Beethoven: Paul Lewis (piano) Wigmore Hall 18.01. 2007 (CC)

Paul Lewis’ Beethoven series for Harmonia Mundi is turning out to be one of the most significant new cycles for years. Lewis seems to have a formidable musical intelligence coupled with the freshness of youth that makes gives his readings a very particular force.

The Wigmore Hall was completely sold out for this concert. Amongst the audience was Lewis’ teacher, Alfred Brendel. The four programmed sonatas were Opp. 54, 27/1, 27/2 and 7 (in that order) – beginning with the interpretatively tricky Op. 54 was a brave move indeed. The marking for the first movement is ‘In the tempo of a Menuetto’. This has to be one of the slowest I have heard. Lewis’ agenda was clearly to highlight the beauty of the movement’s sonorities, to contrast with the emotionally more ambitious second movement. The occasional minor slip notwithstanding, this amounted to a fine but not overly memorable reading.

The opening of Op. 27/1 just had the tranquility it so requires. One could admire the clarity of Lewis’ finger work, but it was his highlighting of the fantasia element of the middle two movements that pointed towards his true abilities. The steady, true energy of the finale confirmed that, as far as Lewis’ playing was concerned, we had ‘arrived’.

The restful first movement of the so-called ‘Moonlight’ was a masterclass in pedal management, while the pearly touch of the second movement provided much joy. Only the finale disappointed. This was too careful – no streaks of lightning in the form of sforzandi, such as Pollini has been known to invoke here.

Only the Op. 7 Sonatas was programmed for the second half. It is a work that stands comfortably on its own, especially when rendered like this. Brisk but with real backbone, the opening ‘Allegro molto e con brio’ was a whole landscape in itself. Lewis introduced some flexibility of pulse, but it felt quite appropriate. The inclusion of the exposition repeat lends the movement a monumental character while emphasizing the masterstroke of the development’s beginning (Lewis launched himself at this in no uncertain fashion!). If the pedal clearances of the slow movement were not 100% smooth, it was not enough to detract from the finest experience of the evening. Rests were given their full worth so that silence played an important role, the whole stillness sitting in fine contrast to the impish third movement. A pity, then, that Lewis lost the ‘grazioso’ element of the finale a little, making the music sound as if it was meandering rather too much.

A whole Sonata as an encore?. Well, yes, but it was the ‘little’ Op. 49/1, delivered with much charm (with no tendency to dawdle in the first movement) and plenty of life.

Colin Clarke