A BEETHOVEN ODYSSEY VOL.7 by JAMES BRAWN / Review

A BEETHOVEN ODYSSEY VOL.7

BEETHOVEN Piano Sonatas Op.109, 110 & 111

JAMES BRAWN, Piano

MSR Classics MS 1471 / TT: 71’01”

 

British pianist James Brawn has reached the seventh and penultimate disc of his Beethoven Odyssey, a recorded survey of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, which began almost ten years ago. Although the cycle was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, this album was recorded in July 2022 when international travel resumed, allowing Brawn to leave his base in Shanghai, China to accomplish his mission in Potton Hall, Suffolk.

 

Beethoven’s late piano sonatas are his Magnum Opus for the instrument, a revered study and nostalgic gaze at age-old traditional forms while hurling the lance into the future. These are a fond farewell to Classicism and bracing hello to Romanticism, while pondering on the mysteries of the eternal. The final trilogy (Nos.30-32) has it all. Both Op.109 and 111 close with theme and variations sets while Op.110 glories in the fugal form. These beloved devices are also delved in Beethoven’s other late sonatas (Op.101 & 106 for piano, Op.102 for cello), Diabelli Variations (Op.120), Ninth Symphony (Op.125) and of course, the Grosse Fuge (Op.133).   

 

The old and wizened Beethoven

As with earlier volumes of Brawn’s odyssey, the recorded sound is uniformly excellent. The performances are highly idiomatic, with none of the quirks and idiosyncracies which some pianists parade as originality. The opening of Sonata No.30 in E major (Op.109) comes right out of the “modern” Romantic era, its apparent dissonances, sentimentality and conflict are well elucidated by Brawn, who goes on to fearlessly let rip in the short and violent Prestissimo that follows. The finale’s hymn-like theme is poetically shaped, and the ensuing variations build up nobly to a thrilling climax before the work’s serene close.

 

The beginning of Sonata No.31 in A flat major (Op.110) continues on the same path of lyricism, later coloured by folk-like garrulousness (inspired by some German country song about a cat having kittens) of a similarly short second movement. Stark contrasts are well brought out by Brawn, and even if the schema of both sonatas seem somewhat similar, the reality sounds very different. The finale links two sections, the first dark and brooding, its gloom dispelled by the illuminating light of Bachian counterpoint, concluding the sonata on a high.

 

The ultimate Sonata No.32 in C minor (Op.111) receives a gripping account. The first movement’s anger and vehemence is projected in-your-face and Brawn does not let up for a single second. The finale’s Arietta echoes the noble theme from Op.109 but this final set of variations takes one on an even more fantastical journey. The “boogie-woogie” variation does not suffer from parody and the long trills (and thrills) never spills over to repetitiveness before its sublime close. In short, this final trilogy from Brawn ranks well with the best in the catalogue, and one includes the likes of Arrau, Brendel, Pollini and more recently Igor Levit.

  

There is only the A major (Op.101) and Hammerklavier (Op.106) sonatas left to be released, and judging by the high production values of this album, and the cycle as a whole, one can only await James Brawn’s completion of his Beethoven odyssey with open arms. 

You can purchase this album (physical and digital formats) here:

A Beethoven Odyssey, Vol. 7 - MSR Classics: MS1471 - CD or download | Presto Music

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, February 2018)

A BEETHOVEN ODYSSEY VOL.5

JAMES BRAWN, Piano

MSR Classics 1469 / *****

LATE BEETHOVEN

ISHAY SHAER, Piano

Orchid Classics 100076 / *****

The 32 piano sonatas of Beethoven in the recorded medium have been defined by the likes of historical pianists like Artur Schnabel and Wilhelm Kempff, and more recently, Alfred Brendel. A younger generation represented by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Paul Lewis and Igor Levit have carried on quite famously as well. 

But do listen to these latest recordings by British pianist James Brawn (now in his fifth instalment of sonata cycle) and the Israeli Ishay Shaer, who uphold the tradition with pride and vigour.

Brawn explores four sonatas from Beethoven's early period. The trio of Op.10 Sonatas are as varied as one can get. The dramatics of the C minor sonata (No.1) are contrasted with the humour of the F major sonata (No.2), but both are eclipsed by the imposing D major sonata (No.3), the longest of the three and one of his great early essays in the genre. 

