Angela Hewitt Plays Beethoven

[Todd]

[I'll just bring the comments on the first disc over before adding comments on the second.]


I can still be surprised.  Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of Angela Hewitt.  I've heard some of her Bach, and some of her Ravel (the latter only whilst browsing at a CD store), and what I have heard has never really intrigued me very much; I've never felt prompted to rush out and gobble up all of her discs.  But then she recorded some Beethoven.  At some point I knew I would have to get the disc.  When the opportunity arose to pick it for around $8 or so, I acted upon my knowledge.  I was surprised.

I like this disc.  It's not a great disc, and none of the recordings on the disc really match up to the best I've heard in the three works on the disc, but there's something there.  The set opens with the great seventh sonata, and in most ways this recording offers all the virtues and drawbacks of the set.  On the plus side is Hewitt's lean, clear sonority married to superb rhythmic drive and groove.  She reminds me of Friedrich Gulda and Bruce Hungerford in this regard, though I must say right away that she is ultimately no match for either of those pianists.  On the down side, she never really plumbs any emotional depths.  What that means in more practical terms is a Presto that while conventional in overall tempo still contains a rhythmic pulse to keep one groovin'.  Hewitt's dynamic range and variation within that range sounds nice, too.  Again, she reminds me of Gulda in applying a limited interpretive range, though she never does what he does with it.  The Largo e mesto stays on the swift side of a Largo and maintains a sort of musical tension, though it never really creates the sense of tragedy or intensity that the best readings do, except for a few times in the second section where the playing sounds like a vigorous lamentation at times.  The Menuetto is taken at a nice, safe tempo, but with a rhythmic sureness that works well, while the concluding Rondo sounds generally well executed if not special, at least most of the time.  Hewitt pushes the penultimate fast section, especially the intro, to nice effect, though.  A good, solid, energizing reading, then, but not a world-beater.

The Op 7 is not a world-beater, either, but it comes close to being a world-matcher.  Generally, I prefer a more relaxed approach to this work, but some players make me reconsider that preference.  Hewitt does just that.  The Allegro molto e con brio is brisk, pointed, lean, with fetching sforzandi and pleasing staccato, creating a youthful, masculine sound.  Some of Hewitt's playing detours briefly into some slower, more (surface) contemplative playing that offers nice contrast to the surrounding material.  For the Largo con gran espressione, Hewitt's definitely got the 'gran,' and the 'Largo' mostly, but I'm not sold on the 'espressione.'  It moves forward comparatively quickly, utilizes short (refreshingly so!) pauses, nice dynamics, and a number of nice touches, like the powerful chords followed by quickly tapered, repeated three-note figurations.  It's incisive, it's cutting, it's good.  How expressive, and of what, is up to each listener.  The Allegro, it should come as no surprise, is fast and incisive and clear.  It could be a touch lighter, I suppose, but I like it.  Hewitt caps off a very strong reading with a Rondo possessed of charm and puckish rubato.  It's all very youthful, and then she delivers the middle section in fast and biting fashion just because.  In some ways, the parts are more than the sum, but overall, this is the highlight of the disc.

The disc closes with the Appassionata, and given what came before I had moderately high hopes.  Hewitt largely delivers, but not as much as I had hoped for.  The Allegro assai opens in suitably brooding fashion, and Hewitt tears into the faster, more explosive music with élan and aggressiveness – a good thing to do here.  The punchy middle and lower registers and biting upper registers really add to the allure of the playing, and while Hewitt manages excellent clarity most of the time, the most pressed passages sound smudged every so often.  But that's quite alright, she's pressing the matter; the forward moving, "fresh" playing sounds largely scoured of color and emphasizes the frenetic and kinetic aspects of the music.  Hewitt approaches the Andante in much the same fashion.  As a result, it sounds a bit cool, and the rhythmic and dynamic elements become almost the sole focus, creating an itchy feel.  So far, so good, actually.  Hewitt runs out of gas a bit in the concluding Allegro ma non troppo.  Given the first two movements, I expected a High Octane, blistering take.  There's some of that alright, just not enough.  Drive, energy, and rhythm remain to the fore, and that bright, lean, cutting Fazioli upper register pays off here, but more is needed.  There's just not quite enough, that's all I can say.  Those wanting a beefy, rich, Grand experience definitely need to listen elsewhere; those wanting something smaller and leaner and meaner, here you go.

