Beethoven: 32 Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
An Auspicious Beginning for a New Cycle of the 32 Piano Sonatas Volatility and refinement…Op. 10, No. 1 calls for crisp attacks and poised reflection. The gestures, dramatically compact, occasionally rocket forth…though the mood remains darkly sober. The hybrid Allegretto, neither minuet nor scherzo, possesses a mysterious charm, unspoken romance. Op. 49, No. 1 has a smooth, haunted melancholy, a singular delicacy. Op. 2, No. 3, a large canvas rife with gristle and muscle. The sforzati come like bolts of lightning, the Yamaha CF 111S resonating in grand form. Wehr's Allegro assai suggests that Liszt etudes would not be a stretch for his light, deft hands. Rocket figures and lithe trills tie this dashing Rondo into a colorful, bravura package. A Beethoven set that presents dexterity and musical intelligence at every turn. --Audaud...a mature artist in his prime. He is armed with an unfailing technique and keen, fresh insights that make him more than ready to climb the Mt Everest of piano literature. Frankly, I was blown away by these first nine sonatas (chronological) in this generous two-disc set. I enjoyed every hearing of these early works, and found new superlatives for both Beethoven and Mr. Wehr on each occasion. In general, the faster movements have an infectious rhythmic vitality that drew me deep into the music and did no let go until the final notes died away. The slow movements are lavished with elegant, refined, and beautifully shaped phrases. Wehr s attention to every detail in these scores is more of what I have come to expect from great artists performing late Beethoven sonatas. It is a revelatory approach to the early ones. While one may marvel at the little discoveries Wehr subtly points out everywhere in this music, one is also never in doubt about his conception of the musical architecture not only of each movement, but of the sonata as a whole. Wehr s program notes are on the same high level as his playing. His Yamaha CF 111S is vividly captured. This entire, top-notch project is what I have come to expect over the past 30 years from producer E. Alan Silver and Connoisseur Society. --American Record Guide, November/December 2006