Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809)
Solitude: Piano Works Volume II
Piano Sonata in C minor Hob. XVI:20 (1771) [25:14]
12 Variations in E-flat major Hob. XVII:3 (1774) [16:45]
Piano Sonata in G minor Hob. XVI:44 (1765/67) [13:24]
Andante con variazioni Hob. XVII:6 (1793) [14:46]
Markus Becker (piano)
rec. May 2020, NDR Hannover, Grosser Sendesaal, Germany
CAVI-MUSIC 8553031 [70:11]
I have always been an admirer of the music of Joseph Haydn, to the extent that I probably own more discs of his music than of any other composer, including three complete cycles of his keyboard works, and other releases such as that by Alfred Brendel (478 1369), which does not constitute a complete cycle. I have approached this disc after what can only be described as a Haydnfest, in which I have listened to his music every day; today was no different, as I listened to seven symphonies, six quartets and a couple of masses before sitting down to write this review.
Markus Becker is a pianist for whom I have great respect ever since his Reger cycle first appeared on the Thorofon label and I had not realised that he had released an earlier volume of Haydn’s piano music (AVI 8553369), but on this evidence I will be investing in that disc in the near future, as well as any further volumes in this series., His approach is lighter and airier than that of Brendel; I would not be without my Brendel set but I have always found that on occasion he performs Haydn sonatas more like a Beethoven, which has always led me to favour John McCabe’s recordings (443 785-2). Indeed, the booklet notes included here end with a quotation from Brendel regarding Becker’s first volume of Haydn sonatas where he states “I was thrilled with your recording. It is one of those seldom cases I so yearn for: interpretations in the face of which I surrender arms and concede that I am hearing something played entirely differently than I would myself.” While the two recordings share only the opening Sonata in C minor and the Andante con variazioni, it is clear even in those two works that Brendel’s approach is more Romantic in approach; slightly slower in the outer movements of the Sonata and nearly two minutes slower in the central Andante con moto than Becker, who manages to create pathos without needing the extra time. However, they are more akin in the Andante con variazioni, where Brendel is only marginally slower,
by just forty-five seconds, and Becker’s variations are more clearly defined.
Comparison with John McCabe is a different matter; in the Sonata in C minor, for example, the timings are closer in the first two movements although in the finale McCabe races through and is over two minutes quicker than Becker. The same can be said of the 12 Variations in E-flat
major, where Becker is nearly three minutes quicker than McCabe, which in my opinion is to the betterment of the music. It is a similar story with the two movement G minor Piano Sonata; here, McCabe is slower in the opening Moderato, by over two and a half minutes, while in the second movement Allegretto it is Becker who is the slower by 45 seconds. However, it is here that Becker’s personality pays dividends, his performance being a model of control and style. Becker also shines through in the Andante con variazioni, which confusingly is only described as the Variations in F minor in the McCabe set, where he is just too slow, one time when McCabe out-romanticises Brendel.
Of my other two sets, one is the Virtual Haydn on Naxos (8.501203), where Tom Beghin plays the piano works on copies of Haydn’s instruments, including harpsichords and clavichords as well as latterly fortepianos, and the acoustic is altered to represent that of the rooms where the works are thought to have been composed. The tempos are similar to Becker’s, but it is difficult to compare them due to the instrumentation and this is more of historical interest. My final set forms part of the Brilliant Box Haydn Edition (99594, also available as a Piano Music Box 95298), which is played by a number of pianists on fortepianos, all of whom seem to be in rather a hurry, as each races through their allotted sonatas and variations; as a result, it is hard to recommend.
Markus Becker’s sense of control wins through in the end; his well-judged tempos and lightness of touch making this one of the finest single discs of Haydn’s piano music I have heard in a long time and as a result I have no qualms in recommending it. The recorded sound is excellent with the acoustic bringing out the best of the instrument, a Steinway & Sons Model D. My only complaint is that the booklet notes are in the form of a conversation between Becker and Andreas von Imhoff, never my favourite form, as while it gives insight into Becker’s performance style, I would like to have had more information on the music itself.
Stuart Sillitoe
