Search - Beethoven, Barenboim :: Diabelli Variations / Moonlight Sonata

Extraordinary

Todd R. Peckarsky | Reston, VA United States | 05/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I also could not disagree more with the first two reviewers. This is one extraordinary disc! First, to clear up confusion: it is indeed a DGG reissue of an earlier Westminster recording. (DGG/Universal music have apparently bought the rights to--at least some of--the Westminster library.) Regarding the music: the Moonlight sonata is provided simply as a filler for the major work on this disc, the Diabelli variations. But what a filler it is! The sonata was recorded in 1958, when Barenboim was only 15! It is a lucid, insightful reading. Somewhat poorly recorded--and in mono--and not as beautifully refined as his later (when he was in his mid-20s) version on EMI, but a fascinating recording by a budding great pianist. Now, onto the crown jewel of this disc, the Diabelli variations, which is without doubt the finest performance of this problematic work that I have yet heard. Yes, Beethoven wrote the variations as a "joke" (in response to Diabelli's crazy request of 50 composers of the day to write one variation each for a self-promotional work he was planning), but he turned the "joke" on Diabelli, writing 33 variations instead of the requested one, and turning the trivial melody provided into a tour-de-force of the piano literature, at times gentle and lyrical, at others powerful, contrapuntal, fugal. Beethoven's extreme juxtaposition of styles and tempi in this work almost defies a successful performance. Along with the sonatas numbers 29 and 32, it is among his greatest works for the piano. Along with Bach's Goldberg, it is the greatest of variation works for the keyboard. Many pianists attempt--in my opinion, unsuccessfully--to unify the work by toning it down, evening out the tempi and dynamics. Barenboim, on the other hand, emphasizing the magisterial nature of the work, goes for broke in this performance, playing it for all it's worth, investing all of his artistic insight and pianistic muscle, and going all out on every single variation. The result is a performance of technical facility and intellectual depth that defies adequate verbal praise. He achieves an almost uncanny unity in the piece, albeit through the shifting variation of his playing. Though over an hour in length--he sometimes lingers on a slow variation where others simply play on--each time I have listened to this recording, I have listened through to the conclusion; like a good book, I'm unable to put it down! Did I mention that his performance of the Diabelli--which has quite good sound, by the way, better than the Moonlight--was recorded in 1965, when Barenboim was but 22 or 23?"

A distinguished approach!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 08/09/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
Barenboim just was in his 24 when dared to play this challenging Beethoven' s Op. And the result was extremely fortunate. His thrilling virtuosity is joined of a profound sense of the flow, so necessary in Beethoven but still more in this piece. Diabelli Variations are mistakenly conceived as a simple set of variations and played without the enough tact and overall sense of gradual transformations, each one of them with its respective specific weight and special significance.



I really think the most appropriate term to label this work would be "Theme with Variations", but all of us what his acceptation meant to Beethoven. You must be absolutely involved with the spirit of the last movement of his Third symphony and obviously with his Variations Op. 35.



And Barenboim in spite of his youth, understood the transcendence of the material that nestles beneath the score. The result was an intense, scintillating, vibrating and expressive version of this enigmatic work.



This record may be included without any hesitation among the twelve most celebrated performances ever recorded: Rudolf Serkin, to my mind recorded the most expansive I recalled, Richter recorded two emblematic performances (one in 1971 in Florence, and another one in 1985); Friedrich Gulda made a vibrant performance; Georg Demus made an electrifying reading too.



Go for this one. It's absolutely revealing.

"

Westminster reissues are released by Universal (Polygram)

R. Grames | Florissant, MO USA | 05/16/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The provenance could be made clearer for the uninitiated. This is an earlier Barenboim recording made for Westminster / MCA in 1966 (Variations) and 1959 (Sonata). There was a later, not appreciably better, Variations released some years later.



The sound is not modern, but the bigger problem is Barenboim's leaden phrasing, soggy tempos, and excessive use of the sustain pedal. He just takes the piece too seriously. Yes there are variations of great seriousness - which quality Barenboim comes close to overdoing - but many more of great humor. Barenboim completely misses the fun in the piece.



The so-called Moonlight Sonata suffers almost as much. It is just too heavy and lacks charm.



The "last nail" for me is the playing. While much of it is virtuosic, there are moments of sloppy articulation that I found surprising.



So, not recommended, but not because of the sound quality. There are some really great Westminster recordings that have been reissued - and a number that have not been - but this is not one of them.



----- A postscript (May 2006) in response to a subsequent review - which hardly matters, I suppose, since this CD is gone now.



Mr. Pille could have stated his support for this recording without an attack on other reviewers.



I stand by my earlier assessment and for the record: (1) a more careful reading of my comment would have revealed that I found the issue of sound irrelevant - it wasn't a complaint and (2) it is possible to not like Mr. Barenboim's interpretations of these works - whatever his age when he made them - and still not be the tasteless slob that Mr. Pille suggests. There is a lot of interpretive territory between Mr. Barenboim's playing of these works and "Far-Eastern robot do[ing] these pieces robot perfectly with robot perfect sound" - ignoring the racial slur that should have been caught by Amazon. Ad hominem attacks are the real danger of open forum reviews on amazon.com."