Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Opp. 109, 110, 111

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Opp. 109, 110, 111

Beethovenâ€™s last three piano sonatas have long been regarded as the Mt. Everest of the form, heights that can be scaled only by pianists who possess the keyboard technique to realize the depth of the composerâ€™s vision. By those standards, if Uchida isnâ€™t the equal of such giants as Arrau, Kempff, and Schnabel, she certainly comes close enough to make this an outstanding release. Her pianissimos are feathery-light; her fortes are as powerful as one might wish, and her trills are analogues of Beethovenâ€™s spiritual ideas. She renders Beethovenâ€™s full dynamic palette with nuances that make every shading register. Uchida never makes an ugly sound. Her tone remains warm, colorful, and full-bodied. More important, her interpretation encompasses the inward, contemplative slow sections as well as the energetic ones, and she plays Beethovenâ€™s contrapuntal passages with a clarity that makes every musical strand count. Sheâ€™s helped by outstanding engineering, too. Not all of the transcendental Beethoven is captured here, but Uchida comes a lot closer than most pianists can aspire to. That alone makes this disc a must-have. -- Dan Davis
Country USA
Brand Philips
Manufacturer Philips
Binding Audio CD
ItemPartNumber 028947569350
ReleaseDate 2006-04-25
UnitCount 1
UPCs 028947569350
EANs 0028947569350

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