Tír Na HiFi

Schnittke: Two Concertos....



....Turbulent and tension filled music.

Over the past week, I've been enthralled by a recent purchase of mine, Louis Lortie's absorbing traversal of the Beethoven piano sonata cycle on Chandos. Many interpretations of this extraordinary music attempt to storm the heavens in imitation of Beethoven and serve up a dish of powerful emotionalism. Lortie shows us that this need not be the only way to tap the emotional undercurrents of these sonatas. His approach is one of subtle refinement, in which he seems to be thinking afresh about new ways to interpret this music. Whilst he is entirely capable of playing hard and fast, as the music demands it, more often than not he is to be found lingering over a chord or a motif which many other pianists scamper over in their urgency to get to the finishing line. He really does bring to light the many subtle nuances that Beethoven implanted into these wonderful scores but, make no mistake, this quality of musicmaking takes time to absorb. During the past week, I listened to each of the CDs twice in succession and found that I really only started to hear much of what Lortie was doing second time round.

One example I have to mention is the mighty Hammerklavier which is still ringing in my ears as I write this having just listened to Lortie's performance for the second time today. This is the first time I've listened to this masterpiece where it struck me that it appears to be an extended meditation on the act (and process) of composition. You really get a sense of the pianist ruminating at length about the architectural structure of the music as he plays. The cumulative effect is one of suspended time. Before hearing Lortie's version, my reference for this among modern cycles was Stephen Kovacevich's furiously imagined (and quite unhinged, at times) performance which seemed, to me, to be the greatest since Wilhelm Backhaus's classic 1952 version. This is very different in its calmly reflective approach to the music. There is a languor to Lortie's tempi but the music never drags - there always remains a sense of forward momentum. This remains true of the cycle as a whole. Some listeners might resist such a cerebral approach to Beethoven's music but, to me, Lortie's interpretation is an equally valid way of hearing this great music and one which offers many new insights into Beethoven's inspiration.

Ciaran wrote:

Seán wrote:and more Beethoven:



Ludwig van Beethoven
Quartet for Strings no 1 in F major, Op. 18 no 1 &
Quartet for Strings no 2 in G major, Op. 18 no 2
Guarneri String Quartet

I really adore Beethoven's music.

Geez, it's very quiet on this Classical Music Forum, pity.

Yes the string quartets are amazing as a series. The Op. 18 Quartets are just fantastic: full of youthful energy and surprises, but there's no way in hell you could guess what was to come: the middle period quartets which reimagine every time what you can do in a quartet and the late quartets which rewrite what you can do in music and which, as Stravinsky said, remain forever modern... according to me because we still haven't really got to grips with their implications.

Sorry not to have been posting much lately: I've been busy!

The Beethoven quartets are marvelous, at the outset the music requires some effort but the more often one listens to them the more familiar one becomes with them and an awesome beauty unfolds for the listener, it is really extraordinary music. Beethoven's symphonies, sonatas and quartets are a joy to behold, it really is a pleasure to explore them in detail.
And yes as Fergus has intimated above it's really good to hear from you Ciaran.

mcq wrote:Over the past week, I've been enthralled by a recent purchase of mine, Louis Lortie's absorbing traversal of the Beethoven piano sonata cycle on Chandos. Many interpretations of this extraordinary music attempt to storm the heavens in imitation of Beethoven and serve up a dish of powerful emotionalism. Lortie shows us that this need not be the only way to tap the emotional undercurrents of these sonatas. His approach is one of subtle refinement, in which he seems to be thinking afresh about new ways to interpret this music. Whilst he is entirely capable of playing hard and fast, as the music demands it, more often than not he is to be found lingering over a chord or a motif which many other pianists scamper over in their urgency to get to the finishing line. He really does bring to light the many subtle nuances that Beethoven implanted into these wonderful scores but, make no mistake, this quality of musicmaking takes time to absorb. During the past week, I listened to each of the CDs twice in succession and found that I really only started to hear much of what Lortie was doing second time round.

One example I have to mention is the mighty Hammerklavier which is still ringing in my ears as I write this having just listened to Lortie's performance for the second time today. This is the first time I've listened to this masterpiece where it struck me that it appears to be an extended meditation on the act (and process) of composition. You really get a sense of the pianist ruminating at length about the architectural structure of the music as he plays. The cumulative effect is one of suspended time. Before hearing Lortie's version, my reference for this among modern cycles was Stephen Kovacevich's furiously imagined (and quite unhinged, at times) performance which seemed, to me, to be the greatest since Wilhelm Backhaus's classic 1952 version. This is very different in its calmly reflective approach to the music. There is a languor to Lortie's tempi but the music never drags - there always remains a sense of forward momentum. This remains true of the cycle as a whole. Some listeners might resist such a cerebral approach to Beethoven's music but, to me, Lortie's interpretation is an equally valid way of hearing this great music and one which offers many new insights into Beethoven's inspiration.

That is an axcellent review mcq and it is obvious that your new set has very much impressed you. You make a compelling case and I do agree with you. I had a similiar revelation when I first heard the Beethoven symphonic cycle as portrayed by Mackerras and the RLPO in a very different set of interpretations to what I had been used to hearing. Sometims the wonderful subtleties of the great man's music can be lost in the attempt to portray the emotion that is no doubt there as well....a problem with perception or image perhaps?

