Ludwig van Beethoven
Klavierkonzert Nr.5, ‘Emperor’ Concerto
Maurizio Pollini, Karl Böhm, Vienna Philharmonic
DGG LP 2531 194 (Recorded in 1979)
Although Pollini is celebrated for his solo performances, a fact reflected in the vast majority of his discography, he did record Concertos too, ranging from Mozart, via Beethoven and Brahms to Bartok and Schoenberg! He was a regular collaborator with Claudio Abbado but for this review I’ve chosen his performance of the Emperor with Karl Böhm and the VPO. Böhm’s accompaniment is typically lucid and forthright a perfect foil to Pollini’s clarity of line. There are those who complain that Pollini is too introspective, too measured and lacking in power and authority. His playing here is the perfect riposte. Delicate and fluid when required, it is bold and purposeful, direct and dynamic when the score demands. Yet it is still, indelibly Pollini: never turgid, never muscle-bound or clumsy, the effort of playing never overcomes the musical demands. It’s a poised solo part that fits like a glove with polished ensemble, power and inherent musicality of the VPO. Even Beethoven’s more bombastic orchestral moments don’t detract from but rather reinforce Pollini’s clarity and control. His Third Movement is delivered with a dominant sense of drive and swagger, articulate yet clearly and emphatically punctuated, a dynamic and authoritative display that should put any questions regarding his range and power to bed once and for all.
The Second Movement is a predictably high point, the VPO’s gorgeous string-tone and woodwinds backing a piano part that might have been written for Pollini, with its delicate, elongated lines and searching melody. The evolution is as measured as it is beautiful. Except that, absent the Teldec EQ curve, you’ll never know. Played on RIAA there’s a strident shrillness to winds, strings and the piano’s right hand, a blocky, disjointed quality to the low frequencies that makes Böhm sound like a grumpy OWG on a bad day. Which possibly helps explain why this record can be picked up for pence. Even with the correct EQ curve, Do it. It’s a worthwhile extension to both your collection and your understanding of Pollini’s art – as well as a compelling argument to invest in a phono-stage with switchable EQ if you haven’t already.
Franz Schubert
Piano Sonata in G major – D 894 (MP)
Moments musicaux – D 780 (DP)
Fantasia in F minor (for four hands) – D 940 (DP and MP)
Maurizio Pollini and Daniele Pollini
DGG 486 6398 CD (Recorded in 2022)
Sometimes, context is everything. Sometimes, it’s down to the situation in which a piece was written: Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto or the Shostakovich Leningrad and Babi Yar Symphonies. Sometimes, it’s the where and when of the performance. This is one of those times. Pollini made this disc, chose to make it with his pianist son – including a piece for four hands, knowing that it would be his last recording. The spiritual lyricism of the Schubert G Major Sonata is a choice so inspired as to seem obvious once made and Pollini’s reflective reading doesn’t disappoint. His playing might lack the almost crystalline clarity of strike, delicacy, precisely judged weight of note and line from his earlier performances, but this is still a beautifully poised, reflective and balanced reading. His famed agility and articulation lead you through the piece, investing it with a wonderful sense of shape and humanity.