So I'm surprised.  I like this disc.  No, it won't assume a place next to Annie or Gulda or any of the other usual suspects, but there's more than enough there for me to consider another LvB disc by Hewitt if she records one.  I'm thinking she would do well in 2/1, 10/1, 22, 31/3, and, perhaps somewhat against possible expectations, Op 90.  It'll be interesting to see if that is true.  Sound is superb, if more distant than I generally prefer, and one must be willing to listen to Hewitt's Fazioli, with its clear, color-drained, dry tone.  My ear adjusted readily enough, but not everyone's will. 

[Todd]

I enjoyed Angela Hewitt's first volume of Beethoven's piano sonatas, with its emphasis on clarity and rhythmic drive, so I thought I might as well give her second volume a try.  Different works, but the overall style should work.  But what if Hewitt's style was slightly altered?

Well, that's what seems to have happened here.  Her playing isn't much different, but it's different enough.  Her slight stylistic adjustments appear in the first work, the great Pastorale.  Sure, the Allegro displays Hewitt's nice rhythmic sense, and has nice clarity where appropriate, and has a slightly edgy middle section, but it also sounds a bit softer.  Hewitt deploys smooth legato to soften the Fazioli sound, and the effect is quite positive.  The Andante has a brisk, clipped sound at the open, yet still manages to sound pleasant – albeit with slight nervous edge.  The middle section is jocular and nicely dynamic and has just a hint of bite.  The Scherzo sounds somewhat stark as presented, with some abruptly clipped notes and terse dynamic shifts, and it all sounds fine.  The Allegro ma non troppo is taken at a quick but graceful tempo, making it sound full of pep and joy, yet it's also slightly smoothed out.  A nicely accelerated ending caps off a very nice reading.  The first work ends up being the highlight of the disc.

The Pathetique ends up being the relative weak link, and it is so because of the same soft sound that permeates the opening work.  The Grave sounds small and weak, at least when compared to more vigorous readings.  There's little intensity and no real flair.  The Allegro di molto con brio sounds much the same, with a slightly leisurely overall tempo added to the mix.  The second time around with the material picks up the pace and the intensity a bit, but it never really excites or digs deep.  The Adagio cantabile is taken at a nice tempo and is surprising for the more or less total lack of bite that should be present in a recording of a Fazioli.  Sure, it's still bright-ish up top, but it doesn't sting or tingle.  The concluding Rondo is played pleasantly enough, but is pleasant what one really wants here?  Drive and strength aren't much in evidence, and the overall sound is a tad limp.  I wanted much more than I got.  If you have a hankerin' for a kinder, gentler Op 13, this will not disappoint.

The last work on the disc is the last of the opening Op 2 triptych.  Hewitt's reading is excellent overall, but she had the misfortune of being heard shortly after the much more exciting and compelling recording by Ronald Brautigam.  She opens the Allegro con brio with decent levels of energy and drive, presents a nice dynamic sweep, and has a sure rhythmic sense.  It's all there.  But Brautigam offers more of everything.  The Adagio has some nicely delicate playing, though it seems as though it might be too soft for the music, but those tolling bass notes sure hit home.  There's a lack of ultimate focus at times, too; the playing seems to meander just a bit.  The Scherzo sounds a bit broad in overall conception, but has some nice biting notes and absolutely superb clarity of voices.  The Allegro assai opens in breezy, tickly fashion, and possesses decent drive mixed with the new found softness Hewitt brings.  Overall, it's good.  Brautigam's is just much better.

The second volume just doesn't work as well as the first volume in the series, though there are some fine things here.  Maybe Hewitt can pick things up next time around.  Superb sound.

[Todd]

Ms. Hewitt's LvB cycle has thus far been uneven.  Last time around (and it's been quite a while) I hoped the pianist would do better with the third installment.  So she has, though I still have reservations.  The disc offers a nice mix of sonatas early, middle and basically late, and all seem to benefit most of the time from her playing. 