JSB – Three wonderful Cantatas BWV49, BWV162 & BWV180 for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity....

fergus wrote:

mmm, Paris. I expect that the Goodman treatment is first class and ranks as one of your favourites?

mcq wrote:Over the past week, I've been enthralled by a recent purchase of mine, Louis Lortie's absorbing traversal of the Beethoven piano sonata cycle on Chandos. Many interpretations of this extraordinary music attempt to storm the heavens in imitation of Beethoven and serve up a dish of powerful emotionalism. Lortie shows us that this need not be the only way to tap the emotional undercurrents of these sonatas. His approach is one of subtle refinement, in which he seems to be thinking afresh about new ways to interpret this music. Whilst he is entirely capable of playing hard and fast, as the music demands it, more often than not he is to be found lingering over a chord or a motif which many other pianists scamper over in their urgency to get to the finishing line. He really does bring to light the many subtle nuances that Beethoven implanted into these wonderful scores but, make no mistake, this quality of musicmaking takes time to absorb. During the past week, I listened to each of the CDs twice in succession and found that I really only started to hear much of what Lortie was doing second time round.

One example I have to mention is the mighty Hammerklavier which is still ringing in my ears as I write this having just listened to Lortie's performance for the second time today. This is the first time I've listened to this masterpiece where it struck me that it appears to be an extended meditation on the act (and process) of composition. You really get a sense of the pianist ruminating at length about the architectural structure of the music as he plays. The cumulative effect is one of suspended time. Before hearing Lortie's version, my reference for this among modern cycles was Stephen Kovacevich's furiously imagined (and quite unhinged, at times) performance which seemed, to me, to be the greatest since Wilhelm Backhaus's classic 1952 version. This is very different in its calmly reflective approach to the music. There is a languor to Lortie's tempi but the music never drags - there always remains a sense of forward momentum. This remains true of the cycle as a whole. Some listeners might resist such a cerebral approach to Beethoven's music but, to me, Lortie's interpretation is an equally valid way of hearing this great music and one which offers many new insights into Beethoven's inspiration.

mcq, that is a very interesting assessment of Lortie's playing. I only have a few CDs of Lortie's and they include his playing music by Liszt. I haven't listened to them in awhile so I must return to them. I love the Beethoven sonatas but only have one complete cycle by Gulda and a couple of two CD sets by Brendel & Richter, and I love their playing. I have a couple of sets on order so later this week I should be able to compare and contrast the Gulda treatment with the approach taken by both Schnabel & Kempff (stereo).
I should conclude by mentioning that the Lortie Beethoven cycle on Chandos is available on jpc for less than €30.

fergus wrote:

mcq wrote:Over the past week, I've been enthralled by a recent purchase of mine, Louis Lortie's absorbing traversal of the Beethoven piano sonata cycle on Chandos. Many interpretations of this extraordinary music attempt to storm the heavens in imitation of Beethoven and serve up a dish of powerful emotionalism. Lortie shows us that this need not be the only way to tap the emotional undercurrents of these sonatas. His approach is one of subtle refinement, in which he seems to be thinking afresh about new ways to interpret this music. Whilst he is entirely capable of playing hard and fast, as the music demands it, more often than not he is to be found lingering over a chord or a motif which many other pianists scamper over in their urgency to get to the finishing line. He really does bring to light the many subtle nuances that Beethoven implanted into these wonderful scores but, make no mistake, this quality of musicmaking takes time to absorb. During the past week, I listened to each of the CDs twice in succession and found that I really only started to hear much of what Lortie was doing second time round.

One example I have to mention is the mighty Hammerklavier which is still ringing in my ears as I write this having just listened to Lortie's performance for the second time today. This is the first time I've listened to this masterpiece where it struck me that it appears to be an extended meditation on the act (and process) of composition. You really get a sense of the pianist ruminating at length about the architectural structure of the music as he plays. The cumulative effect is one of suspended time. Before hearing Lortie's version, my reference for this among modern cycles was Stephen Kovacevich's furiously imagined (and quite unhinged, at times) performance which seemed, to me, to be the greatest since Wilhelm Backhaus's classic 1952 version. This is very different in its calmly reflective approach to the music. There is a languor to Lortie's tempi but the music never drags - there always remains a sense of forward momentum. This remains true of the cycle as a whole. Some listeners might resist such a cerebral approach to Beethoven's music but, to me, Lortie's interpretation is an equally valid way of hearing this great music and one which offers many new insights into Beethoven's inspiration.

That is an axcellent review mcq and it is obvious that your new set has very much impressed you. You make a compelling case and I do agree with you. I had a similiar revelation when I first heard the Beethoven symphonic cycle as portrayed by Mackerras and the RLPO in a very different set of interpretations to what I had been used to hearing. Sometims the wonderful subtleties of the great man's music can be lost in the attempt to portray the emotion that is no doubt there as well....a problem with perception or image perhaps?

I also have that Beethoven symphony cycle by Mackerras, Fergus, and its general excellence has, so far, prevented me from buying Mackerras's sadly final forays into this wonderful music with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra on Hyperion. (However, I am looking forward to hearing Mackerras's performance of a selection of Dvorak's tone poems - available on Supraphon - which I purchased recently.) EMI criminally undersold the earlier set with the RLPO and it's no wonder that Mackerras moved on to Linn who served him admirably. I believe his defining legacy will be his classic series of recordings of Janacek's operas for Decca which have never been bettered. A wonderful talent (and, apparently, a gentleman as well), he is greatly missed.

With regards to the piano sonatas, I'm very much looking forward to Paul Lewis's concert tonight at the NCH and, especially, his performance of the Waldstein. In preparation for tonight, I've been listening today to his mentor Alfred Brendel's deeply profound version of this wonderful work, as well as his equally moving versions of Liszt's Vallee d'Obermann and Schumann's Fantasia in C which also form part of tonight's programme. It will be very interesting indeed to see how Brendel's much-touted protege compares to the master.

Seán wrote:

fergus wrote:

mmm, Paris. I expect that the Goodman treatment is first class and ranks as one of your favourites?

Beautiful performances Seán!!