Quite astonishing playing!
Esteban Molina | San Francisco | 02/13/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It is certainly possible to imagine different interpretations but never better ones. One forgets the prodigious technique that underlies the melodic magic Paul Lewis seems capable of supplying in an inexhaustible flow. That such a talented artist should be also so modest is quite remarkable; because there seems not the slightest desire to shine for his own sake: one is always aware of the music itself and seldom of the artist who makes it. He is capable of drama, certainly; but above any drama the music might demand, Lewis has a marvelous gift for sweet lucidity and joy, and above all for melody: the most demanding passages quite simply sing [which is actually no simple thing since it is so rare] and are never merely notes achieved, no matter how brilliantly. I feel as though Lewis has given us a glimpse into Beethoven's heart and we find something hitherto hidden but which he reveals with such grace. I wish I could do Paul Lewis as much justice in my description as he has done the composer by his playing. This second volume in his series of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas, along with the companion first volume, deserves much more than the 5 stars permitted us to give."
Beautiful pianism, somewhat restrained
jonsj | New York, NY United States | 07/21/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I think I will have to live with these recordings for a little longer before I can render final judgment. One thing is for sure - Paul Lewis plays the piano beautifully and he has been recorded beautifully. He plays these sonatas at often relaxed tempi that allow him to fully articulate each phrase and let them unfold naturally. This is surely some of the loveliest and most lyrical Beethoven playing on records and it feels almost churlish to lodge complaints. But one does have to wonder whether it all sounds a bit too elegant and refined and whether the edges of Beethoven have been sanded off a bit. After listening for a while, a sense perhaps of blandless and bloodlessness sets in, to my ears, and it may be that these records will not wear well. But one has to be really cranky not to appreciate such gorgeous pianism and Lewis's more inward and thoughtful approach certainly has its deep rewards."
A bit of a letdown
James Yarnall | Evanston, Illinois USA | 05/22/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I've been immersing myself in the Beethoven piano sonatas for close to a year. I'm not a pianist, or even a musician, but I revere these works. In summer 2007 I listened to complete recordings by Artur Schnabel while reading analyses of the individual works by Donald Francis Tovey and Charles Rosen. More recently, I listened to traversals of all 32 sonatas by Claudio Arrau and by Richard Goode, the musician who, for me, plays Beethoven better than anyone else I know. I've also gone through a lot of recordings of individual sonatas by other artists.
I picked up Paul Lewis's first volume of the Beethoven sonatas -- the three sonatas in opus 31 -- after hearing him play the 4th piano concerto with the London Symphony last winter, and being knocked out by his performance. I liked that first volume a lot: stylish, elegant, and beautifully recorded. (I don't know what piano this guy was playing but it sounds rich and resonant. Harmonia Mundi has done a superb job.)
So I went on to Lewis's volume 2, which has a range of early, middle and late works ... and it seemed fussy, brittle, and a bit slow. Careful. Not terribly so, just comparatively so. Listen for example to the Waldstein, then compare it to Schnabel's or Horowitz's -- you'll be panting at the end. Listen to the Hammerklavier: That's a piece that should grab your attention, make you laugh, melt your heart and then batter you severely. What we get from Lewis is note-perfect, but kinda wussy.
I will listen to these again, if for no other reason than the sound is so gorgeous; and I look forward to hearing Lewis's recordings of the final sonatas, which I guess are coming in some yet-to-be-released-in-the-United-States volume 4. But if you're looking for one set of the Beethoven 32, go for the Goode."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1