Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata No 29 in B-flat major Hammerklavier, Op 106 (1817-18)
Piano Sonata No 3 in C major, Op 2 No 3 (1795)
Marc-André Hamelin (piano)
rec. 2023, St. Silas the Martyr, Kentish Town, London
Hyperion CDA68456 [69]
It is no surprise that Hamelin has made his way to the giant of the classical piano literature that is Beethoven’s Hammerklavier sonata. He has scaled summits of other eras to great acclaim: Alkan’s gigantic Concerto for solo piano, Busoni’s truly monumental five movement Piano Concerto and closer to our time Fréderic Rzewski’s variations on The People United Will Never Be Defeated! The essence of this work with its revolutionary fugal final movement doubtless threw down the gauntlet to these and many other composers.
I recently reviewed Beatrice Rana’s excellent Hammerklavier sonata which she coupled with Chopin’s B-flat minor sonata (Warner Classics 5419 789765 review) and was bowled over by that recording. Now, a somewhat different performance comes from a pianist who has impressed me from the first time I heard him play. Though the only Beethoven I have previously heard him play was the G major Rondo, a deliciously elegant recital opener in 1994; he does not disappoint. Presented with one of the most fearsome pianistic challenges he eschews display; he doesn’t try to compete with Beethoven’s extreme tempo markings unlike Rana who, in the scherzo for instance, at times exceeds them. Her presto propels itself to a whirlwind cascade of notes before the tempo primo, whereas Hamelin gives a beautifully judged crescendo alongside crisp, taut rhythms. I find these qualities throughout. Without pushing the tempo, he nonetheless creates a fine sense of forward momentum, and he eases through Beethoven’s poco ritardandi with a nicely judged sense of space. He acknowledges Beethoven’s many accented notes, sforzandi and swiftly changing dynamics but is never overt about them, allowing the phrasing to flow in a natural and unmannered way. His ease and lightness of touch, creating such spaciousness, goes a long way to making this such an enjoyable reading.
After the stern grandeur of the opening movement, there is respite in the scherzo that Beethoven unusually but effectively and satisfyingly placed before the extended slow movement. As I say Hamelin keeps the tempo relaxed but fluent and though slightly slower than most others – 3:00 as opposed to many which stand at around 2:45 he doesn’t feel slower and dances admirably. He captures the calm, desolation of the slow movement while bringing a richness to the melodic writing and decoration that almost foreshadows Chopin. He finds contrast to that desolation in the warm, glowing textures of the major sections, with beautifully still long notes in the extremes of the keyboard around the murmuring figuration in the middle voice. It is a joy to hear the supreme command and control in the fugue, not that I would expect any less than that from Hamelin, but this is about so much more than technique. Beethoven puts so many ideas into this gigantic fugue and Hamelin seems to find a new timbre or texture for each. Whether that is the silken counterpoint, the elegant buoyancy of the G-flat section or the pomposity of the quaver sixths that follow. This is a highly satisfying performance in all ways.
Rather than trying to match its grandeur, Hamelin turns to early Beethoven as a palette cleanser after such richness. The Sonata, Op 2 No 3, was composed nearly half a lifetime before and like the two companions that share its opus number, it was dedicated to his teacher Joseph Haydn. Like its larger cousin, it is cast in four movements, though the second movement is in its more usual spot after the opening movement. Hamelin’s crystalline finger work and sense of fun suits this music perfectly. Whether in the playful opening motif contrasting with the almost concerto-like figuration that soon burst forth, or the finale that takes the jollity of the scherzo and tops it. It literally fizzes with sparkle and dashing good humour. The adagio is a far cry from the adagio sostenuto of the Hammerklavier, but its simply wrought drama, under Hamelin’s sure fingers, is almost worth the price of the disc on its own.
Hamelin shines in this repertoire as brightly as in the romantic and more contemporary repertoire that we are used to hearing him in. He has never shied away from the classics and a host of acclaimed albums filled with Haydn, Mozart and C P E Bach show how successfully he is attuned to the stylistic challenges. I see that he is playing all the Beethoven concertos in the upcoming months. Based on this gorgeously recorded and performed album it would be wonderful to have him commit those to disc, but for the moment I would just say savour these special recordings.
Rob Challinor
Previous review: Stephen Greenbank (January 2025)
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