Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site
In the Forum: Musical Discussions
In the Thread: More Gieseking!
Post Subject: Gieseking in Beethoven - not what I expected!Posted by JANDL100 on: 7/6/2008
Well, my Great Recordings of the Century EMI CD has arrived of the Opp 53, 57, 109 & 110 piano sonatas by G. It's almost reversed what I expected to hear in that, from what I have heard of his reputation, I would have expected him to excel in the Waldstein (op53), be too weak in the Appassionata (op57) and skim over the surface in the late sonatas.
Not so!
I am left baffled by the Waldstein. After a couple of playings it still sounds clunky and lacking in fluidity. I just don't hear/understand what he was trying to achieve.
The Appassionata is wonderfully fluid and surprisingly powerful. OK, if you want HUGE and jaw-dropping, then listen to Richter, but G is well worth a listen as well. He has something to bring to this enigmatic work that others that I have heard do not project. There's a fluid momentum here that is quite compelling.
The late sonatas are not obviously 'profound', but they kept my attention 100%+. There's an 'art that conceals art' here. Quite entrancing playing with a depth beneath the fluid surface that seems quite entrancing to me.
I still await the CD of earlier sonatas I have ordered (the Pathetique and others).
Oh, and the sound is surprisingly good! 1953 and 56 mono.
I shall now invest in some of G's Debussy, having read some of the previous posts here!
Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site