This is a great recording. Beethoven's Violin Sonatas have
been cursed in recent years with more than their share of mediocre
recordings, but this certainly is not one them. The performance
is excellent, both technically precise and interpretively insightful,
and the recording quality is the best you'll find anywhere short
of SACD.
Edward Dusinberre is the leader of the Takács Quartet, and while
his colleagues are no doubt in a similar league, this solo outing
demonstrates just why that group has the superlative reputation
it does. His playing here is varied, richly felt, emotive, expansive
... there is really very little you could want from him that
he does not do at some point on the disc. Given the recent trend
for period performance recordings of Beethoven's chamber music,
it is probably worth pointing out that this is in a more traditional
vein. It's Romantic Beethoven, which some may object to in principle,
especially for the middle period Kreutzer, but Dusinberre
is not arguing a case here, rather he is demonstrating the validity
of his interpretation, and few could argue with the results.
I love the way that both players are able continually to come
up with surprises, especially in such well known works. Take,
for example, the transition from the introduction to the exposition
about a minute and a half into the first movement of the Kreutzer.
The introduction itself is performed with such precise, studied
control that it lulls you into thinking the whole movement is
going to continue at that pace. But then the main theme just
erupts out on nowhere, bringing with it that sense bubbling
energy and ebullient joy. There is no trickery going on here,
and nothing is really added that is not already in the music,
but the players are able to demonstrate that beneath Beethoven's
imposing furrowed-brow reputation of genius, his greatest music
is founded on simple pleasures.
The 10th Sonata Op.96 is a similar case. If anything,
this performance is even more direct and unaffected. It is a
more straightforward work, I think, so this approach is entirely
appropriate. But here again the players are able to take even
the most seasoned (and cynical?) listener by surprise. The coda
of the first movement has a short figure repeated over and over
until a final iteration at a louder dynamic. When that last
one comes, it is as if the players themselves have been taken
by surprise. But don't take that for naivety; there are plenty
of episodes which have clearly been meticulously prepared, with
the dynamics and phrasing articulating impressively large-scale
thinking. The development of the first movement of the Kreutzer
is all based on long crescendos and diminuendos, with various
permutations of the main theme going on over the top. The players
achieve an impressive juggling act in maintaining the drama
of the former while laying out the almost mathematical logic
of the latter.
The sound quality is excellent throughout, the robustness of
the violin tone elegantly matched by the similarly imposing
piano sound. There is a real immediacy to the sound, which really
benefits both players. The varied timbres and dynamics of the
piano are particularly impressive, especially in combination
with the finely judged balance, which allows all that piano
detail to act as a backdrop to the violin without ever threatening
to overpower.
Are Dusinberre and Korevaar planning a full Beethoven Sonata
cycle? Let's hope so, because if they can maintain this phenomenal
standard, it could easily become the benchmark for a generation
to come.
Gavin Dixon
Edward Dusinberre (violin)
