Andras Schiff
109+110+111=960
Today was the last evening in a row of recital evenings when Andras Schiff played all Beethoven-Sonatas.
I missed two recitals, but today could have been perfect. Like a proper groupie I have took his book about Beethoven-sonatas and one Beethoven-album of scores to have them signed. But the queue was so long and only slowly moving so I did not want to wait for another hour.
Maybe he will read this because some agents collects everything where his name is contained. So I am writing here in English what I would have liked to tell him.
There is no discussion about his performance on Beethoven. I would say that he is intellectually equally controlled like Alfred Brendel but he shows more heart. His feelings for Beethoven's music show and carry an enormous musical power. His generosity concerning the add-ons is also remarkable. Bagatelles op 126, Diabelli-variations op 120 and today?
First of all he managed to suppress applause between the three sonatas by not letting go the hold on the keys. Starting after a reasonable break that was still included by former peace he started the next sonata without interception.
I read in his book that this three sonatas are a sort of musical last statement (or even will) of Beethoven. It is quite audible that Schiff like the op 100 especially.
after opus 111 - everybody knows what this number means - there was big applause and after the fifth curtain he spoke up in his usual form and sentence: "this will now take a long time. So people should leave that have not got the time."
My personal idea about opus 111 would allow for no encore but one. The slow movement of the last Schubert sonata DV 960. Schiff sat down and started with the first movement of DV 960. And he played the whole sonata. For some people in the hall the sonata was unknown as was probably 109 and 110. My neighbor asked me afterwards whether that had been the Goldberg-variations. And she had played piano for 14 years. But of course that may happen.
Later in the subway I was asked again when people overheard that I was talking with my wife about the eveing.
Apart from the fact that Schiff might have read my thoughts I was quite pleased that he used the same tempo which I prefer for the first and the fourth movement. He was somewhat faster in the second movement and somewhat slower in the third movement. But that is far from critizising him. It is the tempo he obviously feels and then it must be right to play it that way. I learned a lot by listening to Schubert and to 109 and 110. I was sitting in the first row directly looking at the keyboard. I could watch his fingers and his pedaling in some interesting bars. Better than any piano lesson.
But that all concerns technicalities.
The main message must be: he makes music and by doing it he offers a convincing sincerity.
What could one ask for more?
Today was the last evening in a row of recital evenings when Andras Schiff played all Beethoven-Sonatas.
I missed two recitals, but today could have been perfect. Like a proper groupie I have took his book about Beethoven-sonatas and one Beethoven-album of scores to have them signed. But the queue was so long and only slowly moving so I did not want to wait for another hour.
Maybe he will read this because some agents collects everything where his name is contained. So I am writing here in English what I would have liked to tell him.
There is no discussion about his performance on Beethoven. I would say that he is intellectually equally controlled like Alfred Brendel but he shows more heart. His feelings for Beethoven's music show and carry an enormous musical power. His generosity concerning the add-ons is also remarkable. Bagatelles op 126, Diabelli-variations op 120 and today?
First of all he managed to suppress applause between the three sonatas by not letting go the hold on the keys. Starting after a reasonable break that was still included by former peace he started the next sonata without interception.
I read in his book that this three sonatas are a sort of musical last statement (or even will) of Beethoven. It is quite audible that Schiff like the op 100 especially.
after opus 111 - everybody knows what this number means - there was big applause and after the fifth curtain he spoke up in his usual form and sentence: "this will now take a long time. So people should leave that have not got the time."
My personal idea about opus 111 would allow for no encore but one. The slow movement of the last Schubert sonata DV 960. Schiff sat down and started with the first movement of DV 960. And he played the whole sonata. For some people in the hall the sonata was unknown as was probably 109 and 110. My neighbor asked me afterwards whether that had been the Goldberg-variations. And she had played piano for 14 years. But of course that may happen.
Later in the subway I was asked again when people overheard that I was talking with my wife about the eveing.
Apart from the fact that Schiff might have read my thoughts I was quite pleased that he used the same tempo which I prefer for the first and the fourth movement. He was somewhat faster in the second movement and somewhat slower in the third movement. But that is far from critizising him. It is the tempo he obviously feels and then it must be right to play it that way. I learned a lot by listening to Schubert and to 109 and 110. I was sitting in the first row directly looking at the keyboard. I could watch his fingers and his pedaling in some interesting bars. Better than any piano lesson.
But that all concerns technicalities.
The main message must be: he makes music and by doing it he offers a convincing sincerity.
What could one ask for more?
steppenhund - 14. Jun, 22:45
read 382 times
