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Rating:
"Melody speaks directly. Melody is emotion. Melody is a kind of fluid. In an era marked by image impulses, melody becomes a more remote possibility because we do not have the concentration to listen to melody in its entirety."
This statement from Mr. Keith Jarrett (not just anyone!!!) perfectly introduces a disc like the one in question: eight Impromptus (short compositions) for piano, where melody truly reigns supreme. A melody in its purest form, presented without any superstructure and without any pretense: in its total purity, it communicates to the listener, beyond a profound emotion, a truly significant sense of innocence. The innocence one can find in a newborn's cry as well as in the flow of a spring during a mountain hike: the innocence of the authentic, genuine, and sincere things in our life. Franz Schubert died very young: thus he didn't have the time to compose a piano or violin concerto (I often wonder what would have come out of his extraordinary inventiveness), but he infused all the music he wrote with a candor and sweetness truly unique. Both in happy and sad moments, both in joyful and dramatic atmospheres, the aforementioned candor, sweetness, and innocence are always present. Here they stand out thanks to the remarkable interpretation of Murray Perahia. He perfectly presents Schubert's melodies, without dwelling on mawkishness or exaggerating in ornaments. Here they echo, in their naked beauty. Personally, since my first auditory impact about ten years ago, I have always found the first Impromptu of the collection intoxicating, an "Allegro molto moderato" in C minor of absolute simplicity. The reiterated notes that compose it will enter the right hemisphere of the brain and, preserved there, will never leave the attentive listener: but a few words must also be spent on the Impromptu in G-flat major, a flowing and enchanting "Andante" brimming with poetry, as well as on the nostalgic and evocative charm of the Impromptu in A-flat major, an "Allegretto-trio" with a graceful and elegant progress.
In conclusion, the work as a whole constitutes one of the finest expressions of musical Romanticism, without a doubt.
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