MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


CD REVIEW

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger


alternatively AmazonUK   AmazonUS

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat, Op. 106, Hammerklavier (1818) [44:50]
Piano Sonata No. 3 in C,  Op. 2 No. 3 (1794/5) [26:35].
Markus Becker (piano)
rec. November 2004. DDD
CPO 777 239-2 [71:30]



I very much enjoyed Markus Becker's disc of Dussek for CPO on 777 020-2 (see review): piano sonatas Opp. 44, 61 and 64. Yet Dussek is one thing; the Beethoven of the Hammerklavier altogether another. Becker clearly takes a heroic view of this gargantuan work; just listen to the challenge of the opening bars. There is plenty of understanding of voice-leading here, too. It is just that there is a tendency for Becker to get more pedestrian as the movement progresses. The Scherzo fares well enough, but it is not really until the huge slow movement that we get to hear what Becker is capable of. Becker takes it at my kind of speed: very, very slowly – it takes him just one second under twenty minutes. He has the long-range clarity of thought and the cantabile, legato touch to sustain it. If this is not the deepest version - try Schnabel, Pollini or Brendel for that - Becker nevertheless sustains the tension over such a large span.
 
A shame, then, that the finale almost spoils it by being rather careful with the fugue's expository semiquavers. In live performance I feel sure Becker would not tread quite so thoughtfully. The tension does flag, though – this is more Bachian than Beethovenian playing. Ironically, Becker is at his best just before the end. There is so much to admire here, yet this is clearly an interpretation in progress.
 
The B flat Sonata, Op. 22 is one of the longest of Beethoven's earlier works in this genre. It is also notoriously tricky: that pesky C major – so many white notes! Yet Becker makes light of the difficulties, clarifying voice-leading and projecting a crystal-clean treble. This is very well caught in CPO's recording. The dreamy yet not unstylish Adagio is pitted against an opera buffa-like Scherzo where the polyphonic strands play Tom-and-Jerry with each other. The finger-twister finale is expertly negotiated with a real sense of rightness.
 
Becker is a pianist to watch. I would like to see him live, for sure. Unfortunately the booklet is not up to CPO's normally high standards. There is no recording venue specified, something CPO are normally consistent about – also, his instrument is referred to as a 'fortepiano' and – just next to that – a Steinway model 'D'.
 
Colin Clarke
 

 

 

 


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 

Return to Review Index

Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.