Customer Reviews

Piotr Anderszewski - Beethoven: Diabelli Variations

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4 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

May be I`m biased, because I first saw the film by Moinsaingeon and got astonished, enchanted by Anderszevski`s passion for that particular piece and for Beethoven`s music in general. It`s not only the understanding but also the great love for that music that makes PA`s interpretation so unique. He manages to convey all the moods so well: he`s moody, ardent, ironic, furious, funny,brooding, angry...You wish there were at least some 20 more variations

Although I haven't heard a recording of Brendel's performance of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations - though I have heard him perform them live at Carnegie Hall - I would certainly agree that it has to be regarded as the benchmark recording, along with those from Kinderman and Kovacevich, against which others ought to be measured. Andreszewski's exceptional, often idiosyncratic, performance is a worthy rival to any of them, especially Brendel's. This is a superb recording of a great pianist slowly emerging, willing to put his own stamp on one of the most important compositions of the piano. His technique seems akin to Brendel's or Kovacevich's, yet he is more willing than either pianist in considering sudden changes in tempo, especially broader tempi. The sound quality is exceptionally good. Although some critics are saying that this is now the definitive version of the Diabelli Variations, I'm not sure whether such lavish praise is justified. Yet it is a fascinating, excellent interpretation that should go on your shelf alongside the recordings by Brendel, Kinderman or Kovacevich.

Piotr Anderszewski is clearly one of the great piano virtuosos before the public today. His awards and recordings attest to a titanic technique that seems to improve with age. He recently earned raves from critics on both sides of the Atlantic for his recording of Mozart piano concertos. His playing in this recording is magnificent, even perfect. And that's the problem -- it's too perfect, like those machine paintings they try to sell you at starving artists sales that have a painter's name on them but you know it was signed by a robot generated from a computer program to put out 10,000 of the things, every one just like the one before it.

It's a bit difficult for me to grade a recording of Beethoven's "Diabelli" variations, not because it's not great music but because it is not a favorite of mine. Give me his "15 Variations on a Theme in C minor", "Eroica" variations, or his variations on Handel's "Hail the conquering hero" theme for cello and piano and I'm in heaven. But, while I don't contest the Diabelli's are on a par with Bach's Goldberg variations, they simply don't do it for me emotionally. And in a reading like this one, where a fabulous technician essentially misses half of what the composer is trying to say in the score, it is that much more difficult to appreciate.

What Anderszewski misses is stated in just a few sentences of Marcel Marnat's notes: "In this work Beethoven sums up all his various styles, ranging from 18th century smiles to Romantic prophecy. In the old-fashioned waltz that so charmed his contemporaries, he found an extraordinary opportunity to be constantly prophetic and mighty." Please note the phrase, "...Beethoven sums up..."

Where Anderszewski often errs, in my opinion, is in his failure to either understand, project or adapt to Beethoven's styles. Examples of these misses are all over the place. In Variation 14 he uses far too much pedal and comes off sounding more like Liszt than Beethoven. The Variation 20 presto, instead of exuding Beethoven's humor, exhibits techinique to burn but only a superficial understanding of the musical values the composer is reflecting, as if this is a practice example and not a great work of art. And while Anderszewski revels in the 32nd notes of Variation 23's allegro assai, another place where the composer is having some fun, Anderszewski interprets it to say little more than, "Look at how fast I can play this music!"

Like his recording of Bach's Partitas 1, 3 and 6, Anderszewski employs a near total lack of rubato, diminuendo, accelerando, tenuto and other devices that bring passion, individiuality and characterization to the music, instead relying solely on his fabulous prestidigitation for affect. Only in Variation 30's andante does he break this pattern and allow the music to breathe. Unfortunately, he continues his metrical approach in Variation 32 largo where he intermingles facile, limpid playing with a metronomic approach. Like with his Bach, it confuses me how this player can be so outstanding at the keyboard and come nearly to the heart of the message at times, while virtually missing everything the composer is saying the rest of the time.

Even though it's not one of my favorite pieces I have nonetheless heard enough versions of the music to know a great one when I hear it. To gain a more complete understanding of Beethoven's purpose in writing this near the end of his life, go to Wilhelm Backhaus's wonderful and beautiful traversal, only available today in a set of the Beethoven concertos. Richter and Brendel also deliver the goods and another personal favorite is Rudolf Serkin's recording at Vermont's Marlboro festival. While Serkin's playing is authoritative and reflects a lifetime of commitment to the core German piano repertoire, the stamp of authenticity is an unexpected obligato in a passage near the end from some crickets stationed within earshot of microphones that night, making this one of the most unique concert recordings of Beethoven or any other composer.

