Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[jlaurson]

That's an unimportant question when a female pianist is involved.

 

I have fold-outs of Clara Haskil, Eva Knardahl, and Annie Fischer.




(Actually, the young Annie Fischer looks like a very striking, elegant woman.)

[George]

 

I have fold-outs of Clara Haskil, Eva Knardahl, and Annie Fischer.

Now you need a Maria Yudina.

[Mandryka]

Now you need a Maria Yudina.

Or maybe Sara Davi(s) Buechner

[Parsifal]

But then, really, the dolled-up photo is no more appropriate (or inappropriate) than suggesting that she "is very attractive". (Especially since she's a very ordinary looking kid.) She's a pimply, plain 14 or something in those photos... and frankly, the class of people to who she's "very attractive" comes a little too close to youknowwho.

If we think back on early pics of that french pianist, who looked like tweety-bird... those were even more extreme, no?

You're thinking of these?



That photo, at least, is was not noticeably retouched.   The cover of that Proot CD struck me as a creepy attempt to make the girl look like some sort of nymph.

[jlaurson]

You're thinking of these?

Close, but no, these:

 

 

[Parsifal]

Close, but no, these:

Their marketing seems to have failed, I've never heard of her before.

[jlaurson]

Their marketing seems to have failed, I've never heard of her before.

She' quite remarkable, actually... Her Mozart/Prokofiev album in particular is superb... and it contains my far-and-away favorite Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman Variations.

CDT: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2008/01/two-recent-prokofiev-recordings.html

...All this Prokofiev brought to mind another recent release, a solo double album by French prodigy Lise de la Salle. It is one disc of exquisite Mozart, with each note set carefully in place by her delicate, shaded touch, and another of raucous Prokofiev. This recording made the recommended list for 2007 that Jens offered at the WETA blog, and it makes me regret even more the circumstances that did not allow me to attend her 2007 recital at the Strathmore Mansion, where she played this very program (Mark Estren reviewed for the Post), not to mention her 2004 debut recital at the Terrace Theater.

Her Prokofiev selections include the outrageously virtuosic, especially the four-minute wild ride of the op. 11 toccata, but also the single-movement third sonata. Unlike Bronfman, de la Salle does not push the tempo as fast as she probably could (at 4:32, well behind 16-year-old Claire Huangci at the stunning but unnecessary 3:45, Martha Argerich at the near-perfect 4:12, and even Prokofiev's own piano roll at 4:22), although she plays at a vicious clip when it suits what she is trying to do in shaping the piece. Much of the most interesting playing comes in the selections from the Romeo and Juliet suite, in which de la Salle often stretches and distorts the musical fabric in the quest for some new color or texture.

Some listeners may not like it because it is not what they expect if they have previously formed ideas about Prokofiev, but others like to be surprised sometimes. To these ears, it bodes well for de la Salle's forthcoming concerto recording, which will include the first Prokofiev concerto. The 30-minute DVD (Lise de la Salle, Majeure, directed by Jean-Philippe Perrot) included in this release has some excerpts from the concerto recording sessions in Lisbon, as well as lovely footage of the pianist speaking (sometimes with her mother) and playing at La Roque d'Anthéron and at George Sand's home at Nohant.

As for the Mozart, her reading of the little A minor rondo (K. 511) brilliantly captures the sly, seductive qualities of the piece, in a way that makes Richard Egarr's otherwise capable performance on his recent recording seem almost prosaic. Two variation sets, the last movement of the (complete) D major sonata, K. 284, and the famous C major variations on Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman, K. 265, occasionally startle in their sparkly flash. Then she plays the penultimate variation as a sad French song, which of course the theme is, in a funny way, bringing out the similarities to Michel Legrand. All the more remarkable in that Lise de la Salle will be 20 years old this year.

[Pat B]

But then, really, the dolled-up photo is no more appropriate (or inappropriate) than suggesting that she "is very attractive". (Especially since she's a very ordinary looking kid.) She's a pimply, plain 14 or something in those photos... and frankly, the class of people to who she's "very attractive" comes a little too close to youknowwho.

Wow.

1. You have taken my statement totally out of context. I was responding to "you apparently have a big, big problem with appreciating women." My statement -- which could be summarized as: it's a bad photo but not because of the subject -- was really about the photographer, not Ms. Proot. Like Scarpia I think the photo is kind of creepy. I should have said the photo was not very flattering rather than judging whether she is attractive.

2. You don't know which photos I thought were more flattering.

3. She's 26.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

That photo, at least, is was not noticeably retouched.   The cover of that Proot CD struck me as a creepy attempt to make the girl look like some sort of nymph.

Yeah, eery for sure.

[mc ukrneal]

I came across this one today. It doesn't sound all that great, but it does sound like she is using a different piano. Anyone know what piano she is using?
[asin]B00BK6HREU[/asin]

[Brian]

I came across this one today. It doesn't sound all that great, but it does sound like she is using a different piano. Anyone know what piano she is using?
[asin]B00BK6HREU[/asin]

I reviewed that for MusicWeb (not yet published). Unfortunately she is using a Steinway D and the sound quality is just that bad.

"very poor sound quality (weirdly and almost artificially reverberant at climaxes, the piano so unflatteringly portrayed that I thought it was a period instrument), [and] occasional technical slips which may be because the disc was recorded in one day"

"[her Op. 110 finale] would probably sound good in concert but not in a reverberant environment which is a bit like if the piano keys were dropping into a swimming pool."

Just unpleasant to the ears, and the performances do not compensate.

[Parsifal]

Unfortunately she is using a Steinway D and the sound quality is just that bad.

The model D is the flagship of the Steinway line.  How could that be "unfortunate?"

"[her Op. 110 finale] would probably sound good in concert but not in a reverberant environment which is a bit like if the piano keys were dropping into a swimming pool."

You hear splashing when she plays?  What nonsense is this?

[Brian]

The model D is the flagship of the Steinway line.  How could that be "unfortunate?"

It's unfortunate because it means that the piano is a classic modern piano which sounds weird because of truly screwed-up engineering. The acoustic makes it sound like something from the 1860s.

Strange artificial clouds of reverb, plus really glassy, piercing, wince-inducing treble notes - maybe an echo chamber would have been a better analogy.

[Todd]

Coming in the fall. One step closer to finishing the longest gestating cycle ever.  By my reckoning, 31/1, 31/3, and 49/1 & 2 remain.

[George]

Coming in the fall. One step closer to finishing the longest gestating cycle ever.  By my reckoning, 31/1, 31/3, and 49/1 & 2 remain.

Those will fit nicely on one CD, too.

[Todd]

Those will fit nicely on one CD, too.

Indeed.  Perhaps he ends his cycle with Op 49?  He started with the last works, after all, so why not end with the first?

[George]

Indeed.  Perhaps he ends his cycle with Op 49?  He started with the last works, after all, so why not end with the first?

Good point.

[Bogey]

I will wait for the limited edition box set when it is remastered, then reissued, and then reboxed without a booklet.   

[Parsifal]

Coming in the fall. One step closer to finishing the longest gestating cycle ever.  By my reckoning, 31/1, 31/3, and 49/1 & 2 remain.

How much longer does he expect to live?  And should we give up hope for WTC Bk II?

[springrite]

I will wait for the limited edition box set when it is remastered, then reissued, and then reboxed without a booklet.   

I will photo copy the booklet and mail them to ya!