Search - Beethoven, Arrau :: Piano Sonatas

Transcendent rendition of the heavenly Opus 111 Arietta make

dv_forever | Michigan, USA | 09/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll be brief in speaking about the Opus 10 sonata on this recording. It is number 5 out of Beethoven's 32 for the piano. It is in C minor. Arrau's playing is masterly but I personally haven't compared it to many other versions.



On the other hand, Opus 111, the final sonata, number 32 and also in C minor is one of my favorite works by Beethoven and I have compared numerous versions of it side by side. This Arrau version is first class all the way, just as good and possibly better than his older analogue version. While the first movement might not have the dramatic urgency of Sviatoslav Richter or Maurizio Pollini, few pianists can compare to Arrau's majestic, heaven seeking treatment of the final movement, the glorious Arietta in variation form. As any true explorer of Beethoven's music knows, the Arietta is one of the chief mysteries in the massive output of this most profound of composers. Claudio Arrau transports the listener into the spiritual realm, something that few other pianists have the courage to do. There are other valid approaches to this amazing music but Arrau's take sounds... just... so... right!



For example, the great Sviatoslav Richter is my favorite pianist and his Arietta is a tour-de-force of absolute mastery but the speed is somewhat clipped, coming in at 15 and a half minutes most times. Arrau takes a vastly more expansive approach and reaches 19:49 on this recording. This is hardly excessive as there have been slower versions but none of them have ever matched Arrau's profundity of thought coupled with structural coherence. If there is something lacking, it might be the jazzy variations which are not as cheeky with Arrau as with other masters of the keyboard. That doesn't matter though, because once those trills start, your heart will be seized and you will be in pure heaven. Paradise brought to you by Beethoven, realized by Claudio Arrau, one of Beethoven's most dedicated interpreters.



If you can find a copy of this CD, I strongly suggest a purchase. The sound is mostly great digital quality and the playing is out of this world. Don't miss this if music means something to you in your life. What would life be without great music?"