Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 Emperor
(1809/11) [37:34]
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op.111 (1821/22) [24:21]
Nelson Freire (piano)
Gewandhausorchester/Riccardo Chailly
rec. 5-8 March 2014, Gewandhaus, Leipzig, Germany (Concerto), 21-23 February
2014, Teldex Studio, Berlin, Germany (Sonata)
DECCA 478 6771 [61:58]
In his seventieth birthday year Nelson Freire begins a cycle of the Beethoven
piano concertos. In 2007 the same forces issued acclaimed accounts of the
two Brahms concertos.
Beethoven wrote the Piano Concerto No. 5 Emperor during a dreadfully
testing period. Napoleon’s armies had reached the gates of Vienna
and the city was under siege suffering weighty artillery bombardment. During
some of this time Beethoven sought shelter in cellars. In addition his life
as a virtuoso pianist had ended owing to his profound deafness. It was soloist
Friedrich Schneider who gave the première in 1811 at the Gewandhaus, Leipzig.
It seems that a publisher first named the work as the Emperor but
the nickname stuck. Little of Beethoven’s torment is in evidence in
the Emperor - a score of boldness and grandeur and one of his most
heroic works.
The Emperor is brilliantly played here — sparkling, joyous
and passionate yet displaying real integrity. The Gewandhausorchester who
know this work intimately is in outstanding form throughout. Freire plays
the huge opening Allegro with exhilarating vitality and in the
Adagio there is unerring sensitivity to his meltingly poetic playing.
In the thrilling closing Rondo: Allegro Freire brings
to bear an abundance of vivacity but this comes at the expense of fluidity.
The catalogue has numerous excellent alternative recordings. This account
rubs shoulders with my top three chosen for their artistry and integrity
and now regarded as classic recordings. First the 1961 Berlin account from
Wilhelm Kempff with the Berliner Philharmoniker under Ferdinand Leitner
on Deutsche Grammophon. Another recording is by Arturo Michelangeli with
the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini a live 1979 broadcast
from Vienna on Deutsche Grammophon. In addition there is Emil Gilels with
the Philharmonia under Leopold Ludwig from 1957 at Abbey Road, London on
EMI.
Composed in 1821-22 the Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op.111
is Beethoven’s last piano sonata. He went on to write the Diabelli
Variations. Poise and passion mark Freire’s performance of the
squally opening movement. Overflowing with incident the substantial Arietta
— a theme and set of nine variations — is compellingly done
with a sense of dignity. Despite Freire’s splendid playing I have
yet to hear a performance as authoritative as that by Maurizio Pollini from
1977 at the Herkulessaal, Munich on Deutsche Grammophon.
The Decca booklet notes include a short interview with Freire but additional
information about the two compositions would have been preferable. With
the concerto recorded at Gewandhaus, Leipzig and the sonata at Teldex Studio,
Berlin the engineers have excelled. The sound delivered is clear and well
balanced. On the evidence of this initial release the collaboration between
Freire and the Gewandhausorchester under Riccardo Chailly looks set to bear
glorious fruit.
Michael Cookson
Masterwork Index: Concerto
5 ~~ Sonata 32
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