Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Sonatas for Violin and Piano
No. 1 in D major, Op. 12, No. 1 (1799) [20:22]
No. 2 in A major, Op. 12, No. 2 (1799) [16:13]
No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 12, No. 3 (1799) [18:59]
No. 5 in F major, Op. 24 Spring (1801) [24:37]
No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23 (1801) [22:10]
No. 8 in G major, Op. 30, No. 3 (1802) [17:55]
No. 9 in A major, Op. 47 Kreutzer Sonata (1803) [38:13]
No. 6 in A major, Op. 30, No. 1 (1802) [24:21]
No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2 (1802) [24:16]
No. 10 in G major, Op. 96 (1812) [29:03]
Leonidas Kavakos (violin)
Enrico Pace (piano)
rec. The Athens Concert Hall, Athens, Greece, 16-18 September 2011 (4,
7, 10), 8-11 February 2012 (2, 3, 6), 6-12 April 2012 (1, 5, 8, 9)
DECCA 478 3523 [3 CDs: 80:12 + 78:20 + 77:39]
I received this set with a little trepidation. The
cover of the foldout box has a photo of the violinist, Leonidas Kavakos,
but none of the pianist, Enrico Pace. Although Pace’s name appears
on the cover, it is in much smaller type than that of the violinist.
This recalls the bad old days when the pianist took a back seat - as
an accompanist - to the violinist in sonata repertoire. I’m thinking
here primarily of Jascha Heifetz and his pianist, Brooks Smith, or even
Isaac Stern and his pianist Alexander Zakin. Beethoven intended these
sonatas to be for piano and violin in that order. Such illustrious duos
as Francescatti/Casadesus, Perlman/Ashkenazy and Kremer/Argerich have
contributed legendary accounts of these works. What then to expect from
Kavakos and Pace? I need not have worried. Based on their interpretations
here, Pace indeed deserves billing equal to that of Kavakos. As a duo
they are at the level of their illustrious forebears. The recorded balance
also is well judged with neither piano nor violin dominating.
In general, Kavakos and Pace approach these sonatas as Classical works
and present them from a patrician point of view. All but the last are
from the earlier part of Beethoven’s career and they succeed best
when they are approached this way. You won’t find a hint of portamento
or exaggerated dynamics in these interpretations, and Kavakos’s
use of vibrato is not overdone. This is not to say that there is a lack
of dynamism; there is, especially in the Op. 30 works and the
famous Kreutzer Sonata. For the most part, though, these are
very well prepared accounts that repay repeated listening and leave
one with a great deal of satisfaction. Kavakos plays a 1724 Stradivarius,
the Abergavenny, and his tone, which is bright, diamond clear,
but not lacking in warmth, seems ideal for these works. His intonation
also is impeccable. There is no pretension to nineteenth-century Romanticism
in these performances, yet they can be as exciting as the best of those
mentioned above. For example, in the great C minor sonata, Op. 30, Kavakos
and Pace are nearly as involved as in my favorite Kremer/Argerich performance.
One would expect these artists to excel in the Op. 12 sonatas and indeed
they do. Their account of the lyrical Spring Sonata is simply
beautiful, at times almost Schubertian (first movement) and at others,
Mozartean (second and fourth movements). It contrasts well with the
darker, introverted A minor. However, if I had to choose any of these
sonata interpretations above the others, it would be the Op. 30 set.
I commented on the C minor (No. 7), but the A major (No. 6) and G major
(No. 8) are if anything even better. The duo brings out the gentleness
of the A major, but also rises to the dramatic moments as they occur.
The G major receives a dynamic performance with plenty of high spirits
and no little humor. As that movement ends you want to shout, “bravo!”
or at least wish there had been an audience there to applaud.
For the most famous of these sonatas, the Kreutzer, there is
a great deal of recorded competition, including Perlman/Ashkenazy, Ibragimova/Tiberghien
and my favorite, Kremer/Argerich. Kavakos/Pace hold their own. Their
reading is well considered, if not as exciting as Kremer/Argerich. Yet
they are more eloquent in the lyrical portions of the work - for example,
the second movement Andante con variazioni. When it comes to
the last sonata, in G, Op. 96 we are in the beginning of Beethoven’s
late period. It has a Mozartean quality, which is emphasized in the
Ibragimova/Tiberghien recording, but there is more to the work than
lightness and simplicity. Kavakos/Pace capture the warmth and depth
of the piece to perfection. Next to them Kremer/Argerich can be almost
vehement at times and overly dramatic. I wouldn’t want to be without
their Kreutzer, but as far as Op. 96 is concerned, Kavakos/Pace
may just be my new favorite.
Regarding the presentation, Misha Donat contributes detailed notes on
the sonatas in the booklet but there is no mention of the artists. Kavakos
himself contributes a brief note comparing Beethoven’s music to
the Parthenon. It would have been helpful, though, to include biographical
sketches of the performers, especially Pace who is not all that well
known. Kavakos has made quite a reputation for himself in recent years.
He performed the Bartók Second Concerto in Washington, DC this
year with the Concertgebouw, a concert I did not have the fortune of
attending. Both he and Pace were born in 1967, Kavakos in Athens and
Pace in Rimini, Italy. Pace’s name was unfamiliar to me before
these recordings, but like Kavakos, he has had an international career.
Both artists seem very well suited to this repertoire and they strongly
deserve your attention. Indeed, theirs may become my reference edition
of these particular sonatas.
Leslie Wright
