For the last three weekends we have attended a concert that has been devoted to a single composer. Two weeks ago it was Schubert; one week ago it was Bartok. Now it was Beethoven's turn. Philip Adamson, my piano instructor for the past many years, was back at his bucket list, performing 4 more of the 32 piano sonatas. He has now performed 16 of them, and is likely at work today on the next programme.
Beethoven is such a composer of truly odd works, and despite historians and musicologists trying to pigeonhole his styles and periods, in my opinion it is all for nought. No two piano sonatas are alike, or even closely related. They all explore completely different ideas, emotions, and, in some instances, games and buffoonery. When Beethoven wishes to be serious, it can lead to music of such devastation and calamity that it is a wonder a true performer doesn't die in the attempt to bring it forth for an audience. I am reminded of a performance many years ago of the 5th Symphony by Antal Dorati and the Detroit Symphony. Even back then I was totally familiar with most of the notes in that iconic work. However, Dorati's performance was so intense and overpowering that I jotted in the margin of my program something like "This music is like a mighty mountain being torn apart."
Portrait of Beethoven we saw in Vienna,
at one of his houses. My photo.
My favourite performers of Beethoven's piano music are the late Ivan Morovec, who only performed and recorded select sonatas, and Andras Schiff, alive and well and still performing the entire set on occasion. I have been fortunate to hear these masters on several occasions, and their Beethoven sets standards far beyond anything that mere mortals can achieve, no matter how many hours are spent at the piano. Having said that, Dr. Adamson has accredited himself admirably in his attempt to climb the mighty heights of the Beethoven Sonatas. Though he has completed work on 16 of them, there are still some mighty big sonatas that lie ahead, including the Appassionata, the Waldstein, the Hammerclavier, the Tempest, and the nearly impossible to bring off effectively final sonata. So I congratulate him on his progress, and wish him well with the rest of his amazing journey!
Last night Philip chose to group three of the four pieces he performed around the key in which it was written. Beethoven chose G Major for four sonatas, but the smaller student one had already made an appearance on an earlier program. Since (see above) the sonatas are so vastly different, and strikingly odd in each their own way, there was no danger of the works sounding like one another. Especially so with Philip's deeply thought out interpretations and carefully chosen tempos. With professional pianists sometimes the music flashes by so quickly that special moments are lost in the flurry. Philip takes time to bring out these moments, and many others, but manages to keep things lively and moving along. Favourite parts for me were the slow movement of Op 79, the first movement of Op 14, #2, and the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata. The latter was as fine a performance of that old chestnut as I have ever heard. It certainly beats out Morovec, who plays much too slowly, and comes closest to Schiff, though somehow Schiff manages to play with the damper pedal depressed all the way through.
I had some problems with the piano, a new Yamaha CFX, priced somewhere near $100,000. For one thing, it was out of tune, and a high C# was twanging away throughout the final piece (which was in C#). For another, the middle range has difficulty keeping pace with the very powerful bass, so sometimes balance of sound was a problem. Having said that, the acoustics for piano performances are vastly superior in the new recital hall than they ever were at Assumption Chapel, which more less resembled an echo chamber.
Overall it has been a very fascinating three weeks of live concerts. Combined with my home listening projects of attempting to hear the complete works of Britten, Brahms, and all the Haydn Symphonies (we already have completed Delius) I am doing my best to keep my ear(s) in good shape! Our next concert date isn't until November 10th, another piano solo recital (with some Beethoven)!
In New Mexico news, Jens Hanson was at the concert last night. He was professor of theory and composition at the university when I attended. He and Dr. Kovarik, who taught history, were the two most interesting people in the building. He is from NM! He managed to get back to his hometown for a visit this past spring. However, a massive forest fire had devastated the surrounding mountains, leaving him with a rather sad impression. I am currently at work on my blog version of our journey, and hope to have the first post up soon. So come back often!
Mapman Mike
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