Berman does Beethoven--hearing old faves with fresh ears

[dirkronk]

I've been going through stacks of old LPs I've acquired over the past several years, deciding what to purge and what to preserve, and I came across one of Lazar Berman doing Beethoven's Appassionata.

Now, everyone has his/her own preferences in terms of performer, style, etc. Certainly, for this piece of music, I've returned most often to Richter's several versions, to Fiorentino's astounding live performance of which only the last movement apparently remains, to live Rubinstein and live Gilels (in both cases, much more involving and convincing than their studio efforts), Moravec, Backhaus, occasionally Casadesus and others.

Still, whenever I see a new or unknown old version, I try to listen...and in this case I was rewarded. Berman's shaping and overall presentation are beautifully done, cleaner and more conscious of pacing in the opening "outbursts" and far more sensitive to segues than many pianists I've heard in this work (in this particular trait, I was reminded somewhat of Solomon's even more superb skills). The middle sections especially benefit from Berman's skilled fingerwork and attention to details of phrasing. Only in the last segment did I find anything to be less thrilled about--I do like power and a super-swift "controlled rush" to the finish (I am SO spoiled by Richter and especially Fiorentino); Berman may not provide all the speed I'd like, but even here the phrasing and control are impressive and distinctive enough to make me want to revisit the performance. Will it displace any of my current faves? Hmmm...probably not, and I certainly don't want to gush here--don't everyone rush out to find a copy--but I did like much of what I heard last night. So this goes into the "keep" file for now...at least until I relisten AND check out the #18 (IIRC) on the other side.

Since I know Berman almost exclusively from his Liszt and some smattering of live concert items, I'm unaware of what other Beethoven he's done. Anyone here know his catalog? His performances of LvB? I'd love to hear others' thoughts and reactions. Todd...where are you, buddy? We're talkin' Beet-boy sonatas, here!


To generalize a bit more: I love when different interpreters make me revisit pieces of music and hear things afresh. Last time I recall this happening with Beethoven piano works was last year, when I picked up a used CD of Kocsis doing assorted sonatas: definitely a recorded Q-tip for jaded ears.

Cheers,

Dirk

[George]

Sound interesting Dirk, thanks for that! 

[sidoze]

I have the Saga CD which couples his Appassionata with his '58 Liszt sonata. These are studio recordings. There are live ones in the Brilliant box which I haven't heard, along with a performance of the Moonlight sonata.

Generally I agree with you on this. If he'd wanted to he probably would have left Richter and Fiorentino in his dust. I mean you only need to hear his TEs to know what a monster he was.

By the way, which Kocsis recordings were you listening to? He has the Q-tip effect on pretty much everything he plays. Just an amazing musician.

[dirkronk]

By the way, which Kocsis recordings were you listening to? He has the Q-tip effect on pretty much everything he plays. Just an amazing musician.

Just one recording...an older Philips CD and apparently the only all-Beethoven disc Kocsis has made (alas!):
Beethoven sonatas #1 op.2/1, #5 op.10/1, #8 "pathetique" op.13, #17 "tempest" op.31/2.

I don't know if it's technically rare, but it's not all that common these days, either. At least not over on this side of the pond. Luckily, I found it just gathering dust in a used-CD venue for three or four bucks last year some time. A very nice item.

Cheers,

Dirk

[sidoze]

I haven't heard it. I have a radio recording from Budapest of him playing Chopin's Ballade 4. I believe it was a recital played in the memory of Richter. In any case it is one of the best versions I've ever heard, really beautiful, strong and lively. Top musician.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I've been going through stacks of old LPs I've acquired over the past several years, deciding what to purge and what to preserve, and I came across one of Lazar Berman doing Beethoven's Appassionata.

Now, everyone has his/her own preferences in terms of performer, style, etc. Certainly, for this piece of music, I've returned most often to Richter's several versions, to Fiorentino's astounding live performance of which only the last movement apparently remains, to live Rubinstein and live Gilels (in both cases, much more involving and convincing than their studio efforts), Moravec, Backhaus, occasionally Casadesus and others.

Go watch Solomon's performance in the You tube forum.

[dirkronk]

Go watch Solomon's performance in the You tube forum.