I've listened to Kovacevich's Diabelli all these years, and remained convinced that no one could top his version. Naturally, I ended up comparing Anderszewski's Diabelli with Kovacevich at every turn. Intellectually, Anderszewski's version one-ups Kovacevich and the design of his playing is something to marvel at. There is not a phrase that hasn't been mulled over, a pause that hasn't been well-considered. It's a deeply idiosyncratic, sometimes willful interpretation, but it's never uninteresting. I still prefer Kovacevich's tempi better, but I was bowled over by this thoughtful, often beautiful recording, and I must say, it is the new benchmark for the Diabelli, supplanting everything else I've heard on the catalogue.

I'm not exactually sure what the hell the reviewer below is talking about, but it seems that his impression of this interpretation of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations is less than receptive. This is an excellent recording of these variations regardless of what anyone says, Anderszewski's interpretation is certainly a valid one even if his idea of the scope of these variations is rather short. He tends to treat each variation as a seperate sort of "miniature" instead of part of larger whole, but as the editorial review above states, it is easy to hear the promise of great pianism in years ahead in these interpretations as this recording shows proof of Anderszewski's considerable technical merit, and his interpretive intelligence. If you're in search of the definitive recording of these pieces this may or may not be the right choice depending on your personal taste, but if you own several recordings of these excellent variations, this one is certainly capable of holding it's own with the heavyweights.

Yes, he likes the show around himself. A bit too much, possibly. I have seen him at concerts (in Budapest).
But: Listen to the CD at home. No show there, just the music. Great. Just beautiful.
Yes, of course, Beethoven does his best too :-)

Like many of his other recordings and performances, he seems to display an ability to get into my heart. His sensitivity and emotion is very good and every time I listen to him my heart aches. This recording of the Diabelli Variations does the same as everything else. Anderszewski is an imerging pianist and judging by what I have heard of him so far, I can't think of one reason why he wouldn not go far in his career. I definately reccomend this disc to anybody who loves beautiful music because this recording will NOT dissapoint!

First, to answer the query from "A music fan from somewhere" (see June 8, 2003 below)--yes, Variation 22 is "stolen" from Leporello's Notte e giorno faticar.

As for Anderszewski's performance of this endlessly fascinating work, to my ears it doesn't always measure up to the three most-often cited above and below (by Brendel, Kinderman, Kovacevich), nor to my other favorite, Pollini's; yet it's often illuminating and very often quite beautiful. If I could single out the one element that is too often lacking here it would be the humor that Beethoven brought to the work. But as for how Anderszewski tends to miss the humor and Brendel tends to capture it (Brendel even writes about the comic aspects of the Variations in an essay included in "Music Sounded Out"): to put that into words would be to bridge the gap between words and notes that makes it so hard for a listener to write anything worthwhile about music.

I also agree with David Fanning (above) that the booklet is not very useful. It might be fun to speculate as to how "towering a rage" Beethoven was in and whom he was enraged at when he was composing this music, but to me these speculations don't enhance our connection with the music. Better to have written about the years of work Anderszewski has put into playing this work, as partly reflected in the documentary directed by Bruno Monsaingeon, or to have let Anderszewski himself share his thoughts.

I simply want to add my qualified recommendation for this disc. It is the fist CD of Mr Anderszewski's playing I've heard, so I can't compare it with other recordings of his, Beethoven or otherwise. He strikes me as a massively technically talented player who also has brains and guts to go his own way with one of the cornerstones of classical piano writing. One of the first things one notices is the extremely wide dynamic range. The first variation is pretty stolidly forthright and uninflected, as it should be, and then the second variation is extremely soft initially. The first time I heard this I thought there must be some drop-out in the recording, but no, it's what he wants. And on further listening (and consultation with the score) I see that this is an entirely valid, if extreme, decision on his part. Variation 3 then is slightly louder, again according to the score.

I won't bore you with a variation by variation account of this traversal but will say that I was particularly impressed with a number of the individual variations: Nos. 11 (quicksilver), 13 (portentous, severe, but occasionally quirkily humorous dynamics), 14 (serene, leisurely), 21 (catches Beethoven's bumptiousness which pauses from time to time to catch its breath), 23 (same thing but in reverse order - calm, then bumptious, with real contrast), 24 (the fughetta, managed with utter simplicity and control), 31 (the longest of the variations, which can tend to lose its focus, doesn't here), a wonderful Var. 32 (the fugue) which very nearly caps the whole thing off before the (unless you know the piece) surprisingly genial withdrawal of Var. 33.

