Catcher in the keyboard sonatas

Since the K. 475/K. 457 experience I have hungered to understand more about the relationships between the music of Mozart and Beethoven; and have set out on a listening campaign of the first 8 Beethoven sonatas.

Why the first eight?

Beethoven idolized Mozart and his greatest ambition as a young man, unrealized, sadly, due to Mozart’ premature death, was to be his student; it was in order to rub off on himself some of Mozart’s magical wig powder that he enrolled to study under Haydn. (Haydn and Mozart had had a long and close musical association). It is said that Haydn commented on the Prestissimo of his sonata number one, partly written in Bonn before his arrival in Vienna, that it showed the young fellow had talent but also – a lot to learn. (Interestingly, and out of character with his later self, Beethoven appeared to agree eagerly). There are figures in the Prestissimo which remind one of K. 475/K. 457; but the whole mood seems derivative of K. 475/K. 457. Perhaps this is all the sheet music of Mozart’s Beethoven was able to get in Bonn?

The first eight sonatas because the Pathetique, which seems to sound the most like K. 475/K. 457, is Number Eight. (It is also in the same key of C-Minor).

Having first tried the eight by Glenn Gould, I soon gave up; the man butchers the music; sometimes with quite open derision. Subsequently to the recording, Gould went on record on numerous occasions about his dislike for Beethoven; though who knows the real truth: there is an extremely beautiful recording by him of Beethoven’s 3^rd piano concerto; and another one of Beethoven symphonies in Liszt’s transcription; so perhaps what happened was this: he had been compelled by the record company to record the complete Beethoven piano sonatas and struck back by sabotaging them. We shall never know the truth; but sabotage them he did.

I passed over the recordings of Barenboim (please), Ashkenazy (hell no), and settled for Badura Skoda (I remembered some very old and very nice Mozart piano concerti by him). The results of the listening were a bit of a disappointment: the music tired me; it seemed too much more and more of the same: a man comes out on stage, takes a bow, then shakes and shoves the piano left, right and center, then takes a bow and leaves; then comes back for more of the same. I didn’t seem to detect much nuanced content.

Who knows whose fault it is – Beethoven’s; Skoda’s; or his tinny piano forte’s. (Pianists develop special feelings for their instruments; Gould’s attachment to his 318 was legendary; Landowska built her own harpsichord. Often the special liking is understandable: just listen to Schiff’s favorite instrument; but why Skoda should love his isn’t clear to me. Perhaps it sounds better to the ear of the man who plays it; after all the pianist not only hears but also feels his instrument. (There are other such unaccountable loves – Hogwood has had a special love for his clavichord; which sounded like – pardon the expression – jingle bells on laughing gas).

So, in order to keep going, I must keep looking. Tomorrow I shall listen to Richard Goode’s first eight. (With a name like that a man who is not a great gogo dancer is surely a superb pianist). But what I shall have to do is get either the Gilels or the Pollini.

While reading around on the subject, I learned that all of these men – Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn – thought that the true father of the keyboard sonata was… CPE Bach; now there is a name one rarely hears (though more often of late). In fact, some of the recent recordings by Spanyi were world premieres! I got them now and am slowly working my way through them, with delectation. (Another soloist with an inexplicable love for his instrument – with pretty but very small sound – its picture seems to feature on the cover of all his CDs!) His recording of CPE’s keyboard concertos may be more pleasant because there his instrument – it sounds like harp at times – is supported by a fulsome, rich, polished orchestra.

And I have also got Christopher Hintherhuber short selection: you can sample it (and buy in MP3 format) here.

Gramophone writes about him: “Christopher Hinterhuber is a rising Austrian pianist who…..[plays] with a bold brightness which never descends into harshness or percussiveness. Slower sections, too, find him able to tease textures out with intelligence and skill. This is fine playing.” Gramophone.”

And it is all true.

PS

I got hold of the Gilels; and he does play them well; and on a very beautiful, sonorous instrument. Unlike Gould, he clearly does make an effort; but even he can’t make a silk purse out early Beethoven. The tiresome pushiness of the composer, who like a drunk has button-holed you in the market and won’t stop talking at you, would be an asset perhaps if what he had to say was not just more and more of the same. Gilels’ wonderful playing makes the shallowness of the psychology of Beethoven’s first eight all the more glaring: he is like a fellow going on and on about his sexual frustration.

Please. Time to wash my ears. Perhaps with Francois Chaplin’s CPE; which is also very good.