Beethoven Piano Sonatas: No. 29 in B flat, Op. 106 ‘Hammerklavier’; No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 Angela Hewitt (piano) Hyperion CDA68374 77:21 mins
And so with this volume, Angela Hewitt concludes her Beethoven Piano Sonata cycle. It makes sense that the Canadian pianist has saved Op. 106 and Op. 111 to last. The mighty Hammerklavier Sonata in B flat is a physical, mental and emotional challenge like few other pieces of music, while the C minor was Beethoven’s 32nd and final piano sonata, his last word on the genre.
Hewitt reaches this milestone in the company of a new Fazioli piano, replaced after a disastrous accident destroyed the instrument she had used for all her recordings since 2003. Yet the hallmarks of Hewitt’s artistry are in evidence: finger-work of nimble grace and steely strength; clarity of line; understated pedalling. These are considered readings that bring out the detail of Beethoven’s writing, captured in clear sound by Hyperion.
In the Hammerklavier, the Adagio sostenuto, appassionato e con molto sentimento is beautifully judged. If Hewitt doesn’t quite touch the sublime here, that’s because her opening Allegro also misses the sense of gargantuan struggle written into the music. The contrast is lost. And the almost clipped feel to her playing in the finale ultimately undermines the emotional power of the Sonata.
The C minor Sonata makes a fitting conclusion, however, to an odyssey that has spanned the past 15 years. Hewitt’s excellence as a Bach pianist pays dividends in the Baroque grandeur of the first movement and the easy lilt and rhythmic games of the variations. And she gets to the heart of the Sonata’s existential journey, carrying us from the spiritual depths towards starlight.
Rebecca Franks
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