Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas, Volume 1: Opp. 2 & 7
This 2-CD set is the first of eight projected volumes of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas in chronological order, to be released over two years. András Schiff, renowned for his interpretations of (among others) Bach, Mozart, and Schubert, deliberately waited to "grow into" the Beethoven sonatas, which Hans von Bülow described as the piano literature's "New Testament." Volume I, comprising the Sonatas Op. 2 and 7, leaves no doubt that Schiff has not only mastered these works but been mastered by them. Beethoven's early sonatas, very different from one another and full of youthful ardor and exuberance, already display an extraordinary command of form, structure, contrast, and tonality; they are miracles of grace, humor and emotional depth. Schiff's ability to bring out their swiftly changing moods and character with a variety of touch, color, and inflection is uncanny. His tempi are always judicious; his rhythm is buoyant, leavened with subtle, flexible rubatos perfectly poised and balanced. The runs are brilliant but not showy, and the voices are clear. Even though he takes every single repeat, the sonatas never seem too long. For these recordings, made live in Zürich's Tonhalle, Schiff is using two pianos, a Bösendorfer for the more lyrical sonatas, a Steinway for the more dramatic, virtuosic ones. The booklet offers much interesting information (including an interview with Schiff) but does not specify which piano he is playing on these discs. Sometimes the tone quality seems less than optimal: the bass booms, the top sounds brittle, the texture gets muddy. Whether this is due to the instrument or the microphone is open to question.--Edith Eisler