Brawn instils an urgency and vitality that is hard to ignore, and follows up with the genial G major sonata (Op.14 No.2).

From Beethoven's later years are the Sonatas in A major (Op.101) and E major (Op.109), as he single-handedly bridged the Classical and Romantic eras. Shaer fully captures the autumnal spirit, which is tempered by defiance and a fond look-back at past traditions. The finales of Op.101 and 109 are a fugue and a theme and variations set respectively. 

Between these giants are 17 Bagatelles (Op.119 and 126), miniatures which resemble shavings from a master's workbench. Trifles some of these may be (Op.119 No.10 lasts just 14 seconds) but would one trifle with gold dust?   

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, March 2016)

A BEETHOVEN ODYSSEY Volumes 3&4

JAMES BRAWN, Piano

MSR Classics 1467 & 1468 / ****1/2

British pianist James Brawn continues on his labour of love with the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas and reaches the halfway mark. While keeping the mature and more profound utterances to later instalments, the earlier sonatas and “nicknamed” sonatas benefit from his direct approach, that of Beethoven as a fearless and unabashed communicator. 

Volume 3 begins with the Sonata in A major (Op.2 No.2) and continues with the “Tempest” Sonata in D minor (Op.31 No.2). Both are possessed with stürm und drang (storm and stress) temperament that was to make Beethoven such a rudely fascinating character. The “Les Adieux” Sonata in E flat major (Op.81a) was his only programmatic sonata, with an abundance of joy, sorrow and exhilaration thrown into the mix.

The longest sonata in Volume 4 is the “Pastoral” Sonata in D major (Op.28), so-named because of its bucolic quality and movements recalling country dances. Its counterpart is the “simple” Sonata in G major (Op.79), another work with German folk influences. 

The balance is filled with short sonatas: the early E major (Op.14 No.1), the deceptively difficult F sharp major (Op.78) and the late E minor (Op.90) with its glorious Schubertian song-like finale which ends all too soon. Brawn plays all of these beautifully, imbued with the quintessential Beethovenian spirit that is hard to resist. More please. 

BRAVE NEW WORLD

EMMA JOHNSON, Clarinet

JOHN LENEHAN, Piano

Champs Hill 084 / ****1/2

Music in the 20^th century saw a multiplicity of styles and -isms. Atonalism and serialism were embraced by the academic and compositional establishment but alienated casual listeners. This survey of 20^th century clarinet music written during the 1930s to 50s by British clarinettist Emma Johnson steers clear of those, keeping tonality close to her heart. Already familiar to listeners is the music of Sergei Prokofiev's Flute Sonata (1943, also his Violin Sonata No.2), which sounds totally idiomatic and lyrical for the clarinet in her arrangement.

There are fascinating contrasts to be found in the Sonatas of Paul Hindemith (1939)and Nino Rota (1945), the astringency and counterpoint of the German juxtaposed with the more melodious and commercial style of the Italian, better known for his film music. 

Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski's Dances Preludes (1955) make the best case for folk-inspired modernism, while the spirituality of Olivier Messiaen's Abyss Of The Birds from Quartet For The End Of Time (1941) and Vocalise-Etude (1935) elevate music to a higher and more ethereal plain. Johnson has a rich, mellow sound and performs with true feeling and sympathy, which are well-captured in the marvelous recording.

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, February 2016)

THE TIME TRAVELLER AND HIS MUSE

JAMES BRAWN, Piano

MSR Classics 1502 (2 CDs) / ****1/2

The British pianist James Brawn takes a break from his Beethoven sonata odyssey to bring this recital, a chronological survey of piano music from the Baroque era to the 20^th century. It is filled with short pieces which students typically play in graded examinations and piano competitions. 

For concert pianists, these form the bulk of post-recital encores (and there are some Horowitz favourites among them), after-dinner mints which satisfy and delight. He starts with a pair of Scarlatti Sonatas and a handful of Bach Preludes without the fugues, before proceeding to popular classical era fare, including Mozart's Turkish Rondo and Beethoven's Für Elise.

The Romantic era figures prominently, and the best tracks are the selections from Chopin Études and Rachmaninov Préludes, which are very polished and capture the spirit of the times. The modern age is represented by only two tracks, Prokofiev's coruscating Toccata, and I Got Rhythm from The Gershwin Songbook. 

