Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 'Appassionata' - SACD

Svjatoslav Richter created a stir in New York in the fall of 1960 by justifying Romain Rolland's judgement of the Appassionata, i.e. "a flood of fire in a bed of granite". A true self portrait of the artist according to the critics, amazed by his violent and tragical vision in contrast with that of the 18th Sonata, pastoral and sober. He adored this old fashioned suite, without any slow movement; he amazes in the famous Tempest -more an intimate reflexion than a Shakespearian wrathful fury.

Marie-Josèphe Jude takes hold of these sonatas with rare elegance, turning the musical discourse into an overwhelming pianistic confession, at whose heart poetic fervor vibrates each note, each breath evoked. Magnificently rigorous, her playing seems self-evident. From the first vibration to the last breath it is indeed the soul and thinking of Beethoven we perceive. In a rich sound recording, this SACD is a landmark.

Following her Schumann debut on MDG9471681), Jin Ju displays an even broader spectrum of expression. She is a clear, unpretentious virtuoso. All these works were composed during a twenty year period, adding to the appeal of this CD.

The latest recording by the celebrated Ukrainian pianist Sergei Edelmann for Triton features three of Beethoven’s sonatas for solo piano: No. 4 in E flat major opus 7, and two of his best known works, Sonatas No.14 in C# minor opus 27 No.2 known as the ‘Moonlight’, and 23 in F minor opus 57 ‘Appassionata’.

Born in Lvov, Ukraine in 1960, Sergei Edelmann was taught to play by his father, Alexander Edelmann, a renowned pianist and teacher who had links with Vladimir Horowitz and Sviatoslav Richter. His BMG Classics/RCA Red Seal CDs feature recordings of both Mendelssohn Concertos and the Strauss Burlesque, and his series of solo recordings of Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, and Prokofiev, have gathered enthusiastic critical acclaim. In recent times he has made several recordings for Triton, including discs devoted to the music of Schumann (EXCL00025), and Chopin (OVCT00058).

Following closely after the opus 2 set of three sonatas which were written in 1796, the next in the series, Op. 7, stands alone, and bears the designation ‘Grande Sonate’. It was composed around the same time as the first two piano concertos. The two Sonatas which make up Beethoven’s Op. 27 were composed in 1801, between the First and Second Symphonies. Both have the same sub-title, ‘Sonata in the manner of a fantasia’, the fantasy element of No. 2 coming through having the slow movement at the start. It was this that prompted the work’s poetic nickname of ‘Moonlight’ Sonata. The opus 57 Sonata was written in around 1805 the same time as the 3rd and 4th Symphonies, the 4th Piano Concerto, the ‘Rasumovsky’ String Quartets, and the Violin Concerto. The title ‘Appassionata’ is thought to have been added to the work by the publisher.

Korstick recorded the Waldstein Sonata in 2003 and his performance received euphoric reviews. He has recorded the other two works on this CD for the first time. Once again, his uncompromising exploration of the boundaries of the possible – i.e. following Beethoven’s directions to the performer to the letter – is superb. This CD presents a fascinating cross-section of Beethoven’s sonatas.