You can purchase the CD at HBDirect and Amazon. It is also available on streaming services such as iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon Music.
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Click below to read the CD liner notes (PDF).
(from CD release postings on SNS)
Day 1 I am excited to share that my Schubert’s 1817 Sonatas will be released on April 16! The origin of this project goes back to my undergraduate years, when my teacher recommended the B-major sonata. I learned it then, but never actually realized how beautiful this sonata was until when I got to hear the late Mr. Lipkin perform it in his recital a few years later. Schubert has a special place in my heart. I will forever cherish the late Mr. Frank’s playing of the B-flat, what a magical evening it was; once following the sound of the slow movement of the same sonata, I discovered Mr. Lipkin playing it in a dress-rehearsal at NEC, and I thought that’s how I want to age; Mr. Frank’s and Pam Frank’s recording of the A major sonata represented perfection to me; performing his E-flat trio was probably one of the fondest memories… the list goes on… I wrote my doctoral dissertation on the B-major sonata and discovered how 1817 was a pivotal year for Schubert - and let me remind you, he was only 20 years old! I once heard that meaningful scholarship begins with self-reflection - I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to explore the 20-year old Schubert in the ways that feel very personal to me, and I would like to share some of Schubert’s 1817 stories with you here in the next few days. I would like to thank my amazing engineer Sergei, the recording label Centaur’s Victor, and GVSU Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence for their generous support. |
(Video taken from the recording session - B major sonata, D. 575, II)
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To view CD Release Postings on Facebook, click the links below:
Day 1 -- Day 2 -- Day 3 -- Day 4 -- Day 5 -- Day 6
Day 1 -- Day 2 -- Day 3 -- Day 4 -- Day 5 -- Day 6
To read my doctoral dissertation, "Schubert's Sonata in B Major, D. 575, Reimagined," click HERE.
Reviews
from Fanfare Magazine (Jan/Feb 2022):
... The four we get are so well played that I felt fully satisfied each time I listened to the disc. It is hard for me to choose a favorite, but I lean towards more dramatic and demanding works, so the opening D 537 in A Minor Sonata would be the one.
D 575 in B Major has special meaning for Cho, as it did for Richter who has six recordings of the sonata. It is a big four movement piece, over 23 minutes in length. While Cho plays everything beautifully, her attention to Schubert’s detailed score is remarkable. In the first movement, many times one note is marked piano and the next fortissimo and she achieves the desired contrast while maintaining the musical direction. She doesn’t shy away from the fortissimo fast bass octaves under big right hand chords in the second movement. Her legato playing in the Trio of the Scherzo is best described as pearly. The Allegro giusto finale dances.
I find Cho’s playing virtually free of mannerisms, warm and simple in its musicality. She has many colors and touches in her arsenal and uses them all with great knowledge of Schubert’s style. The disc was produced and engineered by Sergei Kvitko, noted for both his exceptional pianism, and his rich and vibrant work in the recording studio. The piano sound here is state of the art. Nothing would please me more than to hear Cho continuing to work her way through the sonatas under the same production team.
- by James Harrington
from leparnassemusical.com (4/25/2021):
... La prise de son est d’une belle présence, moins distante et épurée que la production d’Andras Schiff. Ainsi, on peut mieux apprécier les couleurs et les reliefs de l’instrument sur lequel s’exécute Mme Cho.
La légèreté de ton est omniprésente au cours de l’écoute des quatre sonates proposées. Les détails de la partition sont mis en lumière par un jeu très finement tracé, supporté d’une rythmique allègre et spontanée. La musicienne évite tout lyrisme appuyé et s’en tient à l’essentiel. La progression des pièces n’est jamais ralentie outre mesure. Il n’y a ni ego, ni puissance démesurée. La musique prend parfois l’aspect de miroitements lumineux sur la surface d’une eau. C’est du Schubert à l’état pur, dépouillé de son aura romantique. Cet album est une magnifique surprise.
(full version: click here.)
[translation]
... The sound has a beautiful presence, less distant and filtered than Andras Schiff’s production. This gives us the opportunity to better appreciate the colors and shapes of the instrument chosen by Ms. Cho.
The timbre is constantly light throughout the four sonatas recorded. A finely shaped interpretation sheds light on the details of the score, supported by a cheerful and spontaneous rhythm. The musician avoids unnecessary lyricism and sticks to the essential. The pacing of pieces is never overly slowed down. There is no ego, no excessive power. The music sounds sometimes as luminous reflections on water. It is Schubert in its purest state, shorn from its romantic aura. This album is a magnificent surprise.
from Fanfare Magazine (Jan/Feb 2022):
... The four we get are so well played that I felt fully satisfied each time I listened to the disc. It is hard for me to choose a favorite, but I lean towards more dramatic and demanding works, so the opening D 537 in A Minor Sonata would be the one.
D 575 in B Major has special meaning for Cho, as it did for Richter who has six recordings of the sonata. It is a big four movement piece, over 23 minutes in length. While Cho plays everything beautifully, her attention to Schubert’s detailed score is remarkable. In the first movement, many times one note is marked piano and the next fortissimo and she achieves the desired contrast while maintaining the musical direction. She doesn’t shy away from the fortissimo fast bass octaves under big right hand chords in the second movement. Her legato playing in the Trio of the Scherzo is best described as pearly. The Allegro giusto finale dances.
I find Cho’s playing virtually free of mannerisms, warm and simple in its musicality. She has many colors and touches in her arsenal and uses them all with great knowledge of Schubert’s style. The disc was produced and engineered by Sergei Kvitko, noted for both his exceptional pianism, and his rich and vibrant work in the recording studio. The piano sound here is state of the art. Nothing would please me more than to hear Cho continuing to work her way through the sonatas under the same production team.
- by James Harrington
from leparnassemusical.com (4/25/2021):
... La prise de son est d’une belle présence, moins distante et épurée que la production d’Andras Schiff. Ainsi, on peut mieux apprécier les couleurs et les reliefs de l’instrument sur lequel s’exécute Mme Cho.
La légèreté de ton est omniprésente au cours de l’écoute des quatre sonates proposées. Les détails de la partition sont mis en lumière par un jeu très finement tracé, supporté d’une rythmique allègre et spontanée. La musicienne évite tout lyrisme appuyé et s’en tient à l’essentiel. La progression des pièces n’est jamais ralentie outre mesure. Il n’y a ni ego, ni puissance démesurée. La musique prend parfois l’aspect de miroitements lumineux sur la surface d’une eau. C’est du Schubert à l’état pur, dépouillé de son aura romantique. Cet album est une magnifique surprise.
(full version: click here.)
[translation]
... The sound has a beautiful presence, less distant and filtered than Andras Schiff’s production. This gives us the opportunity to better appreciate the colors and shapes of the instrument chosen by Ms. Cho.
The timbre is constantly light throughout the four sonatas recorded. A finely shaped interpretation sheds light on the details of the score, supported by a cheerful and spontaneous rhythm. The musician avoids unnecessary lyricism and sticks to the essential. The pacing of pieces is never overly slowed down. There is no ego, no excessive power. The music sounds sometimes as luminous reflections on water. It is Schubert in its purest state, shorn from its romantic aura. This album is a magnificent surprise.