Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
The Final Sonatas
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 (1821)
Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op. 110 (1822)
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 (1822)
Melvyn Tan (piano)
rec. 2022, Menuhin Hall, Yehudi Menuhin School, Cobham, UK
Signum Classics SIGCD906 [60]
Melvyn Tan is an internationally renowned fortepiano specialist, acclaimed for his 1988/89 Beethoven piano concerto cycle on that historical instrument with Sir Roger Norrington and the London Classical Players (review), as well as his 2004 partial piano sonata cycle of the same composer (Virgin Classics 5623682).
Here, we have Tan’s debut recital album for Signum Records, a cycle of Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas, recorded by him for the first time in his career, in crystalline sound that showcases his translucent tone to great effect – and on a modern piano, no less. His overall approach is one which prizes clarity of texture and phrasing, elements that could sometimes be lost in lusher, more “Romantic” conceptions of these profound, introspective masterpieces. At the same time, this notable transparency puts Tan’s occasionally distracting tempi relationships in a curious spotlight, rendering his few quirky interpretative decisions all the more jarring.
The first movement of the E major sonata is marked Vivace, ma non troppo at the beginning then dramatically Adagioespressivo a mere eight bars later, and one might miss the punch of the harmonic surprise that Beethoven has in store for the listener, as Tan barely takes his basic tempo down from the suitably flowing opening to the abrupt, dissonant chord that marks the start of the contrasting slow section (track 1, 0:11). In this second theme though, one cannot help but admire the clarity that Tan brings to the fleet 32nd and 64th note passages (0:25-0:51), where every note is enunciated yet retains its place as a part of a larger gesture that carries forward the long narrative arc, a hallmark of Beethoven’s sonatas. In the second movement, Prestissimo, Tan adopts a brisk tempo, though one that to me is still quite far off from what the composer demanded. For instance, the late Maurizio Pollini, in his reading from his legendary cycle of Beethoven’s last five sonatas (DG 4191992), dispatches this short interlude with a vivacious timing of just 2:16, as opposed to Tan’s unhurried 2:48. Furthermore, Tan unfortunately could not resist dialing back his tempo, bringing down precious momentum with him along the way, in closing the movement with its forte chords (track 2, 2:36-2:42), where I think Beethoven’s crescendo instruction entirely suffices. Similarly, the final movement, a theme and six variations that feature some gentle, lyrical phrasing aided again by Tan’s lucid touch, also raises this reviewer’s eyebrows with its tempo irregularities. Variation II (track 3, 4:01), for example, marked only Leggiermente, in no way suggests any radical tempo changes from the preceding Variation I, which in turn was simply indicated as Molto espressivo. One could reasonably conjecture that Beethoven expected these two variations to be played at roughly the same speed as the main theme itself, an Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo. Both Pollini in his aforementioned account and Barenboim in his most recent cycle (DG 4839524) aptly take Variation II at a leisurely pace along the lines of Variation I. Tan, however, proceeds with an unusual rapidity here that is evidently out of place, considering that the succeeding Variation III was labeled Allegro vivace, the actual first quick tempo marking in this expansive, archlike movement. With this tempo relationship, the grand build-up that comprises the heart of this finale and the whole sonata by extension, becomes unnecessarily bumpy.
The A-flat major sonata fares better due to more orthodox tempi decisions, and Tan’s illuminating touch reveals a great deal of detail in Beethoven’s famously elaborate writing. The filigree writing of the first subject (track 4, 0:36-0:57) is impeccably crisp; it is so easily blurred by other pianists due to overpedaling. The zurückhaltend indication à la Mahler is very well observed in the recapitulation of the second subject, where Tan holds back the music slightly before reluctantly letting it go – a highly expressive moment if executed as well as he does here (3:49-3:54). The pianist’s penchant for defined articulation continues to serve him well in the second movement, where excitement in the main scherzo sections is largely brought forth by the syncopated octaves in the left hand, which must be as rhythmically taut – as they are here – to make their impact. The trio section (track 5, 0:45-1:11) features some challenging leaps in the right hand, which Tan handles with aplomb. The final movement of this sonata is exceptionally tricky to pull off, given its technical as well as musical demands, consisting of improvisatory, recitativo passages ,not one but two highly intricate fugues, abruptly shifting expressive markings, and much more. Indeed, Beethoven prescribed a stunning eight instructions within just the first eight bars of this movement – and this is counting only tempo indications. Here again, Tan’s peculiar tempo choices are unconvincing. Things improve at the first appearance of the Fuga (fugue) , graciously tracked separately by Tan’s engineers, where a steady tempo is essential for the contrapuntal numerous voices to enter, develop and intermingle with each other coherently. More than ever, the pianist’s transparent textures are very welcome, and they ultimately allow him to build up a gratifying climax to round off this powerful sonata.
