［critique］Comparing Grimaud's Schumann's Piano Concerto with Buniatishvili's One

Both Khatia Buniatishvili and Hélène Grimaud are great today's pianists and I listened to their works well last year. Buniatishvili's work was Rachmaninoff:Piano Concertos No2. and 3 with Chech Phillharmonic conducted by Paavo Järvi(Sony). And Grimaud's was Bach:Keyboard Concertos&Piano Solo Pieces(Deutsche Grammophon).

My friend Konomi Kobayashi is also a modern pianist and she has recommended me to listen to Schumann's Piano Concerto Op.54 today. It was the live monoral recording of Gieseking with BPO conducted by Furtwängler in Berlin(maybe), March 1942. Then German troops were still superior and kept occupying most of Europe. U-boats were rampant into the Atlantic Ocean in that time.

Anyway today was a full day off and I tried to listen to it finding on GooglePlayMusic. The Schumann's Piano Concerto was completed in 1845 and had three movements. He left only this work as a full Piano Concerto.
1st movement was really stunning and powerful. It's the torrents of emotion like a stormy weather.
Wind instruments, especially an oboe and a clarinet sang very well and sometimes talked with the piano.
2nd movement was sweet but shorter than 1st. And so it was named Intermezzo and continued seamlessly to 3rd movement. 3rd was well structured and most passionate like the accepting love declaration. Strings section sang very well with solo piano and they made me feel comfortable deeply.
I listened to them repeatedly three times. And then, I had thought of a good idea ; Of course, Gieseking's was really awesome. And will try to comparing this recording with today's others.(I found it on YouTube too. here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRwO3-fW7Rc )

If you are interested in Schumann's reading my article, please listen to and watch following two great performances.

Buniatishvili's : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jbHbDena_U
Grimaud's : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCeTl85p-WU

I focused to 3rd movement. Buniatishvili's playing looked like very easily. She turned to the front and played the piano practically. She never see any keys of. In the other hand, Grimaud often gazed up her face to the sky like praying and played carefully. Her face turned diagonally downwards with continuous strong concentration. So she was watching the music itself through the keyboard. She perfectly devoted to Schumann's. My taste is hers. Which one is your taste? Please tell me it secretly or not.

Note:This article has reference from wikipedia English and Japanese. And especially basic matters about WW2 and Schumann's. Thank you.

Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/skazuhiko/posts/10215603713947982