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Music : Beethoven - Piano Sonatas, Vol 2
Rating: 
- Outstanding Performances
Paul Lewis's Beethoven cycle is an extraordinary achievement. He finds subtleties and details that fully justify yet another complete set of these sonatas. I especially like his accounts of Waldstein and Hammerklavier. Unlike a previous reviewer, I find Barenboim's heavy-handed gestures in Waldstein unbearable; Lewis is refined when needed, but equally he offers plenty of Romantic guts: intellect and emotion in perfect balance, and the finale is outstanding. Unhurried but purposeful, when Lewis finally lets rip, the momentum is both impeccably controlled, yet drives forward with a wonderful feeling of inevitably.
As for Hammerklavier, Lewis's account is for me a 'Building a Library' recomendation. I've reviewed (favourably) Uchida's recent account and could not be without Brendel, Gilels and, of course, Schnabel: they each offer very different perspectives on this warhorse of a sonata. But for a performance that, once again, matches intellectual rigour, with Romantic force, Lewis is the one to choose. He has a real sense of the archtiecture of the piece, which he balances with an impeccable 'ear' for detail. As one might expect of a pupil of Brendel's, Lewis's articulation is meticulous, but, unlike many, never feels self-conscious or, worse, self-regarding. There is a freshness here, a grandeur, wit, depth and a constant awareness of the long term structure of the piece.
It's worth noting at this point also the way Lewis treats the relatively minor works - I say relatively, because, for me, the sonatas, opp. 78 and 79, are musically very demanding, even if they are short. Lewis treats them with real respect and finds a greatness in them that demonstrates a whole other side to Beethoven's genius. Opp. 22 and 101 too are superb readings that would make this set worth having just for them.
Of all the four volumes in this cycle, this is perhaps the best of all: and if there is a suggestion of hesitency in that 'perhaps', it is simply that this volume is primus inter pares in what is, in my view, a sequence of performances that stands up with the greats.
Rating:
- wonderful?
The problem with soooo many recordings of these or any other great works already available, to justify recording them again you obviously have to say something new and fresh otherwise- if you are a true artist as I'm sure Mr Paul lewis would quite rightly claim to be- would be pointless. So there is no point in reverting to past recordings unless you have a favourite. My favourite happens to be Alfred Brendel's 1970's recordings.
These new recordings by Mr Lewis are absolutely fabulous though! The entire sonata 29 "hammerklavier" for example, an infamously difficult piece to play has never sounded so expressive, flowing rather than mechanical was like hearing it anew. My favourite sonata; the Waldstein was the tester for me though, and again I was illuminated with the thought and precision- and clarity, that is never at the expense of the beauty and comedy that this piece desires. All in all if you love piano music at it's most technical however idiosyncratic, and played with a very big heart on its sleeve than these new recordings are a must have. Wonderful!!
Rating:
- Beautified Beethoven
Paul Lewis plays Beethoven sonatas with amazing delicacy and sophistication, but is this really Beethoven? Remarkable interpretation in its own right, but I would prefer more risk-taking and bold Beethoven with more weight rather than immaculate and beautified performances like these.
Rating: - Wonderful
Mr Lewis is simply the finest interpreter of Beethoven's piano works, he conveys the emotion in the music like no other. He also has complete control and exquisite grace in his technique. Marvellous!
- Outstanding PerformancesPaul Lewis's Beethoven cycle is an extraordinary achievement. He finds subtleties and details that fully justify yet another complete set of these sonatas. I especially like his accounts of Waldstein and Hammerklavier. Unlike a previous reviewer, I find Barenboim's heavy-handed gestures in Waldstein unbearable; Lewis is refined when needed, but equally he offers plenty of Romantic guts: intellect and emotion in perfect balance, and the finale is outstanding. Unhurried but purposeful, when Lewis finally lets rip, the momentum is both impeccably controlled, yet drives forward with a wonderful feeling of inevitably.
As for Hammerklavier, Lewis's account is for me a 'Building a Library' recomendation. I've reviewed (favourably) Uchida's recent account and could not be without Brendel, Gilels and, of course, Schnabel: they each offer very different perspectives on this warhorse of a sonata. But for a performance that, once again, matches intellectual rigour, with Romantic force, Lewis is the one to choose. He has a real sense of the archtiecture of the piece, which he balances with an impeccable 'ear' for detail. As one might expect of a pupil of Brendel's, Lewis's articulation is meticulous, but, unlike many, never feels self-conscious or, worse, self-regarding. There is a freshness here, a grandeur, wit, depth and a constant awareness of the long term structure of the piece.
It's worth noting at this point also the way Lewis treats the relatively minor works - I say relatively, because, for me, the sonatas, opp. 78 and 79, are musically very demanding, even if they are short. Lewis treats them with real respect and finds a greatness in them that demonstrates a whole other side to Beethoven's genius. Opp. 22 and 101 too are superb readings that would make this set worth having just for them.
Of all the four volumes in this cycle, this is perhaps the best of all: and if there is a suggestion of hesitency in that 'perhaps', it is simply that this volume is primus inter pares in what is, in my view, a sequence of performances that stands up with the greats.
Rating:
- wonderful?The problem with soooo many recordings of these or any other great works already available, to justify recording them again you obviously have to say something new and fresh otherwise- if you are a true artist as I'm sure Mr Paul lewis would quite rightly claim to be- would be pointless. So there is no point in reverting to past recordings unless you have a favourite. My favourite happens to be Alfred Brendel's 1970's recordings.
These new recordings by Mr Lewis are absolutely fabulous though! The entire sonata 29 "hammerklavier" for example, an infamously difficult piece to play has never sounded so expressive, flowing rather than mechanical was like hearing it anew. My favourite sonata; the Waldstein was the tester for me though, and again I was illuminated with the thought and precision- and clarity, that is never at the expense of the beauty and comedy that this piece desires. All in all if you love piano music at it's most technical however idiosyncratic, and played with a very big heart on its sleeve than these new recordings are a must have. Wonderful!!
Rating:
- Beautified BeethovenPaul Lewis plays Beethoven sonatas with amazing delicacy and sophistication, but is this really Beethoven? Remarkable interpretation in its own right, but I would prefer more risk-taking and bold Beethoven with more weight rather than immaculate and beautified performances like these.
Rating:
- Wonderful Mr Lewis is simply the finest interpreter of Beethoven's piano works, he conveys the emotion in the music like no other. He also has complete control and exquisite grace in his technique. Marvellous!