AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE:
Schubert's sonatas require some difficult decisions on the part of the pianist. First there is the question of whether to include all of the repeats or not? Some of the works, in less than capable hands, do seem to go on forever. Also, there is the tempo conundrum. No less a pianist than Richter often favored stretching some of the movements out to "heavenly lengths".

British pianist Anthony Goldstone has carefully considered all of his options and in this, the last of his Schubert Piano Masterworks series, can never be accused of "snail's pace" lingering. As to the matter of repeats, he tends to leave several out in favor of moving the music along. He also has expanded the Sonata in C, D 840 by completing two additional movements so that the torso becomes a complete work in four movements. And it works.

The A-minor Sonata, D 845 and the Sonata in D, D 850 are both given outstanding readings that easily compete with the best available. There is both joy and elation to the interpretations--and an intensity and natural flow that is not always easy to achieve.

The first set of impromptus (D 899) is easily the more popular of the two sets. Goldstone, while not erasing memories of Perahia, Pires, or Uchida, does almost as well and handles the lyrical elements with flowing ease. The 'Diabelli Variation', an Allegretto in C minor, D 900 (imaginatively completed by Goldstone), and the 'Landler', D 366 complete a recital that cannot be praised too highly. Since Divine Art offers the two discs for the price of one, Schubert lovers will know how to proceed.
"ARC"

Anthony Goldstone’s performances have been within my comfort zone from the first listening of Volume 1 through to the recent distribution of Volume 3. Perhaps what turns some reviewers off at first is the stark soundstage. This has an extremely wide dynamic range and is open to every detail and ounce of emphasis offered by Goldstone whose own dynamic spectrum is much wider than the norm. This soundstage is just perfect for my listening tastes but might take a while for some others to adjust to.

As for Goldstone, he acquits himself splendidly as would be expected from his two earlier volumes. He consistently conveys the continuity of Schubert’s singing lines and the inherent sparkle and playfulness so crucial to this composer’s music. Even better, there are times such as in the Four Impromptus where he mines the music for its power, clarity, drama, and impetuosity. When using this stunning approach, Goldstone reaches a high point of distinction among the many pianists who have recorded these works.

Here are some highlights of my journey through Volume 3:

Four Impromptus, D. 899 – From the powerful initial chord of the C minor, it is evident that Goldstone is not going to hold back his reserves of strength. He doesn’t see the work as a pretty ornament to entice listeners, but as a declaration of emotional angst set against some of the loveliest musical passages Schubert ever created. Goldstone’s assertive approach will either leave listeners aghast or emotionally spent.

The Impromptu in E flat major is one of my favorite Schubert pieces mainly because of the stunning contrasts between the first and middle sections. In the first section, the glittering and speedy right-hand melody distributes power throughout the spectrum. In the middle section, both hands concentrate a tremendous weight of energy in the emotional core [cd 1 tr. 3 1.12]. This is muscular music at its peak, and the Sviatoslav Richter version from his famous Sofia recital on Philips demonstrates the sheer power, tension and unpredictability of the music. Goldstone is very much in the Richter mode with impetuous force always around the corner. Simply judging from their performances, Richter and Goldstone are two guys you don’t want to mess with.

Radu Lupu’s performance for Decca of the Impromptu in G flat major has always impressed me with the beauty and caressing nature of its first section. Lupu’s approach does not interest Goldstone who uses the first section to set the table for the turbulent middle section in E flat minor. Although missing Lupu’s sublime elements, the tension Goldstone imparts to the first section makes the desperation in the middle section a natural response more than in any other version I know. Goldstone’s hammer-like blows demand one’s attention, but you might want to stay close to the volume control.

Sonata in A minor, D. 845 - Although I was initially disappointed that Goldstone isn’t quite as virile in the A minor as in the Impromptus, his performance is certainly a fine one. He fully captures the delicate and playful elements inherent in the score, and his rhythmic flow consistently registers Schubert’s cantabile line as amply demonstrated in his gently rocking 3 rd Movement Trio [cd 1 tr. 8 3:34]. His version of the A minor compares well with the exceptional Imogen Cooper on Ottavo, Goldstone being more assertive and Cooper more delicate and sparkling.

