Genius at work: Discovering Artur Schnabel's Beethoven Sonatas

Yesterday - while suffering a migraine - I sought some edifying distraction among Beethoven's Piano Sonatas; and stumbled across the first ever complete recorded version by Artur Schnabel dating from the 78rpm interwar period of the twentieth century. 

I had (of course) come across Schnabel as a venerated name, since he was a major influence on, and favourite of, both Denis Matthews and Glenn Gould - two established favourites. I was vaguely aware that Schnabel was one of those regarded as more than a first-rank performer - also as a genuine musician.

But, for whatever reason, I had never troubled to investigate Schnabel - perhaps because of the primitive recording quality of what he left us. 

Yesterday I started to listen (in that strange, painful, detached way I sometimes do, when suffering migraine); starting with the first Piano Sonata of Beethoven - an old favourite I know well. 

I liked the first Allegro movement well enough; but spent most of the time adjusting-to - and editing-out from frontal consciousness - the "bottled" quality of the soundscape, hissing, crackles, and variable speed (with its distorting effects on tuning) of the 1934 recording. 

But when I reached the second movement - Adagio (at 3:20 in this recording) - I experienced one of those unmistakeable insights, awareness of the greatness of this musician; leaping directly across the ninety intervening years and the poor recording. 

Focusing on the melody in the right hand, I could immediately appreciate an almost miraculous long line of lyricism sustained across the musical phrases... And not just the phrases, but unbroken in its musical meaning throughout the entire movement. 

It was a direct encounter with a supreme musical intelligence; someone who knew, understood and was able to express the underlying structure and nature of this work.    

On another day, in another mood, and with a less focused and sustained concentration from me, I would surely have missed it - and heard instead just some olden-days guy playing what sounds almost like a bar-room piano on a damaged old shellac disc. 

But yesterday afternoon, in that mental state - I caught it... 

A genius at work.