The second half of 14th Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival is devoted mainly to the Patron’s works. Besides the unprecedented marathon of Symphonies we are approaching the finale of multi-year series of solo recitals by Rudolf Buchbinder. There not many pianists who can claim they do belong to the exclusive club of interpreters of the complete 32 Sonatas by Beethoven. Rudolf Buchbinder is an exceptional musician even within this group, as he continues to perform the Sonatas for years in different musical centres, popularizing these works. It is quite a challenge, as there is a danger to fall into interpretative repetitiveness. Fortunately enough, in case of Buchbinder the risk is minimized; actually there is no monotony in his approach.
The recital’s programme was interestingly set up: in the first part three “smaller” sonatas were played: F major Op. 10 No. 2, F sharp major Op. 78 and G major Op. 31 No. 1. The second half of the recital listed the monument of piano music, the famous Sonata in B flat major Op. 106, the “Hammerklavier”. This layout underlined the diversity that one can find within the Beethoven’s sonatas, but also highlighted some technical “plots”, that were present in the former three works and developed in full in the Great Sonata in B flat major. Polyphony may serve as an example: of course, there is an ingenious fugue in “Hammerklavier”, but the technique may also be traced in the last movement of Sonata in F major from Op. 10.
Buchbinder emphasized the polyphony in the sonatas of the first half of the recital, showing of his erudition in finding complementing “parts”, that were hidden by the composer in the background. The Sonatas have no secrets for Buchbinder, therefore he can afford the interpretations that shed new light upon well-known works. There were many coulours in Buchbinger’s interpretations: resolute tempo (the first movement of Sonata in F major), running figures (Allegro from Sonata in F sharp major), contrasts between chorale chords and energetic broken chords (Allegro vivace from Sonata in G major). There were subtle variations in dynamic and tempo as well. The main aspect of Buchbinders interpretation however, was his approach to musical form, that was shaped with consequence and conciousness, with well though-out dramaturgy based on the knowledge of the point of every element of Beethoven’s works. It was most evident in “Hammerklavier” sonata. The beginning and end of this work was played with great, symphonic sound (by no means overdriven). Within those boundaries Buchbinder created the landscape of variety: Scherzo was dimed and impressively disquieting, Adagio was “Romantic” with its ecstatic climax (and the recitative-like melody in the middle) and the culmination was reached in a masterly conceived Fugue. It was played fast, an idea conciously conceived and perfectly performed.
Alas, there was no encore, all that was to be said, was said in the Sonatas. The cycle shall continue, but it is hard to think that there are only few more recitals to go before the end of this great musical experience.
Marcin Majchrowski (Polskie Radio)