Sonata in C major, D. 840 – This work, having the title "Reliquie" because it was mistakenly considered Schubert’s last composition when it was published in 1861, has an interesting history. Schubert never did complete his 3 rd and 4 th Movements, breaking off the 3 rd after 80 bars and the 4 th after 120 bars. Pianists have resolved the matter by only playing the first two Movements, playing the score as left by Schubert, or completing the last two Movements themselves. Actually, there is one pianist I know who uses the most extreme solution; John Damgaard discards the C major entirely in his box set of all of Schubert’s Piano Sonatas released on ClassicO. That is one stingy solution that is difficult to overlook in a ‘complete’ set of the Schubert Sonatas.

Of the above alternatives, I favor the playing of the score as left by Schubert, and I couldn’t ask for a better guide to the work than Sviatoslav Richter’s version on Philips that is one of the great Schubert recordings of the 20 th Century. He stretches the 1 st Movement Moderato to over twenty-two minutes in a transcendent display of the ability to keep interest at heightened levels and convey the sublime comfort and assurance that is so prevalent in Schubert’s compositions. As for the remainder of the C major, Richter keeps letting us know that he is the king of Schubert’s cantabile lines.

Goldstone takes the 1 st Movement like a speed-demon compared to Richter whose assurance and comfort are replaced with edginess and worry. Goldstone executes his approach expertly, but I sorely miss that feeling of ‘home’ that Richter offers. Goldstone’s completions of the final two Movements are idiomatic and compare well to those by Ernst Krenek and Paul Badura-Skoda. Overall, Goldstone gives us another excellent performance, but Richter remains unchallenged.

Sonata in D major, D. 850 – A radiant and upbeat work, Schubert wrote his D major while on a pleasant holiday vacation to the countryside. The exuberant 1 st Movement Allegro vivace is given a particularly wonderful reading by Goldstone whose playful and impetuous personality makes this the version of choice. I especially love the passage where Goldstone displays great vitality and enthusiasm without a care in the world through a sparkling traversal into Schubert’s shimmering lines [cd 2 tr. 7 1:18].

Smaller Works – Of the three lesser-known works on the program, Schubert’s Diabelli Variation is the most interesting. For those not familiar with its history, the story begins with the composer and publisher Anton Diabelli (1781-1858) who wrote a slight and rather insipid waltz theme. Subsequently, Diabelli reached out to a large group of other composers, asking each to compose one variation on his theme. Schubert’s contribution is on Goldstone’s program and it is a very enjoyable one-minute piece.

I suppose that to mention Diabelli’s Variation without bringing up Ludwig van Beethoven’s contributions would represent heresy. Beethoven could have supplied a variation to Diabelli, but instead he publicly ridiculed the music and Diabelli’s request. However, Beethoven was a crafty fellow, and he secretly wrote one of the greatest variation works of Western Civilization famously known as the Diabelli Variations. Never much of a ‘joiner’, Beethoven preferred to establish his own path and leave others in his wake. I wouldn’t suggest that Schubert’s little contribution to Diabelli approaches the quality of Beethoven’s majestic work, but it would have fit nicely in Beethoven’s schematic.

In conclusion, outstanding sound, and performances never less than excellent, round out Anthony Goldstone’s series of Schubert’s piano masterworks. Perhaps not quite as compelling as Richter or Brendel, Goldstone holds his own with the exceptional recordings by Kempff, Uchida and Cooper. An additional plus is that each of the 2CD sets can be had for just the price of one premium disc. I heartily recommend that Schubert piano enthusiasts find a spot in their music libraries for Mr. Goldstone.
Don Satz

FEDERATION OF RECORDED MUSIC SOCIETIES BULLETIN:
This double set is the third and final exploration of Schubert’s masterpieces of piano compositions. Goldstone is a Schubert pianist of exceptional ability, who clearly loves and understands the composer. His notes on the music illuminate it and are of the highest standard.

