The Next Big Obsession
Posted by: mikeeschman on 02 April 2009
I have been focusing all my attentions on a Maurizio Pollini performance of the last three Beethoven Paino Sonatas on DGG:
No. 30, Opus 109
No. 31, Opus 110
No. 32, Opus 111
I think what distinguishes Pollini's playing from everyone else, is the ability to render these works with a clarity of voicing, and instrumental color, never before attained by anyone playing anything. And in the light of that voicing and color, the sonatas reveal new meaning and insight.
At the same time as he wrote these three sonatas, Beethoven wrote the Missa Solemnis. It is a Roman Catholic Mass, in all its parts.
Beethoven was a deaf catholic on commission writing this. He is always full of feeling. Here in the Missa Solemnis, you can listen as Beethoven speaks to God.
I think the last three piano sonatas are so full of genuine musical feeling, at least in part, because they were written while Beethoven had his talk with God :-)
I just got my beloved Phillips Jochum/Concertegbouw Missa Solemnis on CD.
2 disks instead of 4
sides and no clicks or pops :-)
I think it will be amusing to compare the voicing of the soloists in the Missa Solemnis to the voicing in the part playing of the last three sonatas ...
But only after 10 or 12 listens to the new cds of Missa Solemnis :-)
No. 30, Opus 109
No. 31, Opus 110
No. 32, Opus 111
I think what distinguishes Pollini's playing from everyone else, is the ability to render these works with a clarity of voicing, and instrumental color, never before attained by anyone playing anything. And in the light of that voicing and color, the sonatas reveal new meaning and insight.
At the same time as he wrote these three sonatas, Beethoven wrote the Missa Solemnis. It is a Roman Catholic Mass, in all its parts.
Beethoven was a deaf catholic on commission writing this. He is always full of feeling. Here in the Missa Solemnis, you can listen as Beethoven speaks to God.
I think the last three piano sonatas are so full of genuine musical feeling, at least in part, because they were written while Beethoven had his talk with God :-)
I just got my beloved Phillips Jochum/Concertegbouw Missa Solemnis on CD.
2 disks instead of 4
sides and no clicks or pops :-)
I think it will be amusing to compare the voicing of the soloists in the Missa Solemnis to the voicing in the part playing of the last three sonatas ...
But only after 10 or 12 listens to the new cds of Missa Solemnis :-)
quote:I think what distinguishes Pollini's playing from everyone else, is the ability to render these works with a clarity of voicing, and instrumental color, never before attained by anyone playing anything
Wow, I'm glad I have these discs and like them!
Now I can throw everything else out the window...quote:Originally posted by soundsreal:quote:I think what distinguishes Pollini's playing from everyone else, is the ability to render these works with a clarity of voicing, and instrumental color, never before attained by anyone playing anything
Wow, I'm glad I have these discs and like them!
i wouldn't throw everything else out the window. i have also been listening to barenbom do these last 3 beethoven sonatas for the past few weeks. he's not as polished at the keyboard as pollini, but has a number of unique insights into these last three beethoven piano sonatas. i think he extracts more pathos from the music than does pollini.
i have sets of these last three sonatas of beethoven by glenn gould, rudolph serkin, arrau, pollini and barenbom. i wouldn't want to be without any of them (possibly excepting the glenn gould, which is kind of wacky).
each of these sets is "perfect" in its own way. "perfect" is not unique or exclusive. you can have many "perfect" snowflakes, each different than all the others. they are still all snowflakes ...
still, the pollini is really ringing my bell, and i think he may represent an evolutionary step forward for pianists :-)