There is something indomitable, indeed magnificent, about Backhaus’s
recital at the Philharmonie in April 1969, given shortly before
his death in the same year. Already in his mid-eighties, and
with a vast career stretching behind him, he didn’t stint. The
programme consisted of four Beethoven sonatas; there were no
concessions to other composers, or other forms. Form, indeed,
was the essence for late Backhaus, which would be a sympathetic
consideration, if nothing else, if the playing were raddled,
but the remarkable thing is that it is very much not
raddled. Indeed it’s only at a few points, when one feels him
tire, that one becomes aware of weaknesses in this area. For
the main part Backhaus proves remarkably resilient for a man
of 85, a performer whose digital control is married to profound
resilience and perception.
The Pastoral sonata opens with a real sense of occasion,
and it shows a formidable awareness of the need for flexibility
within a strongly etched rhythm. The slow movement is neither
over-stressed nor over-romanticised, but full measure of pawkiness
attends the scherzo – heavy, assuredly, in part at least, but
with a gnarly wit and plenty of rubati. This presages a fleet,
fluent finale. The E flat major Op.31 No.3 sonata manages to
combine strength of sinew and light heartedness of spirit. Its
scherzo is full of energetic playfulness and one listens in
admiration as Backhaus delivers on the finale’s con fuoco
marking with commensurate power and not a little swagger. By
the Waldstein one begins to feel him tiring. Three years
ago I reviewed
a performance he gave of this sonata in the Beethovenhalle,
Bonn, in September 1959. This earlier live traversal is lighter
than the decade-later one under review, and contains fewer slips,
though this does seem to have been a work that caused him digital
problems notwithstanding the dates of the performances. What
he invariably located in it however was a wonderfully sustained
sense of piety. The second disc contains only the E major Op.109.
It opens in rather ‘tripping’ fashion, but features a strong
Prestissimo, and then the noble unfolding of the finale, which
in this performance marries tonal depth to graphic architectural
assurance.
Backhaus’s complete Beethoven sonata recordings are on the 8
CD Decca Original Masters 475 7198 (see review)
and various other examples of all the four sonatas played in
1969 exist, from 78s in the case of the earlier two to 1950
Deccas – these in addition to the 1960s Deccas contained in
the box noted above. So, there is quite a deal of choice for
even the Backhaus completist, but not even that fact should
dent enthusiasm for the last testament of this eminent musician
enshrined in this recording.
Jonathan Woolf
Wilhelm Backhaus (piano) 
