Fresh perspectives on familiar Beethoven

Abstract

The 20th century has witnessed a plethora of live and recorded performances of Beethoven's piano sonatas, by a diversity of artists. This reflects the centrally canonical place the sonatas have occupied since the mid-19th century, when figures like Liszt, Clara Schumann, Ignaz Moscheles and Anton Rubinstein began to include them in their public recitals. More recent players have introduced new perspectives on this repertory by performing it on restored or newly built fortepianos. This was pioneered by Melvyn Tan, who rose to prominence in the late 1980s when the historical performance movement began to encompass repertory from the Classical era. Like Tan, the Dutch pianist Ronald Brautigam is proficient on both piano and fortepiano, but developed his interest in the fortepiano once he had already established his reputation using modern instruments. 2004 saw the beginning of Brautigam's release of a 17-CD Beethoven cycle whose first five discs, Beethoven, Piano Sonatas, vols.1–5 (BIS CD-1362, 1363, 1472, 1473, 1573, rec 2003–5, 70′, 81′, 82′, 74′, 68′) are the subject of the present review. They include Beethoven's earlier sonatas, from op.2 to op.31, a total of 18 works composed from 1793 to 1802 when Beethoven was between 23 and 32 years old. The sonatas assisted Beethoven's establishment of a reputation as a pianist-composer in Vienna, until his hearing began to deteriorate in about 1798.