“Young Ann Schein glamorized the concert at Lewisohn Stadium last night. Making her New York debut, she played Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto in winning fashion… She has made this music very much part of herself and gave a remarkable account of it.”

New York Debut
Lewisohn Stadium, August 1960, New York Philharmonic, Alfred Wallenstein, conductor. Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3.

“Ann Schein, a very talented 21 year old pianist… made her first New York concert appearance last night at Lewisohn Stadium, as soloist in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in d minor with Alfred Wallenstein, conductor… Her playing gave an impression of experience and assurance in its remarkable technical proficiency… It was also noteworthy for its clarity of detail and for (her) command of fine distinctions of dynamic shading… also notable for her interpretive musicianship, disclosing the essential romanticism of the music.”

New York Debut
Lewisohn Stadium, August 1960, New York Philharmonic, Alfred Wallenstein, conductor. Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3.

“Season’s Best” - 1961

“One need have no fears in proclaiming this recording a major accomplishment for all concerned. Miss Schein has a sensitivity to phrase and keyboard coloration uncommon today, and a finger dexterity that clarifies the most involved passages while losing none of the overall sweep. Most important, there is a wonderful sense of joyousness about this performance…The triumph is one of youth: Chopin was 20 when he wrote the concerto; Ann Schein is 20 now!”

“Chopin Concerto No. 2 in f minor plus Nocturne in D-flat, Opus 27, No. 2”
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Sir Eugene Goossens, conductor. Recorded in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, 1960. [Kapp Records]

“Most impressive of all… is the Chopin (Concerto No. 2 in f minor) disc of Ann Schein. She remains at all times incomparably poetic. Her atmospheric playing of the second movement is a highlight… Throughout, one can marvel at the grace, surety, strength and sensitivity of the young pianist.”

“Chopin Concerto No. 2 in f minor plus Nocturne in D-flat, Opus 27, No. 2”
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Sir Eugene Goossens, conductor. Recorded in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, 1960. [Kapp Records]

“Not since we first heard the old 78 rpm recording of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in d minor with Horowitz have we been as excited as while listening to the Kapp recording of the 20-year-old pianist, Ann Schein… Horowitz and none other came close until Miss Schein’s recording appeared this week. As a promotion gesture, Kapp included the recording of the same concerto by Van Cliburn for “comparison” purposes. For us, there was no comparison; the Schein recording is far the better one… Miss Schein is absolutely amazing in her strength and power…her sense of form arches over the entire work… Rachmaninoff would rejoice in this performance… How does a tenderly nurtured 20 year old girl come to understand the melancholy and fiery emotion that Rachmaninoff poured into this concerto?”

“Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 in d minor”
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Sir Eugene Goossens, conductor. Recorded in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, 1960. [Kapp Records]

“We were stunned into disbelief with the authoritative perfection…”

“The Honor Roll of Recorded Chopin, 1906-1960”

• Jan Holcman, Saturday Review, February 27, 1960
• Etude Nouvelle in A-flat Major, Ann Schein, Kapp Records, “Etudes” 1958

“In the midst of the deluge of piano albums was a little item, unobtrusive and modest to a fault, which must have perked up the ears of every music reviewer this side of the Alleghenies. It was the maiden recording of the 18-year-old New Yorker, Ann Schein… She is without a doubt, the pianistic discovery of the year… flashing digital brilliance and… a degree of sound musicianship… truly astonishing in a girl just out of high school!”

“Etudes”
Works by Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Moszkowski, and Szymanowsky [Kapp Records 1958]

“Who is Ann Schein?”

“To put it bluntly, Ann Schein is not to be believed! Her interpretations have all the assurance and artistic mastery of a veteran. Her technique… is faultless, her expressive vocabulary is enormous. Her grasp of the various styles is complete… Unquestionably, Kapp has a truly brilliant pianist on its hands.”

“Etudes”
Works by Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Moszkowski, and Szymanowsky [Kapp Records 1958]