Beethoven
Emperor Concerto Freire Chailly
Beethoven:
Piano Concerto No. 5, Piano Sonata op. 111
Nelson
Freire, piano
Gewandhaus
Orchestra
Riccardo
Chailly, conductor
DECCA
478 6771 [61:58]
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Decca brings together two of its biggest stars for this “Emperor”, both seasoned Beethovenians. Nelson Freire and Riccardo Chailly don’t have quite the same take on this music, but their approaches prove to be complementary. Freire is lyrical and supple, always letting the line flow. Chailly offers more drama, drawing a focused tone from the orchestra, and always propelling the music in the faster sections.
The Gewandhaus
Orchestra also fits well into the equation. The strings provide the ideal
support for Freire, matching the smoothness and intensity of his piano tone,
just as intense but just as nimble too. The woodwind soloists are another of
the orchestra’s great strengths, and although their solos are only ever short
here, each comes through with character and individuality.
The Adagio
second movement is a particular treat. Freire’s tone sounds completely
effortless, as if he is just breathing through the piano. Yet he has enough
presence to carry across the orchestra without the players having to restrain
from their elegantly shaped phrasing.
If I’ve one
complaint, it is a lack of muscularity from Freire. This, the most heroic of
piano concertos, could sometimes do with more gravitas. The opening of the
finale, for example, flows too smoothly out of the Adagio, and there is
little feeling of turbulence or grandeur. Freire compensates with yet more
lyricism and elegance, and it is to the credit of both Chailly and his
orchestra that they follow the soloist’s lead here; judging by their recent
symphony cycle, they’d probably have done something more emphatic if they’d
been working with a more heavy handed pianist.
The concerto is
coupled with the Piano Sonata op. 111, but at approaching 25 minutes it is more
than just a filler. Freire gives another lyrical, flowing performance, making
what in other hands can seem a complex and intellectual work into an exercise
in grace and elegance. It’s seductive and beguiling, and the work’s complex
structure is well served by the pianist’s narrative approach, leading the ear
through the various sections and always offering logical connections from one
to the next. The opening of the second movement is magical. Here, for a few
minutes, time seems to stop, as Freire draws out the Adagio melody with little
concern for pulse or tempo. Then, as Beethoven elaborates the theme into a
series of variations, Freire gradually brings us back down to earth, imposing discipline
and pace, but still maintaining the elegance of his tone and line.
The
documentation provided is slight, just a brief and severely edited interview
with the pianist by James Jolly. Freire tells us he has been playing the “Emperor”
since he was 12. That’s well over 50 years, and his intimate knowledge of the
music is certainly demonstrated. He also reveals that this is to be the first
release in a complete Beethoven concerto cycle. Apparently it is going to take
a few years, the next release will be the Fourth Concerto, scheduled for 2016.
On the strength of this first recording, it should be worth the wait.
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