Refreshing
David Saemann | 02/24/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is an excellent installment in John O'Conor's cycle of the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas. The recording was made in Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Mass. and has an appealing balance plus a nice sized sonority. O'Conor offers deft technique throughout. It is interesting to note that he studied with that great Beethoven specialist, Wilhelm Kempff. Like Kempff, O'Conor maintains a relaxed touch at the keyboard, although his overall sound is less Romantic than Kempff's. In No. 5, everything is elucidated with ease and a brilliant feeling for Classical structures. No. 7 offers a wide range of emotions. There is nothing detached about O'Conor's interpretations, even though his keyboard dexterity is almost ideal. The Funeral March in No. 12 flows beautifully within an excellent overall structural concept, although the passion of Sviatoslav Richter was another way of making the same point. If you have been under the delusion that the Op. 10 Sonatas are minor works, or if you just want to hear a mature artist make his way through these pieces, this CD should appeal to you."