Customer Reviews

Sviatoslav Richter in Prague- Beethoven: 33 Diabelli Variations, Op. 120 / Piano Sonata No. 31, Op. 110

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The Sonata No. 31 is (like I expressed it once four years ago about an unforgettable encounter about the Last three Sonatas) the memory 's sonata. There is no other piano work that resumes so eloquently this issue. Beethoven initiates the last stage of the hero; the return to the primordial fountains, the landscape after the battle filled with a wisdom based on the experience: the cycle comes to its end. And this Farewell is suggested without great effects and theatrical poses. Richter gives a very heartfelt performance of this score. When you listen it think in the Adagio in terms of human horizontality and the Fuga in terms of verticality acquiescence.

The sublime genius made of a Diabelli 's simple waltz a magnificent sample of his monumental talent. Even considering those were the last years of his decaying production and exhausted inspiration. Beethoven employed almost four years and a half 1819-1823 to compose this singular piece. Under the perspective of so many years dealing with it, you can realize that in many ways this score is very linked to his famous Solemn Mass, written also in this same period 1819-1822. The approach in the Mass is far to be a religious finding at the end of his days. You feel this work as well as the Diabelli as an attempt to humanize the Gods instead to make a devoted score by spiritual motives. There are many reasons to think this human and tragic vision can be entitled as contemplative; Beethoven never gave any signal to be a religious man; on the other hand, The Diabelli to my mind constitute a kind of journey 's notebook, in which Ludwig rides on the wings of his febrile imagination throughout the fortunate and glorious years of his fruitful existence, feats and disaffections, illusions and disappointments, where the emotion descends gradually till his last three Variations that testimony a sensible Farewell mood.

It is important to remind these three last Sonatas were written in this same period. And what do we have? These Sonatas finish without affirmation sense. All these three Finale are immersed in a clear sensation of elevation and abstraction. He employs the Fugue and Fugato to suggest the vanishing and the dissolution of his ego in the cosmos.

This is a very important aspect top remark, because the melodic continuity is filled with suggestive landscapes, evanescent pianissimos and intimate evocations, these are works profoundly immersed in the memory 's labyrinths.

Richter seemed to overtake this slender intention beneath the score, impregnating this performance of cosmic solitude and introspective wisdom. There is not neither sentiment nor self indulgence around it.

Go for this personal and very interesting vision of one of the most difficult but equally enraptured scores of Bonn genius.

There are not so much fortunate versions in the market about Diabelli, except the unsurpassed vision of Rudolf Serkin, followed by Tatiana Nikolayeva, Friedrich Gulda, Georg Demus, and Daniel Barenboim. It would seem that many pianists just want to play without thinking about the material to perform. That reveals not only an absolute triviality (in what it concerns to the absence of physical tensions) but worse still, a total incomprehension of the Beethovenian ethos.

What a pity for them!

Among the four live recordings of Diabelli Variations played by Richter, this Prague recording is as gripping as the famous Venice live recording (M&A, Arkadia). The Prague recording has the advantage of much better recording quality. Tempi are a little more relaxed, compared to Richter's other performances, to emphasize structural coherence of the variations, yet overall effect is no less compelling - like Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations - listeners get the sense of being directly in touch with the composer's inspiration.

Sonata no.31 is in a class of its own and, in fact, one of Richter's finest live performances of Beethoven sonatas - the kind of profound performance I find no words to describe. It is also beautifully recorded.

ADD Stereo, Prague, 18 May 1986 & 6 February 1965 (Sonata no.31)