23/10/2020
Boris Giltburg
A new sonata video today! No. 13, a true hidden gem, among the biggest discoveries of the cycle for me.
You can watch in full here: https://youtu.be/Jixk8D9Cmcg
And below is the second movement, a scherzo, about which I wrote: "If one reads it without playing, the material seems almost primitive: series of broken triads, played with both hands in unison. But in performance, it’s as magically atmospheric as the opening movement: subdued and shadowy, with the hands gliding over the keyboard at speed, each triad a touch of colour and emotion, all masterfully painted with delicate, suggestive brushstrokes.
The middle section wouldn’t be out of place in Schumann’s Davidsbündlertänze, juxtaposing two syncopated gallops, the first fiery in spirit and a bit steely in sound, the second light-footed and questioning. Upon the scherzo’s return, a simple device shifts the music into super-virtuosic mode: Beethoven offsets the right hand by half a beat, effectively doubling the number of notes in what is already a fast tempo. The music grows towards the end, whipping itself into a technical and emotional frenzy and culminating in a dazzling cascade down a C major triad. A complete, gripping narrative in under two minutes!"
Hope you enjoy it!
Fazioli Pianoforti Fly On The Wall Naxos