All in all I'm glad I have this account, but I won't want to give up Serkin or Brendel, or for that matter, Schnabel or the all-but-forgotten recording of Maria Yudina. Others have mentioned the recording of William Kindermann and I have to admit I've never heard it or of him but I see from an Internet search that he has written a book about the Diabelli Variations. Another scholar/pianist in the style of Charles Rosen? Gonna have to check that out!

I agree with a previous reviewer who indicates that the enclosed booklet's notes are not very helpful and more than a little fanciful.

Scott Morrison

The work was intially composed by Diabelli,who was a well known music publisher and composer. He sent 1 simple waltz to all the important composers of the time, including Franz Schubert, Carl Czerny, the eight year old Franz Liszt and of course Ludwig van Beethoven asking each of them to write a variation on it. At first Beethoven refused to participate in Diabelli's project, basically saying the waltz was unworthy of his time. Not long afterwards, according to the story, upon learning that Diabelli would pay a lot of money for a full set of variations from him, Beethoven changed his mind and decided to show how much could be done with pratically nothing he could make something extrordinary. So instead of writing 1 variation Beethoven wrote 33. The variation are as follows:

Variation 1: Alla marcia maestoso: After Diabelli's theme, the work begins with a strong, heavily accented march.
Variation 2: Poco allegro: Added to the set late in the composing process. Alternating hands and patterns of dissonances create wonderful effects. From Variation 2 to 5 the drama increases.
Variation 3: L istesso tempo: This was the first variation in Beethoven's original plan. It is paired with Variations 4, united by their use of counterpoint and by the smooth transition between them.
Variation 4: Un poco piu vivace: This exciting variation with its driving rhythm is a phrasing that emphasizes the third beat of the bar. Each half closes in a loud climax.
Variation 5: Allegro vivace: An exciting number with breathtaking rhythmic climaxes.
Variation 6: Allegro ma non troppo e serioso. This and the following variation are brilliant, exciting, virtuoso pieces.
Variation 7: Un poco piu allegro. Brilliant and dramatic
Variation 8: Poco vivace: A sharp contrast with the preceding pieces, played sweetly and tenderly.
Variation 9: Allegro pesante e risoluto: A powerful variation focusing on Diabelli's opening grace note and turn. This and the following variation return to great drama.
Variation 10: Presto: Traditionally viewed as the close of a main division of the work. The most brilliant of all the variations.
Variation 11: Allegretto: Quiet and graceful.
Variation 12: Un poco piu moto: Ceaseless motion of music
Variation 13: Vivace: Powerful, rhythmic chords followed by silence, then soft playing.
Variation 14: Grave e maestoso: The first slow variation.
Variation 15: Presto scherzando: A short, light number before two loud virtuoso displays.
Variation 16: Allegro: A virtuoso variation.
Variation 17: Allegro. The second march.
Variation 18: Poco moderato. Another variation using the opening turn in Diabelli's waltz.
Variation 19: Presto: Fast and busy, in sharp contrast to the variation which follows.
Variation 20: Andante: An extraordinarily slow moving variation consisting almost entirely of dotted whole notes, greatly contrasting with the variations coming before and after.
Variation 21: Allegro con brio - Meno allegro: An extreme contrast to the preceding Andante.
Variation 22: Allegro molto, Notte e giorno faticar di Mozart: A reference to Leporello's aria in the beginning of Mozart's Don Giovanni. The music is humorous in style. It is sometimes said that here Beethoven is grumbling about the labour these variations cost him.
Variation 23: Allegro assai: another virtuoso variation as the second main division of the work.
Variation 24: Fughetta: Lyrical and beautiful, greatly contrasting with the preceding variation.
Variation 25: Allegro: Simple chords in the right hand over a busy pattern in the left hand.
Variation 26: Piacevole
Variation 27: Vivace
Variation 28: Allegro
Variation 30: Andante, sempre cantabile: Variation 30 is of a similar slow, expressive character as the variation which follows. Its final bars clearly lead to Variation 31.
Variation 31: Largo, molto espressivo: similar tp the Bach Adagio, as the succeeding double fugue is one of the Handel Allegro.
Variation 32: Fuga: Allegro: Rather than ending with the fugue, Beethoven leads it into a wonderful concluding minuet.
Variation 33: Tempo di Menuetto moderato: the ending to a musical masterpiece.

It is often said the Beethoven Diabelli variations are difficult for both performer and listener. I have to disagree with the listener part. I have many cd's of the Diabelli Variations and Anderszewski's is to me the best. I was very surprised to see people downgrading this recording. If you like Anderszewski's recording he also has the DVD of him playing the complete Diabelli Variations that is also wonderful that you can purchase from Amazon.