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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 11-13, 15, 22 & 27 / Mari Kodama
PENTATONE

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 11-13, 15, 22 & 27 / Mari Kodama

$24.99
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Details

Composer
BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VAN
Artist
Mari Kodama
Format
SACD
Label
PENTATONE
Released
Nov 13, 2012
Catalog #
PTC5186390
UPC
827949039065

About

REVIEW:

I specifically asked to review this release after receiving Mari Kodama’s previous album of Beethoven’s last three sonatas and giving it a warm welcome in 36:2. Prior to that, I’d not heard any of her earlier Beethoven releases but was sufficiently impressed by the last one to want to hear more of it. I freely acknowledge that not all my colleagues who have reviewed one or another entry in Kodama’s survey of the sonatas have been equally enthusiastic, but how dull would be if we all agreed?

Save for two sonatas, Nos. 28 and 29, the “Hammerklavier,” Kodama’s Beethoven sonata cycle is complete, and according to PentaTone’s official website, those two sonatas are scheduled for release in August, whereupon I’m sure the company will endear itself to everyone who has collected the individual discs by reissuing them in a boxed set. Here on two SACDs we have six sonatas in seemingly no particular order, either numerically or chronologically.

In general, I continue to like Kodama’s way with these works, but as suggested in my previous review, the pianist is not necessarily in touch with every sonata or every movement thereof equally. Who is? Technical mastery is never in question, but Kodama tends to be more responsive to the long line and the lyrical impulses in the music than she is to the high drama or moments of capricious quirkiness. Where, for example, Beethoven gives Kodama a menuetto instead of a scherzo and an easygoing rondo to play, as in the third and fourth movements of the B- flat Major Sonata, the pianist performs with limpid touch, fluent phrasing, and singing tone. But in a movement like the scherzo from the A-flat Major Sonata, I think she’s a bit too straight-laced, missing some of the humor of the off-beat accents.

On the other hand, Kodama hits the nail on the head in the all-but-name scherzo from the E-flat-Major Sonata. And Kodama delivers all the sonatas’ slow movements with graceful and eloquent expression.

Will Mari Kodama’s Beethoven cycle go down in history as one of the all-time greats? My guess would be probably not. But from what I’ve heard of it so far, I’d judge it to be very, very good, and I can’t imagine anyone who invests in these gorgeously recorded PentaTone SACDs being disappointed. Before snapping up this latest two-disc release, however, I’d counsel patience, for sooner or later, the complete cycle is bound to be made available as a boxed set. But whether you choose to buy now or later, Kodama’s Beethoven, with the minor reservations mentioned, is recommended.

- FANFARE: Jerry Dubins

Tracklist 20 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 I. Allegro con brio 07:22
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro con brio
    Duration
    07:22
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  3. 2 II. Adagio con molta espressione 06:59
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio con molta espressione
    Duration
    06:59
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  4. 3 III. Minuetto 03:17
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Minuetto
    Duration
    03:17
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  5. 4 IV. Rondo: Allegretto 06:24
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Rondo: Allegretto
    Duration
    06:24
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  6. 5 I. Andante con variazioni 07:58
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Andante con variazioni
    Duration
    07:58
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  7. 6 II. Scherzo: Allegro molto 02:42
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Scherzo: Allegro molto
    Duration
    02:42
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  8. 7 III. Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un eroe 06:09
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un eroe
    Duration
    06:09
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  9. 8 IV. Allegro 03:37
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Allegro
    Duration
    03:37
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  10. 9 I. Andante 05:01
    Track
    9
    Title
    I. Andante
    Duration
    05:01
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  11. 10 II. Allegro molto e vivace 01:55
    Track
    10
    Title
    II. Allegro molto e vivace
    Duration
    01:55
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  12. 11 III. Adagio con espressione 02:58
    Track
    11
    Title
    III. Adagio con espressione
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  13. 12 IV. Allegro vivace 05:43
    Track
    12
    Title
    IV. Allegro vivace
    Duration
    05:43
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  14. Disc 2
  15. 1 I. In tempo d'un menuetto 05:37
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. In tempo d'un menuetto
    Duration
    05:37
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  16. 2 II. Allegretto - Più allegro 05:37
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Allegretto - Più allegro
    Duration
    05:37
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  17. 3 I. Mit lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck 05:35
    Track
    3
    Title
    I. Mit lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
    Duration
    05:35
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  18. 4 II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen 07:35
    Track
    4
    Title
    II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen
    Duration
    07:35
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  19. 5 I. Allegro 10:11
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    10:11
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  20. 6 II. Andante 06:10
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    06:10
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  21. 7 III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace 02:22
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama
  22. 8 IV. Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo 04:34
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo
    Duration
    04:34
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Mari Kodama