Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Maurizio Pollini :: Beethoven: piano sonatas op 54:57

Superb modern Beethoven playing

hjonkers | The Netherlands | 10/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pollini is quite uncompromising in these recordings, and that alone will put some listeners off. But there is also an irresistible drive and fury in these recordings, something you could also imagine from Beethoven himself. These are anything but cold readings; most of them appear to me as white-hot performances. Opus 90 is intense rather than intimate, but always fascinating, Pollini makes a no-brakes ride through op. 54 and gives a tilt or two to the Appassionata, especially in the (additional) live recording! That live Appassionata in particular testfies of a terrifying forward-pushing drive that culminates in total cataclysm in the coda - few have characterised the sonata as well as Pollini does here. It's a most spectacular no-brakes performance, and that without the eccentricities of Richter's famous recording (which is too fast to begin with). The op.78 is a little strange - like many performers, Pollini has some troubles with the weird second movement, which is just too serious here (Gould and Kempff are about the only ones who really got this one right). But these discs would be worth their price even for the Appassionata alone, so don't miss them."

Fantastic performances, sublime works

Itamar Ronen | Boston, MA USA | 08/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pollini, as opposed to many other great pianists, never recorded the 32 Beethoven sonatas as a "grand project". Every once in a while there's a new DG CD where Pollini provides us with a collection of 3-4 sonatas, and each and every time it's worth the wait... This time - it's the Appassionata and the three unique 2-movement sonatas - the opp. 54, 78 and 90. Pollini, as always, deeply understand the unique individuality of these sonatas, and the result is non-plus-ultra performances.

In the appassionata he carries the drama of the first and last movements while never neglecting to provide the most careful phrasing, the most subtle dynamics and the most appropriate articulation of tone. In the second movement, the theme with variations, the build-up is so carefully planned that the sense of "inevitability", the magical "this is IT!" is unavoidable, and when the theme comes back at the end with slight variations (a trick that Beethoven repeated in op. 109), one really feels that it became "wiser", it knows more now.

All three diamond-cut 2-movement sonatas are fantastically performed - the truly enigmatic op. 54 with its elusive menuet con trio 1st movement, and the "perpetuum mobile" second movement; Op. 78, one of Beethoven's favorites and its serene 1st movement and witty second one; and the op. 90 - a great masterpiece where one mevement gives us a tragedy of Shaekespearean dimensions and the in the second the sun always shines and the lyrical content would make Schubert almost jealous...

I'm not a religious man, but when it comes to great music like this, played with brain, heart and hands like Pollini's, well, for me that's as close to "heavenly" as it gets... I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."

Astounding Appassionata!

M. Niquet | St-François-du-Lac, Qc Canada | 04/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since I'm not a patented reviewer (and by the way, I haven't read any comments on this album yet and I'm very anxious to do so), simple music lovers like me might want to wait for reaction from those guys. Anyway here is my word.First, even if I hold Pollini as one of the great pianists of our (and all) time, I do not like all of his recordings and I'm not to say it's good because it's Pollini. But this time I just can't find the words to describe the experience of my first listening of this album. I've been collecting recorded music for over 25 years and heard some wonders, but I don't remember to have had such a reaction on a first listening of an (other) execution of such a well known piece of music (the Appassionata).Going throught the highlights of the piece as if the taxi was waiting for him, (suggesting that the essential is somewhere else), the pianist concentrates himself on the «inner parts» of the work (those parts where you usualy start wandering if our father is doing the right thing by trading is old car) where he unleashes his stunning, unmatched virtuosity to make you realize that you hadn't heard half of the thing until now! And what an incredible experience ALL THE WAY THROUGHT!I would not suggest this album to someone who's just coming to these Beethoven's works (or to classical music). But for those like me who already own half a dozen different recordings of that (those) work(s), don't worry, you won't mix up this Appassionata with any other in your collection.Exceptionnaly (on Pollini's recordings) the sound is on a par with the performance. And the bonus CD is a real nice gift.Please excuse my average english."