There are plenty of other recordings of Beethoven's last three piano sonatas, including some by Maurizio Pollini himself, but this 2019 live recording from the Herkulessaal in Munich, made when Pollini was 77, will appeal to more than just the pianist's fans. It's quite identifiable as Pollini in its urgent forward motion and virtuoso power, but, as great artists do, Pollini continues to explore. He does not treat the sonatas as a three-part set but takes each as an individual. The performance of the Piano Sonata No. 30 in ...
Read More
There are plenty of other recordings of Beethoven's last three piano sonatas, including some by Maurizio Pollini himself, but this 2019 live recording from the Herkulessaal in Munich, made when Pollini was 77, will appeal to more than just the pianist's fans. It's quite identifiable as Pollini in its urgent forward motion and virtuoso power, but, as great artists do, Pollini continues to explore. He does not treat the sonatas as a three-part set but takes each as an individual. The performance of the Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109, is extraordinary. Pollini pushes the tempos, even compared with his own earlier performances, and brings an edgy, Lisztian quality to the music, with the gathering virtuoso scales in the finale set of variations coming out extremely excitingly. The Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110, is a different kind of work, and Pollini has trouble following his own act. However, the last sonata, the Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111, is once again very strong:...
Read Less
Add this copy of Beethoven: the Last Three Sonatas, Opp. 109-111 to cart. $18.55, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2020 by DG.