Igor Levit - Beethoven Piano Sonata no.30 in E major, Op.109

Beethoven Piano Sonata no.30 in E Major, Op.109
1. Vivace ma non troppo Adagio espressivo
2. Prestissimo
3. Theme Six Variations
2017 June 13
Ricital at Wigmore Hall, London
Broadcasted by BBC Radio 3
www.bbc.co.uk/p...
photo credit: Gregor Hohenberg

[@jeffparis2419]

Magnifique, la Fugue Impressionnante, l Esprit Musical Remarquable, Mille Merci 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@beatekory4460]

Eine absolut perfekte Interpretation meiner Lieblingssonate Beethovens. Ich lernte sie lieben mit Friedrich Gulda und vor allem mit Alfred Brendel, aber Igor Levit spielt sie absolut phantastisch. Vielen, vielen Dank würde diese wunderbare Musik!

[@davidrogoff8812]

Sublime. The music and its realization in Levit's performance.

[@RichardFeynmanRules]

I consider Igor Levit's recordings of the Late Piano Sonatas among the greatest ever -- at least the equal of, if not at times surpassing those of Maurizio Pollini, Daniel Barenboim, Emil Gilels, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Wilhelm Kempff, Richard Goode, and other greats many of us love. Levit's playing of these masterpieces is poetic, powerful, deeply empathetic, and filled with light and fire and depth of insight. His recordings are a treasure.

[@thepianocornertpc]

Nobody surpasses nobody.All of these Masters contemplate and render these Masterworks in a unique way. What is truly remarkable is that when following their recordings with score in hand, one has to notice that each and one of the performers you mentioned adhere to and pay unconditionally respect to the dynamic indications given by Beethoven..yet they all sound unique. That's the true miracle.

[@RichardFeynmanRules]

@@thepianocornertpc Well said. When you are talking about the "masters," I basically agree and throughout my life, I have enjoyed many interprestations of the Late Sonatas...I started with Schnabel...then Bruce Hungerford, then Richard Goode was my favorite...then I fell in love with Maurizio Pollini's recordings...and so on...I am grateful to each and all for their vision and artistry.

[@herrg7116]

‘Those who are searching for perfection can stop here,’ - Michael Tanner Reviewing Levit playing Beethoven’s late piano sonatas. I agree!

[@allanesterova2107]

Sehr interessante Interpretation, stilistisch nach mein Geschmack. Danke, sehr geehrter Igor Levit!

[@wolfgangklofat594]

Im Vergleich zu den Altvorderen (Kempff, Solomon, Serkin, Richter...) fehlt der "touch" (das Gespür) zu diesem späten Beethoven, - Was soll dieses fast kontnuierliche Pedal zu Beginn der Sonate?

[@tamaradovgan5318]

Perfection itself, thank you.

[@vk2nf]

It is reborn, new, at every performance - as here; how should we dare to cavil?

[@ikseldecorativearts8139]

It sure ain’t Arrau or Richter but he has many qualities and a great touch. As for pedal, he’s allowed. Nobody plays this on original instruments anyway. If I heard this work for the first time, I would be dazzled. Of course it is difficult to keep the tension going in each note. But altogether it’s really pretty good for such a challenging work.

[@thomasmrf.brunner]

6:36

[@bakjoi66]

I respect his credentials and musicianship, but I thought the performance was mannered. Unusual volume and tempo choices. I'll listen to it some more, but I wasn't bowled over.

[@srothbardt]

I agree. Too much like playing Scriabin or someone of that sort. Too bad, because there's some good playing in the mix.

[@sheilanovitz8578]

Agreed. I find this performance angry-making. It is so LEVIT.

[@DavidWe-ld3fb]

Das Beste vom Besten

[@paulettepopp]

To whom are you referring, David? Igor Levit in the recording above, or Alfred Brendel in the snapshot beside your name? ("Spieglein, Spieglein an der Wand....") Wonderful sense of humour!!

[@sheilanovitz8578]

David We2000 : Far, far from it.

[@mynameistuto7227]

How can u play a fk B instead of a C at the beginning..

[@Soussouni]

From 9:05

[@vladtepes3123]

Slow, but i realy like it.

[@ursula3792]

.

[@sheilanovitz8578]

I agree that the performance is mannered. For this listener, worse than mannered. Beethoven may just as well not have provided guidelines for tempi or dynamics. Mr Levit has become a world unto himself. This is a sonata of great loveliness; all beauty is lost in Igor Levit’s performance.

[@vk2nf]

I’m sorry, I’ve got Tovey & Craxton and Wiener Urtext Edition open in front of me but I can’t see what you’re talking about?

[@paulettepopp]

Too much pedal! Too much resonance! "Pedal with your ear....listen with your foot!" So much pedal in a classical era sonata is unnecessary on a Steinway grand, either to sustain a bass tone, or for clarity of legato. No need to "enrich" the sound either, as Beethoven's harmonies are already enriched. A more convincing, authentic performance would be Levit performing on a Viennese fortepiano, which I believe would do utmost justice to Beethoven! Levit's forte passages sound somewhat exuberant and exaggerated for the emotional quality of the "adagio espressivo" - after all, forte in Beethoven's time was not what we think of as "loud" in the 21st century. No wonder our present-day damper pedal is referred to as "the loud pedal" by student pianists! Remember, Beethoven was completely deaf when he composed these late sonatas, so we must strive to hear or imagine the dynamic level Beethoven must have heard in his head.

[@danielkern9481]

Bullshit

[@johnmartin2017]

@@danielkern9481 How about a thoughtful, well-articulated, point of view, as compared to simple-minded vulgarity - instead of a counter argument.

[@piusottovoce]

@larkstudio Ah! But in your critique you yourself already unknowingly touch on the the crux of the differing opinions here on performing Beethoven. You refer to playing playing it on a Viennese Fortepiano instead of the Steinway grand, You refer to too much pedal and too exuberant fortes...too much and too exuberant than what, is the question this really is about. You remind the listener to remember Beethoven was deaf when he composed these sonatas and to strive to hear (the limitations of) the dynamic level in his head; I would rather remind you instead that Beethoven never had an instrument like a modern Steinway grand at his disposal for play or composing...So if you CHOOSE and/or PREFER to play on a modern grand piano, like the Steinway, you also choose/prefer to play with a 20th century dynamic. Although critics and purists always are affronted when I say this, Music, though eternal, is not static. It is a beast that is guided by tastes and fashions, and therefore can be viewed and listened to from different viewpoints and stylistic time-frames..., Each of them as valid as the other...there is no One truth here... Just fashion and preference... It reminds me of listening to a Karl Richter or a Klemperer performance of the Mattheus; Very much NOT in fashion today, often also not preferred (I find them at times too slow to bear for instance) today, but valid viewpoints nonetheless, form the cream of classical performance at the time no less. I believe it requires musical flexibility to be able to appreciate eternal music from its various viewpoints. Of course, one can have ones preference...

[@Mossnmoth]

@piusottovoce much appreciate & totally agree with your comment!

[@alcoholya]

sounds fine to me.