First up is the Funeral March sonata, and it's probably the best work on the disc.  The theme and variations come off quite nicely, and nicely varied, the march itself is funereal without being too heavy or overly dramatic, and the Scherzo and concluding Allegro have enough pep and bite (due to the Fazioli) to satisfy.  It's a pleasure to listen to.  The same holds true for the sixth sonata.  The outer movements have plenty of drive and energy, and the second movement is nicely reserved.  The only quibble I have has to do with the somewhat serious mien; surely this work deserves to be played with a bit more levity.  Op 90 is a bit hit and miss.  The opening movement is superb, with Ms Hewitt using the Fazioli to great advantage.  Here playing is forceful and incisive and driven, and the effect is basically hard-hitting (late) middle Beethoven rather than more ethereal late Beethoven.  The second movement, though lacks the nearly Schubertian lyricism of (at least some of) my preferred versions.  It's a bit scrappy, if you will.  The concluding work on the disc the Mondschein, and here Ms Hewitt again leverages the Fazioli to good effect.  The opening movement may lack the dark haziness of the best versions, but the sound of the piano is at once bright, incisive, and resonant.  Most entertaining!  The second movement moves along nicely until the forceful, biting, satisfyingly clangy concluding movement.  This is no mushy, warm take on the work. 

Overall, I enjoyed the disc.  Op 26 aside, I can't say that she cracks the top ten or twenty for any of the works, but I shall be spinning this disc again.  The sound is excellent, displaying what a Fazioli can do.  (I'd like to hear some Liszt played on a Fazioli, that's for sure.)  Not bad.

[Scarpia]

I have successfully resisted those up until now.  Now you made me listen to the excepts on the web and I like what I hear.     There goes my resolve.  But progress is very slow.  Only three issues since 2006.  At this rate it will be when, 2018, before it is finished?  And in the end what I want to hear are the late sonatas (I have more recordings of the early ones to listen to).

[Todd]

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Angela Hewitt's fourth volume is much like her prior three volumes.  Everything is nicely played, sounds great, and is pretty good, but not world matching or beating.

Take the opener.  The first movement of Op 22 is certainly clear, with potent bass, but I prefer a bit  more brio than Ms Hewitt offers.  Tha Adagio comes off well, in a smoothed out sort of way, but the final two movements lack the type of energy and drive that the best recordings offer.  (Perhaps it didn't help matters that I listened to Jean-Efflam Bavouzet's recording of this work on the same day, and, as is so often the case with French pianists, he delivers a superb reading.)

The next sonata finds Ms Hewitt playing the very heart of Beethoven's piano sonata output, the great Op 31/3, her first recorded foray into the immortal triumirvate.  It opens more successfully than Op 22, but even so it lacks the type of energy and jolting transitions I prefer, with no chords almost recklessly pounded out.  That written, some of the left hand playing has an alluring, delicate sound at times.    The Scherzo is likewise a bit low in energy, though Hewitt hammers home some chords nicely.  The Menuetto comes across as too gracious by half.  The Presto con fuoco is comparatively energetic and fun, and while the whole work is nicely done, it's too relaxed.  This sonata needs more oomph.

The fourth volume closes with Op 101, so Ms Hewitt also offers her first foray into the rarified world of late Beethoven.  Hewitt's overall clarity is admirable, and some of the playing is quite lovely, but something is missing.  The opening movement is all but devoid of late LvB qualities.  It sounds like just another sonata.  The march lacks enough heft, enough drive.  The Adagio is most successful in its serenity and beauty, achieving a degree of late LvB transcendence, before segueing into a concluding Allegro that displays already mentioned traits.  Hewitt plays the movement a bit slower than I prefer, but she brings decent clarity to the fugue.  But she doesn't deliver a recording for the ages.

Overall, this is a decent disc, though it is probably not as good overall as the first three volumes.  I definitely wanted more vitality throughout.

Sound is top shelf. 

[Todd]

Volume 5.  Generally, more of the same, which is not too surprising. 

The disc opens with 2/2.  The whole thing sounds very sensible.  The opening Allegro vivace is pleasant and neither too swift nor too slow.  The Largo appassionato is slow, but not too much so, and while it builds up to a reasonably satisfying climax nearer the end, it's not too loud.  The Scherzo comes off very well, with slightly harder edged sforzandi and nice dynamic contrasts.  The concluding Rondo is attractive and pleasant in the outer sections, and vibrant in the middle section.

Op 10/1 opens with controlled but not rushed ascending arpeggios, moves on to vibrant but not too intense playing, and then repeats, concluding with a polite but emphatic coda.  The Adagio molto is generally lovely and leisurely, though properly interrupted by a few louder passages.  The Prestissimo seems perhaps a bit leisurely, but then what is the proper dividing line between presto and prestissimo?  It's nice enough.

