Album

If it were possible to hear András Schiff's 2008 recording of Beethoven final three piano sonatas without having already heard his previous recordings of the earlier sonatas, what would it sound like? Indeed, if it were possible to hear this disc without having heard any of Schiff's recordings of his instrument's core Austro-Germanic repertoire from Bach through Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms to Reger and Busoni, what would it sound like? After all, these three sonatas are acknowledged by listeners, critics, and musicologists alike to be among the very greatest works in their genre and the artistic stakes for the pianist are supremely high.

In terms of performance, the disc would sound all of a piece. Despite the enormous musical, emotional, and spiritual range of the music, the pianist sounds consistently like himself. In the face of Opus 109's radiant lyricism, Opus 110's luminous counterpoint, and Opus 111's transcendent variations, the pianist remains clear-headed and poised, his articulation deft, his balances lucid, and his tempos completely controlled. In terms of interpretation, the disc would sound a bit cool. The phrasing here is crisp, the sonorities do not linger and there is conspicuously little use of the sustain pedal. But more than that, the interpretations themselves sound a tad distant, as if the performer had considered all the ways to approach the music from the histrionic to the heroic and chose the middle way. Opus 109 shines, but does not gleam. Opus 110 argues but does not persuade. Opus 111 maps the starry skies but does not sail off into interstellar space. If one had not heard the canonical recordings of Schnabel, Fischer, Kempff, Richter, Brendel, and Pollini, this disc would sound splendid, particularly in ECM's virtually lifelike digital sound. But heard in comparison to those performers' awe-inspiring sublimity, Schiff sounds simply superb.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.30 in E, Op.109 Work 18:45 Andras Schiff Piano
1	1.Vivace, ma non troppo	3:40			$0.99
2	2.Prestissimo	2:29			$0.99
3	3.Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo (Variations 1-6)	12:36			$1.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.31 in Ab, Op.110 Work 18:58 Andras Schiff Piano
4	1.Moderato cantabile, molto espressivo	6:54			$0.99
5	2.Allegro molto	2:17			$0.99
6	3.Adagio ma non troppo: Arioso dolente; 4.Fuga: Allegro ma non troppo	9:47			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.32 in C-, Op.111 Work 26:45 Andras Schiff Piano
7	1.Maestoso: Allegro con brio ed appassionato	8:42			$1.49
8	2.Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile (Theme and Variations)	18:03			$2.99