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Label:
  Linn Records - http://www.linnrecords.com/
Serial:
  CKD 225
Title:
  Beethoven: Last Three Piano Sonatas - Artur Pizarro
Description:
  Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Op. 109, Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat Op. 110, Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor Op. 111

Artur Pizarro (piano)
Track listing:
  Total time: 61:44
Genre:
  Classical - Instrumental
Content:
  Stereo/Multichannel
Media:
  Hybrid
Recording type:
 
Recording info:
 

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Related titles: 4


 
Reviews: 1

Review by beardawgs November 25, 2003 (5 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Well, just before we returned this unfortunate disc, here are some thoughts about Pizarro’s playing. Even after friendly advice from Paul (Nucaleena) not to go through that experience again, I had to hear it for the final time to be sure once and for all. I have to excuse in advance for focusing mainly on the bad points, as Paul already exhausted all the good ones in his review below. So, here I come, Bizarro:

It took me a while to realise what is so annoying about this recording – and I think I got it: the man has a nice and gentle tone and great finger work, and a lots of shades from piano to mezzo forte, but then nothing in between mezzo forte and fortissimo! And his fortissimo is more like rude hammering than sophisticated playing.
Pizarro can be sophisticated, opening moments of op. 109 are full of delicate tone and singing, but unfortunately that stops as soon as the phrase is over. Then he has no idea what to do in between until the new ‘singing’ section, and fills the gap with some piano thrashing. At that point the recording doesn’t help either, upper registers sound week and edgy in anything louder than mf.
I haven’t heard his previous (and highly praised) Beethoven CD, but here, he either didn’t bother too much to prepare properly or he has on his plate more that he can chew. Not a single movement here has any internal logic, they start without reason and finish abruptly (it sounds like that he is surprised at the end of the first movement of op. 111 that there is no more music). Particularly disastrous are slow movements, they might be cantabile, but they are definitely not espressivo. He simply can not sustain the tension of the slow music and fill it in with some kind of meaning, it’s just playing something after something else. Did I also hear some dynamic misbalance between left and right hand? I can’t be bothered with this any more…

On the bright side, he has all the notes in his fingers, which is still not enough. And the recording is also on the bright side, much too bright for my taste, and quite close. I simply couldn’t find the right level for playing this disc. Linn got it all wrong this time.

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Works: 3  

Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111