Fanfare: Maurizio Pollini plays Beethoven: 32 Piano Sonatas

[Frank Forman]

One of the great introverts. You have to pay close attention. I had many
of these already and found Sonata 13 esp. subtle and rewarding.

Nos. 23 and 24 are different from the original disc, which has both live
and studio performances. The review says there are others, but I'll have
to investigate the timings.

I prefer Silverman, though, esp. Nos. 18 (good humored) and 28
(Beethoven's most enigmatic work outside of Quartet 13, both finales, made
even more enigmatic).

I bought the set used on Amazon for $25, including postage.

Maurizio Pollini plays Beethoven: 32 Piano Sonatas (complete)
http://www.fanfarearchive.com/articles/atop/38_6/3865470.zzhf_Beethoven32.html

BEETHOVEN 32 Piano Sonatas (complete) o
Maurizio Pollini (pn) o DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4794120 (8 CDs: 586:12)

Here, complete at last, is the Beethoven piano sonata cycle for our
age, and itâs been an age in coming. In May 1975 Maurizio Pollini
stepped into the Herkulessaal in Munich to record two late sonatas,
opp. 109 and 110. They became celebrated LPs, with the other three
late sonatas completed by 1977. They also met with acclaim, and
Polliniâs Beethoven has been a force to reckon with ever since. The
pianist, who was 33 at the start of the project, spent the next four
decades releasing sonatas grouped according to his taste rather than
following a strict chronology. The final sessions, devoted to the
opp. 31 and 49 sonatas, ended in August 2014, the venue once more
being the Herkulessaal.

Now DG has released the entire cycle on eight generously filled CDs
(by comparison, Paul Lewisâs set on Harmonia Mundi takes 10 discs)
at a bargain price and helpfully placing the 32 sonatas in
chronological order. There have been duplications along the way that
had to be sorted out. Generally speaking, the most recent version
was chosen, which applies to sonatas No. 11 (op. 22), No. 17 (op.
31/2 âTempestâ), and No. 21 (op. 53 âWaldsteinâ). Two live
performances were selected, of Sonata No. 12 (âFuneral Marchâ) and
the âWaldstein.â Those of us who have been collecting the cycle disc
by disc own versions not included here, consisting of studio
recordings of sonatas No. 17 and 21, the live No. 11, and a bonus
disc that contains live accounts of No. 23 âAppassionataâ and No. 24
âA Thérèse.â If you treasure Polliniâs Beethoven these alternates
are very much worth hearing.

Are any great pianists without their critics? Pollini has been
called icy, aloof, impersonal, and aristocratic (in the wrong
sense), but a glance at the Fanfare Archive reveals that his
divisiveness is probably least when it comes to the Beethoven
sonatas. In no way are these eccentric performances; in fact, the
pianist seems to take pains to deliver âclassicâ Beethoven marked by
serious intent, intellectual rigor, focused concentration, and a
recognition of his revolutionary status. Beethoven the Romantic hero
isnât pushed to the point of excessive rubato or rhetorical pomp. We
donât hear HIP-revisionist interpretations by any means, but Pollini
balances power and refinement in his approach. The early sonatas
will sound too strong for anyone who believes they should look
backward to Haydn rather than forward to Beethovenâs middle period.

In the past, my admiration was tempered by the clangy, hard sound
that DG gave to the five late sonatas, not much improved in their
reissue in the Originals series. Although no remastering is
indicated for the complete cycle, these sonatas sound quite good
now, with the exception of the âHammerklavier,â where the old flaws
are still evident. Itâs no secret that the digital era wasnât kind
to the piano in the 1980s and 1990s, and some of these recordings
are a shade too thin, shallow, or glassy. The last installment,
where thereâs a rich piano sound and nice hall ambience, comes out
best. The previous ones are not so variable, however, that anyone is
likely to object. I also detect that care was taken to equalize the
volume level when sonatas derived from sessions scattered by date
and location, although I canât be sure. Each CD comes in a cardboard
sleeve without the original program notes.

Completeness isnât everything, of course, but weâd be richer if
Rudolf Serkin and Emil Gilels had recorded all the Beethoven sonatas
instead of large batches. That Pollini, now 73, has lived to finish
the task, his powers undiminished, is a gift. For me, his
accomplishment must be measured beside that of Artur Schnabel, so
Iâll need two desert islands to save them both. Huntley Dent

This article originally appeared in Issue 38:6 (July/Aug 2015) of Fanfare
Magazine.