flashy touch and appropriate dose of gravity in the Largo. Haskil’s sincerity and uncompromising approach give her performance of Schubert’s last Sonata an aura of sadness and resignation that never indulges in sentimentality. This is a beautifully expressive reading that deserves better sound.