The first disc opens with Seventeen Ländler, D.366 which illustrates how a trivial dance form in Schubert’s hands is transformed into an art form – he was the first compose to compose waltz melodies in a minor key thus introducing an element of wistfulness to a happy dance form. Goldstone follows this with a magnificent performance of the famous Four Impromptus, D.899. The disc finishes with a performance of the D.845 Sonata which was dedicated to the Archduke Rudolf – this is an early example of the piano sonatas of maturity; this is a felicitous work which even includes a motif in the finale which bears an uncanny resemblance to the famous 24 th Paganini Caprice for violin (yet to be written).

Disc 2 opens with a performance of the quirky Allegretto in C minor, D.900 (completed by Goldstone) – a fascinating novelty. This is followed by Schubert’s Diabelli Variation from the original collection of 50 by different composers. The Schubert offering was, typically, the only variation in the minor mode which gave it a special pathos. The Sonata in C major, D.840 (Reliquie) follows – this is presented here as completed by Goldstone and it is a most unusual work, full of experimental effects which make it one of Schubert’s strangest works. The last piece on the disc is the Sonata in D major, D.850 which is one of Schubert’s happiest works, written whilst on a country holiday. Anthony Goldstone writes “Schubert was surely the greatest miracle in Western music”. Not all will agree, but no one has presented better advocacy as in the beautifully played and presented set of which this is the third and final part. Recommended without reservation.
Arthur Baker

GLASGOW HERALD:
I must confess an increasing admiration for the playing of pianist Anthony
Goldstone. The final volume in the series of Schubert's piano music continues to
reveal new depths to his playing. There is a refreshing, almost down-to-earth
quality in Goldstone's musicianship which leaves it free of pretension,
artificial poeticism, or over-dramatisation. The resulting naturalistic quality of
pianism benefits the music, it seems to me, and is reflected throughout this
double CD, which includes the famous Impromptus and Bagtelles [sic], a delicious set of Ländler, and three big sonatas - including the Reliquie in a completion by Goldstone himself (though there is no experience quite like that where Schubert's music is allowed to stop in mid-breath, where the composer laid down his pen). No matter; at mid-price, a seriously good bargain.
Michael Tumelty

AMAZON.COM (and all New England regional papers):
It is always good to hear a new recording of Schubert’s piano music, although I dare say there is seemingly enough out there to preclude the need for any more unless the artist has something very special to offer. Anthony Goldstone, whose piano playing is featured on the British CD label the Divine Art, has done some marvellous work in piano transcriptions of symphonies; and here he is heard in “Franz Schubert: The Piano Masterworks, vol. 3” .

The two CDs therein contain…[track list]. Now while I find his playing to be consistently pleasing to these ears, I am aware that many collections already contain versions played by more famous artists. However, as an introduction to the piano works of Schubert, this set and its earlier companion volumes afford a nice place to start”
Frank Behrens

FANFARE (USA):
[comparing the CD to a new releases by Ian Bostridge with Leif Ove Andsnes]:

Pianist Anthony Goldstone has been at the project somewhat longer, and seems hell-bent on giving us every unfinished scrap of piano music Schubert wrote, even if it means having to finish it himself. This is his third release for Divine Art, labeled “The Piano Masterworks, Vol. 3.” Anthony Goldstone’s entry is an entirely different animal. This is Schubert till you drop. With this third and final installment in Goldstone’s “compleat” Schubert, we now presumably have everything the composer wrote*, or may have ever imagined writing, for the piano. These discs range from the early D-366 Ländler to the late and unfinished Allegretto in C Minor, D 900, which Goldstone obligingly completes for us. We even get the Diabelli Variation that Schubert submitted as his contribution to the collective effort ordered by publisher Anton Diabelli. As we know, Beethoven declined the invitation to participate, choosing instead to compose his own set of 33 variations on Diabelli’s waltz theme. More controversially, Goldstone supplies two concluding movements that are derived, one can only hope, from Schubert’s own sketches for the late two-movement Sonata in C Major, D 840, popularly known as the “Reliquie.” But one cannot know from reading the notes exactly what Goldstone has concocted. **

