Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano sonatas Volumes 2-4: Sonatas 7-28
Daniel Barenboim (piano)
rec. Palais Kinsky, Palais Lobkowitz, Schloss Hetzendorf and Palais
Rasumowsky, Vienna 1983/84
Directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Volumes available separately
EUROARTS 2066488/498/508 
[145:00 & 137:00 & 136:00]
Daniel Barenboim is no stranger to performing Beethoven Piano Sonatas,
having two complete studio cycles under his belt from the 1960s for
EMI, and from the early 1980s for Deutsche Grammophon. The thirty-two
sonatas are the New Testament of the solo piano repertoire (Bach’s
WTC being the Old Testament). Barenboim has said that ‘
there
is hardly another output from any composer, in any form, that
gives such a clear picture of a composer’s development
and transformation’.
The present performances were filmed in the elegant surroundings of
four of Vienna’s baroque palaces: Palais Kinsky, Palais Lobkowitz,
Schloss Hetzendorf and the Palais Rasumowsky during 1983-84. They
seem to coincide in date with the Deutsche Grammophon recordings,
though the latter were recorded in the Salle Mutualité, Paris.
Having performed his first Beethoven sonata cycle in 1960 in Tel Aviv
at the age of eighteen, Barenboim went on to record it for the first
time at the age of twenty-five for EMI Classics. Over the years, his
interpretations have matured. In the mid-sixties, he took up conducting
and has developed into a wonderful all-round artist, conductor, pianist
and teacher. Beethoven has always been central to his repertoire,
and has played an important part in his performing career. As a conductor,
he brings to his sonata performances great insight into the structure
and architecture of the music. His performances on the three DVDs
here are, if anything, understated; he does not stamp his personality
on the works, but lets each sonata speak for itself.
The three DVDs here, though not containing the complete set, do include
works from the early, middle and late periods. Barenboim brings to
these a freshness of approach, and sensitivity. His expressive powers
are wondrous and he captures the full range of emotions that these
works have to offer. You get the feeling that he really understands
this music and that he has an improvisatory and spontaneous approach.
Tempi for me are perfect. He has the full range of dynamic control,
I loved the
pianissimo opening of the
Appassionata and
the exquisite way he opens
Les Adieux with a gentle
piano,
setting the atmosphere and drawing the listener into the music to
share his experience. His playing is never mannered in any way. I
felt, after viewing these excellent documents, that Barenboim was
the intermediary through which the music speaks.
Comparing these filmed performances with the EMI DVDs of performances
given live in concert in 2005 at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden,
I preferred the more static approach to filming as applied in the
Euroarts discs. In the DVDs reviewed here, there are fewer camera
angles, and each camera dwells on the subject for a lengthier period
of time before the angle is changed. In the Berlin concerts I got
the impression that the editor got carried away with the technology
as a child with a new toy; there was too much chopping and changing,
which is distracting. This is a problem I find with television today,
the attitude that it is anathema to stay with one scene for more than
a few seconds, flitting backwards and forwards. As a consequence,
the camera work in the Euroarts performances was less intrusive and
this helped me to concentrate more on the music.
I look forward to acquiring the other two volumes.
Stephen Greenbank
Masterwork Index: Beethoven
piano sonatas
Track listing
Volume 2
Piano Sonata No.7 in D major, Op.10 No.3 [25:93}
Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13 Pathétique [19:14]
Piano Sonata No.9 in E major, Op.14 No.1 [14:09]
Piano Sonata No.10 in G major, Op.14 No.2 [15:59]
Piano Sonata No.11 in B flat major, Op.22 [26:48]
Piano Sonata No.12 in A flat major, Op.26 [21:30]
Piano Sonata No.13 in E flat major, Op.27 No.1 Quasi una fantasia
[16:29]
Volume 3
Piano Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor, Op.27 No.2 Moonlight [16:30]
Piano Sonata No.15 in D major, Op.28 Pastoral [27;30]
Piano Sonata No.16 in G major, Op. 31 No.1 [23:50]
Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor, Op.31 No.2 The Tempest [25:21]
Piano Sonata No.18 in E flat major, Op.31 No.3 [22:37]
Piano Sonata No.19 in G minor, Op.49 No.1 [7:48]
Piano Sonata No.20 in G major, Op.49 No.2 [8:14]
Piano Sonata No.21 in C major, Op.53 Waldstein [26:47]
Volume 4
Piano Sonata No.22 in F major, Op.54 [11:41]
Piano Sonata No.23 in F minor Appassionata [23:37]
Piano Sonata No.24 in F sharp major, Op.78 A Thérèse
[7:31]
Piano Sonata No.25 in G major, Op.79 [8:01]
Piano Sonata No.26 in E flat major, Op.81a Les Adieux [18:09]
Piano Sonata No.27 in E minor, Op.90 [14:03]
Piano Sonata No 28 in A major, Op.101 [21:05]
