Beethoven Master
Mark Swinton | 02/27/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I must admit to finding Beethoven a bit of a bore- he led music out of the Classical era and into the heavier Romantic era. In his last piano sonatas in particular, Romanticism is revealed at its very peak, and they are demanding for the listener as well as for the performer. Yet in Bernard Roberts, Beethoven has a living champion like no other, and this disc is a fortuitous example of Beethoven playing of the highest standard. It is as if Roberts has been able to sense Beethoven's very soul buried deep in the music, and has found a way to lift it out and share it with us through gripping mastery of the piano and its expressive sound world.If you like Beethoven, you MUST listen to this CD; if you find Beethoven a bore as I do, you should still consider this CD- it may surprise you."