Ordinarily, I do not have a problem with performing-musicians and musicologists attempting to complete what the composer left unfinished. We readily accept such efforts ranging from Mozart’s Requiem to Mahler’s 10th Symphony. However, what worries me here consists of Mr. Goldstone’s own words: “In the three completions included here, I deliberately refrain from detailing where Schubert ends and I begin. Those conversant with the works involved will know, and I ask others to listen with unprejudiced ears.” Today’s audiences, especially those who read this journal, are musically literate and sophisticated. We have come to expect being informed of the contributions Süssmayer, Eybler, Maunder, and Levin made to Mozart’s Requiem, and of the various textual revisions Haas and Nowak made to Bruckner’s symphonies. Mr. Goldstone’s attitude strikes me as—how shall I put it?—quaint. Does he actually believe we listen to music for enjoyment? What a novel idea!

I desperately wanted to hate the playing on these discs, to be able to dismiss this release based solely on the above comments, but as it turns out, I cannot. Anthony Goldstone is quite the superb artist, and it is obvious from these recordings that Schubert is very near and dear to him. Comparing his reading of the D-850 Sonata to the performance of the same work on the Andsnes disc, it becomes clear that Goldstone has lived with this music and brings to it a depth of understanding that Andsnes, in time, will also assuredly achieve. If one can put aside the patronizing attitude, Goldstone’s playing is knowing and fulfilling (pun not intended). We shall perhaps never know precisely where Schubert ends and Goldstone begins, but if you are willing to accept that caveat, this set is worth a spin.
Jerry Dubins

* - of course the reviewer is wrong – the three “masterworks” sets are a small selection of Schubert gems!

MUSICWEB:
Anthony Goldstone, a noted Schubertian, here presents his third and final volume of Schubert recordings for The Divine Art label. The playing, the booklet notes (Goldstone, commendably, writes his own) and the whole production speak of a dedication which is entirely praiseworthy. Each disc works as a listening entity in its own right: in each case, some lesser-known pieces introduce the relative heft of more major works (three sonatas and the D899 Impromptus). Goldstone has also completed several pieces (an approach also taken by the Cypriot pianist Martino Tirimo in his Schubert survey).

The set of seventeen Ländler that open this collection is immediately attractive. Goldstone responds with a light touch. Agogic accents are nicely judged, and there is a fair range of colour and emotion present: there is plenty of room for Schubertian pathos within the form of the Ländler, it would seem. The clean fingerwork and careful pedalling are in fact typical of Goldstone’s playing throughout this set. The recording is a model of clarity, retaining at the same time the fullness of the piano tone.

The four Impromptus, D899, are, of course, well represented in the catalogue. Goldstone’s innate musicality is ever-present here, from the arresting opening (contrasting with the almost recitative-like single line melody) to the smooth and even E flat (No. 2). Goldstone generates a fair amount of drama in No. 1 (C minor), but it is in No. 2 (E flat) that her really seems to enjoy himself, relishing the dissonances and letting us enjoy his finger legato. If the inner parts could have been even more serene in No. 3 (the famous G flat), there is good left-hand definition (he uses less pedal than is often the case). The A flat is the only disappointing one. More fantasy would have opened up the recesses of Schubert’s mind more (there is a hint of clumsiness on occasion). Even the end does not bring with it a sense of completion.

The sense of dramatic tension Goldstone brings to the A minor Sonata, D845, is more than welcome. This is quite a stormy view that refuses to relax where many might be tempted (incidentally, though, the final two chords appear to be rather clumsily edited on). The Andante, poco mosso sounds studied (I wished for more Olympian calm here). Goldstone is at his best in the cheeky Scherzo with its gently rocking Trio: the finale, despite its determination, does not turn out to be the cumulative experience it should be.

The Allegretto in C minor that opens the second disc (a Goldstone completion), despite its marking, carries a sadness with it not normally associated with this tempo indication. The Diabelli Variation, D718, is a minor-key miniature that manages to be essentially Schubertian without giving any clue as to what Beethoven might do in his towering set.