Beethoven’s final piano sonata, the mighty Op. 111, presents to pianists a challenge so enormous that is perhaps second only to his notorious Hammerklavier sonata, Op. 106, which is widely considered one of the greatest but most difficult pieces in the piano repertoire. The highest and broadest of technical demands aside, the C minor sonata’s two-movement structure requires a sensitive and courageous interpreter to bring its stark contrasts to life. Tan is generally up to the task, imbuing the opening Maestoso movement with ample but well controlled storminess throughout. The declamatory passage at the beginning (track 8, 0:01-0:28) possesses all the rhetorical force required due to Tan’s judicious observance of the small rests between every one of the composer’s flourishes and outbursts. The ensuing Allegro con brio ed appassionato contains some of the most treacherous 16th note runs of these late sonatas, but that is not apparent to the listener, given the ease with which Tan discharges them here. A minor gripe I have with this movement is the dramatic sf bass notes in the transition from the first subject to the second (2:39-2:43, then recapitulated at 6:43-6:47), which sound rather timid and nonchalant. Then, at last, we arrive at the final movement of Beethoven’s ultimate sonata. Having greeted us with a turbulent and impassioned start to this work, then a remarkable Arietta, it is evident that the composer intended to round off his highly unconventional sonata by drawing the greatest possible contrast between the former and latter movements. Of utmost importance to the pianist throughout this fifteen-minute theme-and-five-variations is that the same basic tempo must be sustained from beginning to end. Notably, Beethoven did not indicate any tempo changes anywhere in this vast Arietta, and even took pains to indicate L’istesso tempo at the initial time signature changes, lest pianists of posterity run away with the shorter notes within each ensuing variation. The composer daringly built his long narrative arc using increasingly shortened note durations across most of the seven sections that comprise this movement, accumulating tension throughout the theme’s evolutions and exploring all sorts of figurations. I am delighted and relieved to report that Tan maintains a lovely basic tempo in his reading, with only very subtle inflections to highlight Beethoven’s extraordinary rhythmic ideas, such as the beginning of Variation II, where its melody consists of alternating 16th and 32nd notes (track 9, 3:49-5:36). Tan also keeps the much-discussed swing-like rhythms in Variation III crystal clear, through his limpid finger work and astute use of the sustain pedal. He demonstrates an ability to sustain a long line throughout this extensive and (literally) varied movement, which is thankfully free of the eccentricities that mar some of his interpretations of these sonatas. The coda (13:58-15:30) is breathtakingly poignant and resigned – Tan is cognizant of the fact that, after all, it represents not just the ending of this epic sonata, but the culmination of one of the greatest bodies of literature ever written for the piano.
In summary, Tan’s traversal of Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas showcases an interesting mix of artistic sensitivity and peculiarity. His fans of his will no doubt be excited about this opportunity to hear him play these works on a modern piano, which sounds great, if occasionally underpowered, on this album; meanwhile, aficionados of these great masterpieces might want to check out this cycle, if only for the sake of comparison and contrast with other versions in the catalogue, which is as extensive as it is diverse. For this listener, Pollini’s cycle of these opuses remains a firm favourite, even almost five decades after their release.
Kelvin Chan
If you purchase this recording using a link below, it generates revenue for MWI and helps us maintain free access to the site