!
I shall, indeed. Solomon--as you may have guessed from my comments in a later paragraph--is one of my favorite interpreters, and often forgotten in discussion of performances by speedier or over-the-top-emoting pianists. Still, in my personal spin-off of Waldsteins several years back, Solomon wound up among my two or three favorites...among other reasons, for his brilliant grasp of the work as a whole, and his utterly natural and sensitive handling of segues.

So THANK YOU for the heads-up. I'll view the youtube video ASAP.

Cheers,

Dirk

[Holden]

The Solomon Appassionata comes from an EMI Classic Archive DVD and is a filler (they call it a bonus track). The DVD is Arrau in concert performing Schumann's Carnaval and the best Op 111 I've heard. As I own this DVD I can highly recommend it. The Solomon Op 57 is very classic in it's nature, no bravura fireworks from him, yet it's a very well constructed performance and is worth comparing with his version on Testament. As usual his global approach to the work combined with a sublime technique makes for good listening.

[dirkronk]

I haven't heard it. I have a radio recording from Budapest of him playing Chopin's Ballade 4. I believe it was a recital played in the memory of Richter. In any case it is one of the best versions I've ever heard, really beautiful, strong and lively. Top musician.

Agreed. Kocsis is one of those pianists whose performances I've run into time and time again, from the earliest days of my serious collecting. Always a pleasant meeting. One of the first items was his box set on Hungaraton on half of the Mozart piano sonatas (the others were done in a separate box by his fellow young pianist in Hungaraton's stable of talent at the time, Ranki). Purchased it for a pittance out of a cut-out bin back in the late '70s and immediately liked what I heard. While I've since found other people I like as well or better in the Mozart repertoire, the lively freshness of Kocsis's renderings always keeps me from purging the set from my collection. And in the intervening years twixt then and now, he's become rather a Bartok specialist...damn good one, too, IMO. Fact is, if he's put out a performance of anything that's a total clinker, I haven't heard it. I've heard him in Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Haydn...all very good or better. I'll have to remember to look for the item you mention, Tony...since I don't recall ever hearing Kocsis do Chopin.

Cheers,

Dirk

[sidoze]

I'll have to remember to look for the item you mention, Tony...since I don't recall ever hearing Kocsis do Chopin.

It's unlikely you'd find it as I got it from a private source. I have it in .wav and it breaks the 100mb barrier of all free upload sites so I've compressed it to mp3 which sounds passable.

http://www.mediafire.com/?czxmxingjbm

For the hell of it I've also uploaded two types of Bach

typewriter Bach

musical Bach

[George]

It's unlikely you'd find it as I got it from a private source. I have it in .wav and it breaks the 100mb barrier of all free upload sites so I've compressed it to mp3 which sounds passable.

http://www.mediafire.com/?czxmxingjbm

For the hell of it I've also uploaded two types of Bach

typewriter Bach

musical Bach

Thanks for this, Tony.

[dirkronk]

Thanks from me, too.


I'm not where I can download, but on Monday I'll do so first thing.

Dirk

[sidoze]

hope you guys like it. I listened to it again last night and still consider it one of my favourites (out-and-out favourite still Sirota, who is much more reflective than Kocsis, of course). Quite recently I heard a live performance from the early '70s by Bolet. It had the fastest, strongest coda I've ever heard, but unfortunately the rest of the performance wasn't as impressive.

[sidoze]

as few people here can hear the Berman recording, I've uploaded a mystery Appassionata which shares Berman's more restrained tempi -- which by no means implies that it lacks anything in terms of passion, only speed. Anyway, maybe some people will like it (or not, your choice  ) It's a live recording, sound is fine.

mystery Appassionata

[RJR]

To Dirkronk,

I just arrived at GMG about two months and am busily reading all the posts and comments, so forgive the tardiness of this reply: There's a DG recording of Lazar Berman playing Prokofiev's 8th Piano Sonata. A stirring performance. It's on cd as well.

I had a ticket to see him perform it live at Festival Hall, London, in 1976, but the British Rail system let me down. I missed his performance of the Prokofiev. I did arrive in time for the second half of the concert for Liszt's Transcendental Études, though. All the same, it was the Prokofiev that I was most wanted to see and hear.  I still have the posters and concert notes. Some of my most treasured possessions.

[George]

Berman's Rachmaninov Moments Musicaux on Ermitage is absolutely stunning. There's a studio recording on DG as well, but I haven't heard that one.

Currently listening to his Transcendental Etudes on Brilliant, from the box devoted to him. Great stuff.