Piano Sonatas 26 27 & 29
If the "Hammerklavier" Sonata (No. 29), perhaps the most profound work ever written for the piano, were not on this disc, one would dwell on the singular charms of the rarely heard, two-movement Sonata No. 27 or the astonishing rightness of Solomon's interpretation of the Sonata No. 26, "Les Adieux." But the "Hammerklavier" is the touchstone of any Beethoven sonata cycle, and it's the rock upon which most pianists founder. Solomon meets its challenges as well as anyone who's every recorded it. Solomon may not matchArtur Schnabel's intensity, but he's far superior technically, and he comes close toClaudio Arrau's depthandWilhelm Kempff's poetry. Solomon is unique in bringing all these attributes to bear on a piece whose mysteries can never be encompassed in one interpretation. He captures the dynamism of the opening Allegro, makes the Scherzo a witty romp, and sustains the long, 22-minute Adagio with a flowing poetry that's breathtaking. The final fugue, played with superhuman ease by Solomon, for once seems an inevitable culmination of a timeless journey. An indispensable disc.--Dan Davis