Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt initially became known for her Bach but lately she has ranged farther afield with composers such as Chabrier and Fauré. The last eight years have seen her gradually recording the complete Beethoven piano sonatas. This is the first disc in that series I have heard, and it is just terrific. In this program, Hewitt brings together the sunniest of the late sonatas (No 28, Op 101), the wittiest of the middle period sonatas (No 18: Op 31, No 3) and the rarely played Sonata No 11, Op 27. Without going to inappropriate extremes, she relishes dynamic contrasts and pays attention to detail with unfailing subtlety –yet, far from sounding studied, her playing retains a sense of spontaneity. Take the Allegro finale of the A Major sonata: Switching unexpectedly from exuberance to tenderness, intimate one moment and forthright the next, Hewitt makes it sound like a brilliant improvisation.

Hewitt’s thoughtful, responsive performance of Sonata No 11 makes one wonder why the piece is not more popular (competition is fierce among the Beethoven sonatas, admittedly!) The first and third movements show us the composer in a playful mood, handling musical motifs like a juggler, while the second movement features a lyrical, linear melody. Both the quirky and lyrical aspects suit Hewitt to perfection. In a recent recording of Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier I found her attention to detail disruptive, but the abrupt gear changes
in Beethoven demand it.

The third sonata of Op 31 shows the composer at his most volatile. The scherzo’s restless figuration and sudden sforzando eruptions demand not only a high level of sustained energy but supreme control as well. As you might imagine, Hewitt’s sforzandi are razor sharp here. She nevertheless manages to reveal a certain vulnerability in the falling phrase that dominates the first movement. Hewitt is at her finest in this work, even approaching the flair and insouciance of my favourite version by Earl Wild.

In the other sonatas, I compared Hewitt to the acclaimed Paul Lewis on Harmonia Mundi. Lewis uses the sustaining pedal to create a rich piano sound, whereas Hewitt is drier (and is recorded more closely). Lewis’s Beethoven is all about sturm und drang, and rather than highlighting details he integrates them into the sweep of the musical argument. In these particular pieces, Hewitt’s freshness is preferable. When her Beethoven survey is complete it should be highly competitive.

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