Jascha Spivakovsky plays Schumann Carnaval Op.9
Ukrainian-born pianist Jascha Spivakovsky, who didn't release a single solo recording during his lifetime, in a 1954 radio broadcast of Schumann's Carnaval Op.9.
This Melbourne radio performance captures the pianist's lyrical Romantic phrasing, fiery temperament, and natural sense of timing to perfection. He uses adjustments to articulation, timing, dynamics, and tonal colour to capture the mood in varied work in the suite, be it whimsical, contemplative, mournful, or impassioned. His towering treatment of Sphinxes (beginning at 10:42) - a section not played by all pianists - is particularly remarkable for its rumbling bass that nevertheless sustains a transparent texture.
An amusing side-note: the radio studio was clearly not properly soundproofed and one can hear what sounds like car horns in the background on a few occasions.