Op 78 opens too slow and restrained for my taste, and it never really picks up the pace enough in the Allegro.  The bright Fazioli upper registers add some bite in a few later passages, but the bright spots are fleeting.  The Allegro vivace closing movement is much better, though I still tend to prefer faster playing. 

The disc closes with Op 110.  This makes the disc.  While ever so slightly on the leisurely side tempo-wise, right out of the gate Hewitt establishes a lightly transcendent sound.  Her playing is lyrical and at times very delicate.  It is easy to follow both accompaniment and melody.  Hewitt ratchets up volume when needed, though keeps everything controlled.  The Allegro molto might lack the last word in oomph, but it blends nicely with the first movement and segues perfectly to the final movement, which opens in austere yet transcendent fashion, of an almost Op 111 second movement nature.  Sublime and lyrical at the start, it moves to a somewhat stern but admirable sounding fugue that takes advantage of the Fazioli bass quite nicely (not too much!).  The return of the original material is equally effective and after gently rising repeated chords which cap out at a controlled but not thundering climax, the inverted fugue sounds, fittingly, much like the fugue, and the work ends with a vigorous coda. 

So, three OK or OK-ish performances and one superb one.  Op 110 alone makes this a solid purchase for me, and is probably the best thing I have heard from Hewitt.

As with prior volumes, sound quality is impeccable.  When complete, this will be one of the finest cycles available sonically. 

[Todd]

Volume six. 

The disc opens with Op 14/1.  Hewitt plays the opening Allegro with a nice flow and attractive sound, but throws in a bit of edge in the middle section and a few other right hand passages.  The Allegretto sounds calm and attractive, and then Hewitt plays the Allegro comodo with a slightly leisurely tempo but some real heft in some passages, though this latter trait was boosted a bit by the fact that the superb sounding recording invites volume cranking. 

The Op 49 sonatas are both well done.  The Allegro of 49/1 is played in galloping fashion at the beginning to good effect.  She makes the work sound meatier, more substantive than the norm.  The second sonata sounds lighter, with more focus on melodiousness in the first movement, and something of a jocular, scherzoesque manner, complete with some currently fashionable embellishments in the Menuetto.  Very nice.

Next, one of the critical Op 31 trio, here the first of the bunch.  The Allegro vivace opens with lithe, swift, slightly blurred right hand playing, stops for some crunchy 'n' loud chords with some really clear differentiation in left and right hand dynamic levels where the right hand dominates sometimes, repeats, then repeats again.  Hewitt thunders out some left hand playing near the end, taking advantage of the Fazioli bass.  The Adagio grazioso starts off with lilted, stalled trills where Hewitt purposely delays playing them smooth.  The remarkable voice clarity allows one to hear every note and chord with ease.  She also throws in some miniscule pauses to good effect.  As she transitions to the second batch of trills, Hewitt slows way down and plays each note with exaggerated effect.  It's not bad, but nor is it entirely effective.  She adds some left hand heft before the transitioning to the middle section, which she plays in elegant and restrained fashion, at least compared to some other versions.  An embellished transition back to the opening material follows, and some of the left hand playing near the end caused some rattles in my listening room.  The Allegretto is every but as gracious as the preceding grazioso movement, with some sweet and lovely right hand playing of no little lyricism punctuated by some deliciously sharp sforzandi, and underpinned by hefty bass, and it ends in suitably jocular fashion.  Very good.

The disc ends with Op 81/a.  Hewitt opens the leisurely paced first movement with nice restraint, but as the playing picks up pace and weight, she plays in deliberate fashion, making the music sound stiff.  The wide dynamic range is nice, but the music doesn't flow.  The second movement maintains some of the stiffness of the opening movement, and doesn't evoke much of a response beyond appreciation of the clarity and weight; some of the right hand playing nicely emphasizes each and every note as a distinct musical happening.  The closing movement flows a bit better than the two opening movements, but in its pristine clarity and exemplary dynamics, it ends up being devoid of much in the way of emotion or expressiveness.  There are things to enjoy here, but it doesn't really work for me.

Superb sound again.  Since Hyperion already opted for an Italian recording location, I kind of wish they would have used Fazioli Hall, which produces even better sounding recordings.