Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Angela Hewitt :: Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Opp. 57 "Appassionata", 10/3, 7

2006 Gramophone Artist-of-the-Year turns to Beethoven

Alan Lekan | Boulder, CO | 04/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the past decade, Pianist Angela Hewitt has developed quite a following from her dedication to her favorite composers and going deep within their repertoire. First a monumental Bach cycle, then the complete works of Ravel and three CD's of wonderful Couperin pieces along with the Chopin Noctures and a brilliant rendering of Chambrier's fascinating music. Hewitt now turns her attention to the legendary piano sonatas of Beethoven (but makes no promises for any complete cycles according to Gramophone). All the above quality recordings has earned Hewitt the coveted 2006 Gramophone Artist award (as voted by readers).



In this set of three sonatas, Hewitt thankfully avoids the standard formula of first going after the "name sonatas" and treats the listener to two other less famous, but quite remarkable earlier sonatas. At over 28 minutes, the Op. 7 (Sonata #4) is the longest of the early sonatas and clearly shows Beethoven as a master composer already. Hewitt is known for bringing out the charm within a piece and surely does this in the frolicking Allegro and lilting Rondo movements. However, in both the slow movements of both works, her pace is notably slower and more reflective than most, which some listeners may find unfitting. Her explanation is that its the pace she felt within the music.



The Piano Sonata No. 7 (Opus 10 no. 3) is a gem. The emotional core is certainly the deeply pensive D-minor Largo - one of Beethoven's greatest slow movement. Here, Hewitt brings out its mystery and passion with the wide resources of her resonant Fazioli - albeit at a slower pace than others. The elegant Meneuetto that follows is pure delight in her hands while the effervescent final Rondo is hard not to like.



Of course, its mostly the famed Appassionata Op. 57 that is the draw - and it does not disappoint. What you will most hear here is a crystaline clarity of line and tone - perhaps the result of a lifetime with playing Bach. True to herself, Hewitt brings out its passion but without bravado and haughtiness. It is not a rough-around-the-edges Beethoven, but a deeply pleasing, clean yet powerful reading. Hewitt lets her impeccable, quick-silver passage work speak for itself without excessive hammering that can lead to "microphone shattering" that deminishes some otherwise great recordings. It is a more fiery performance from this lyrical pianist than I expected.



All-in-all, this is top-caliber playing that is hard to fault. Rightfully so, Gramophone gave this recording a nod of approval upon its release with a "Editor's Choice" citing. As in her Chabrier and Bach Concerto recordings, Hewitt plays her beloved Italian Fazioli, which was recorded in a hotel venue in Italy. The sound is better than average, fairly resonant but falls short of best-in-class - kind of the opposite end of the spectrum compared to the old DG stark sound and close projection. Compositions - 5 stars; Performance - 5 stars; Sound quality - 4 stars."