There is a lot to be said for performing the C major Sonata, D840, as a torso. Of the first movement, Goldstone sounds as if he is rushing on occasion, at others as if he is rhythmically stuck. Perhaps he also needs a more rounded tone if the quasi-orchestral sonorities are going to convince. Nevertheless, he evokes a Winterreise-like loneliness for the Andante. If only he had more variety of keyboard colour, he might be able to truly enter into this world (try Uchida, Philips 454 453-2). Of the final two movements, the Menuetto, determined and dramatic, is the most successful; the finale just seems to run out of steam.

The set finishes with the D major Sonata, D850. The first movement is very fast indeed, so that semiquavers can emerge garbled. There are, however, some grand, full-toned sonorities which are well reproduced by this recording. If Goldstone misses the calm of the second movement and the grandeur of the third, the music-box opening of the finale is enchanting. Unfortunately, as the music progresses it does rather sound as if it is going to run away with itself.

A set that generates mixed reactions, alas. There is much interest to be found in the smaller pieces. It is just that one is rarely aware of the true stature of Schubert’s genius while listening to these performances. For this, one should move towards Uchida or Brendel, for example.
Colin Clarke

MODERATED CLASSICAL MUSIC LIST :
Anthony Goldstone's series of Schubert's solo piano music has reached its conclusion with Volume 3. As with the previous volumes, this is a 2-cd set of generous proportion. Goldstone is never less than interesting, and he is thoroughly distinctive when he turns on the power and impetuosity. Unfortunately, he doesn't do this often enough. When he does, such as in the Four Impromptus, he's among the best Schubert pianists on record.

Recorded sound is superb with a very wide soundstage ready to pick up every nuance and detail. It's dynamic range is outstanding, and Goldstone's dynamic range is also wide. Summary: A hearty recommendation for this volume and the previous ones as well. Goldstone is a major-league pianist who compares well to the Schubert of Kempff and Uchida. I wouldn't put him at the top with Richter and Brendel, but the next level is an admirable achievement.
Donald Satz

THE SCHUBERTIAN (July 2003):
Following a seven-CD cycle of all Schubert's original four-hand piano works with his duet-partner and wife Caroline Clemmow, Anthony Goldstone has with this present volume now completed a survey of Schubert's late great works for solo piano.  Each disc is devised as if it were a recital and each concludes with a major sonata.  This allows for a light-hearted opening to Goldstone's programme with a posthumously assembled set of Ländler that eminently suit Goldstone's fluidity of tempo.  Also included in his programming is the first set of Impromptus of 1827.

For the most part it is the sonatas for piano that characterise these discs.  Each of Schubert's sonatas presents difficulties for the performer, and with the D Major sonata a pianist is taxed by a work that Schubert had created especially for the professional performer and teacher Karl Maria von Bocklet.  Anthony Goldstone has at his command all the necessary virtuosity for this piece, but here surely we encounter virtuosity in excess, the hands taking charge of the music.  The joyous and ebullient first movement is weakened by its extremely high speed, and whilst Goldstone is known for his fast tempi, here the listener is left with the constant feeling of excessive haste, and regrettably the delight inhabiting the music seems to have become squeezed out.  In the final movement sudden and unexpected rushes in the tempo often cause the music to feel as if it is continually falling forward.

Happily, the gravitational centre of these discs, the unfinished 'Reliquie' sonata of April 1825 and the outstanding Sonata in A minor of May, find Goldstone at his most thoughtful and controlled.  This particularly suits the 'Reliquie' with its open and spacious first movement.  Figuration and general layout suggest Schubert's mind was subconsciously working towards the conception of the 'Great' C major Symphony (D944), for this was to be in gestation through the summer months of the Gmunden-Gastein holiday, probably June to September.  The sonata receives a solid and thoughtful performance here, and Anthony Goldstone has followed others in offering his own completion of a work that the composer seems ultimately to have abandoned, no doubt with a mind full of other ideas clamouring to be worked upon.  Indeed it was less than four weeks later that the composer was at work on the superb A minor sonata, with perhaps fleeting echoes of the 'Reliquie', although in relatively more pianistic terms.  On these discs this sonata receives a worthy performance without excesses and with great clarity of articulation; Goldstone' s composition of the four bars missing from the original edition in the second (variation) movement -Schubert's manuscript having been lost - sound natural in their place.

Two additional pleasures come in the shape of an Allegretto in C (also completed by Anthony Goldstone) and Schubert's single Diabelli Variation - and Goldstone should now be congratulated on the completion of his three-volume account of Schubert's piano masterworks.
Arnold Howarth

INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW:
Anthony Goldstone’s third volume of Schubert’s piano music is a curiously uneven affair. At his best, Goldstone is an excellent Schubert pianist, as is witnessed particularly in some of the shorter pieces. The set of 17 Ländler (D366) includes some charming playing, with a nice light touch and a cheerful, engaging lilt to the rhythms. In the D899 set of Impromptus there are attractive performances of the C minor and G flat works, though he takes the E flat piece faster than is necessary and puts a strain on the clarity of the racing right-hand triplets. There is also a pleasantly simple account of the little waltz which Schubert contributed to the set of variations requested by the publisher Anton Diabelli (there used to be a complete set of all these, as well as Beethoven’s mighty contribution, and fascinating it was).

It is a pity, then, that too often Goldstone can seem to force the music so much. In the A minor Sonata, he frequently overrules Schubert’s dynamics so that a piano becomes something closer to a forte, even when contrast between the two is of the essence. The variation movementhas some heavy-handed passages, marked by a characteristic that shows up in both the other sonatas included, that of rushing impetuously at a phrase, or seeming to throw another phrase of casually and not always clearly. In the D major Sonata, D850, the opening is fresh and engaging; then the Scherzo draws him into jerky, almost violent playing; the Rondo opens beguilingly, then seems to lose its direction in some blurred and lacklustre playing. Goldstone also includes the so-called Reliquie Sonata, which Schubert left unfinished in 1825. it has frequently been recorded in various editions. Goldstone makes his own completions of the Minuet and, more extensively, the final Allegro. They have a sensitive feeling for what Schubert might have done, which makes the erratic nature of his engagement with the music on this disc the more puzzling.
John Warrack

INTERNATIONAL PIANO:
Schubert’s keyboard music has never had it so good. Recordings abound and this pair from Anthony Goldstone entitled ‘The Piano Masterworks, Vol 3’ is the last in the set that he says, ‘were intended to offer a series of balanced recital programmes’. But could the Ländler, the Allegretto (completed by Goldstone) and the Diabelli Variation be called masterworks? Well, the rest unquestionably are. Goldstone also completes the unfinished Relique, and fills in the four bars missing from the second part of Variation I in the slow movement of D845.

Goldstone the composer is to be admired, but Goldstone the pianist raises reservations. And the Impromptus offer an indication of the variable nature of his responses. He raises expectations in Nos.1 & 4 by his ability to grade dynamics down to a genuine pianissimo, to shape the left hand triplets in the First and play the C sharp minor section in the Fourth with refined passion. But No.2 shows a different side. The tempo is fast enough to suggest an exercise in passagework, while the B minor middle section hints at aggression rather than power. Subtle tone colouring gives way to spiky presentation.

It is a major shortcoming, and one that recurs in the sonatas, limiting Goldstone’s exploration of their emotional compass. The fortissimo/sforzando octaves in the development of the first movement of Relique are rhythmically fluid, but the shock of their extreme nature is reduced because all the pianissimos that precede them are too loud. Goldstone’s feel for phraseology and motion are notable. So is his sense of rubato, as in the Scherzo of D850, but he rather debases its value by not tying such flexibility to fine dynamic shading. The slow movement markedly exposes this weakness and you only need turn to Clifford Curzon (Decca 473 116-2) to hear a range and depth of expression that seems to elude Goldstone. Chameleon-like, though, he comes up trumps in the first movement, heady in pronouncement, the long line nevertheless intact.