Brawn plays sensitively and with exemplary taste, and there is nothing dislike in any of the performances. He is beautifully recorded, and one wishes all young would-be-pianists could follow his example and play like this.  

JOHN WILLIAMS CONDUCTS

MUSIC FROM STAR WARS

Boston Pops Orchestra

Decca 478 9244 (2CDs) / ****1/2

This reissue of 1980s recordings by the Boston Pops Orchestra under iconic film composer-conductor John Williams was prompted by the release of Disney's Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. It amply displays the debt that sci-fi movie music owed to classical music, particular works from the early 20^th century. 

The first disc is devoted wholly to music by Williams, including favourite tracks from Episodes 4 to 6: Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and The Return Of The Jedi, and further music from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and E.T. Where would such music be without Wagner, Richard Strauss, Mahler, Holst, Prokofiev and Korngold, whose compositional styles were appropriated and re-imagined by Williams? 

The second disc begins with the opening of Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra, which will always be associated with Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The familiar strains from Alien, Battlestar Galactica, The Twilight Zone and Star Trek, both the television (Alexander Courage) and film (Jerry Goldsmith) themes have also been included. 

The main events are the seven movements of The Planets by Englishman Gustav Holst, surely the grandfather of all sci-fi and astrological music. The performances by the summertime occupation of the Boston Symphony are excellent, which might hopefully spur celluloid fans to pay closer attention to what riches the classics can offer. 

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, January 2016)

ZHOU LONG & CHEN YI

Symphony “Humen 1839”

New Zealand Symphony / DARRELL ANG

Naxos 8.570611 / *****

The Chinese husband-and-wife composing pair of Zhou Long and Chen Yi have highly successful individual careers, and Symphony “Humen 1839” (2009) represents their own only major joint collaboration to date. It was inspired by the 1839 burning of a thousand tons of opium in Humen, Guangdong, a Chinese version of the Boston Tea Party, but the event that sparked off the disastrous Opium Wars. 

Its four movements play for a half-hour, programmatic and almost Copland-like in its narrative. The music begins in Cantonese pomp, honouring the defiantly heroic figure of Lin Zexu, and depicts its humiliating capitulation under British aggression in the slow movement. This precedes China's inexorable ascent as a world power on its own right, represented by the finale’s triumphal music of the “Star Wars” kind. This is both a patriotic as well as cathartic work.

Two shorter pieces by Zhou complete the album. The Rhyme Of Taigu (2003) is a vigorously rhythmic work that celebrates the pomp and ceremonial role of the ancient dagu, the drum also known by the Japanese as the taiko. The Enlightened (2005) reflects on the contribution of ancient Chinese philosophies to a troubled world. 

This is a first-ever classical Grammy nomination by a Singaporean, the conductor Darrell Ang, and his spirited leadership of the splendid New Zealand Symphony is never in question. This is a disc befitting our SG50 celebrations.  

DON'T MISS:
DARRELL ANG conducts
Singapore Symphony Orchestra's
37th Anniversary Concert
Esplanade Concert Hall
Friday, 29 January 2016
7.30 pm, Tickets available at SISTIC

CD Reviews (The Straits Times, September 2014)

A BEETHOVEN ODYSSEY Volumes 1&2

JAMES BRAWN, Piano

MSR Classics 1465 & 1466 / ****1/2

Any complete survey of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas would rightly be described as an odyssey. This was a compositional journey of some 30 years, beginning with Bonn’s angst-ridden smasher of keyboards of the early 1790s and culminating in the 1820s stone-deaf sage of Vienna with his timeless, visionary musings. British pianist James Brawn’s first two discs includes two early sonatas and the popular ones bestowed with nicknames. Listen first to Volume 2 which opens with the Pathetique (Op.13) and Moonlight Sonatas (Op.27 No.2). The titles were given by publishers to enhance sales but reflect Beethoven’s expressive abilities, from pathos to dreaminess and outright tempestuousness. Between these and the passionate Waldstein Sonata (Op.53) are the two “easy” sonatas of Op.49, which fall comfortably within children’s hands.

Volume 1 contains the two sonatas in the moody key of F minor. Op.2 No.1 was Beethoven’s first published sonata, dedicated to Haydn but already showing signs of surpassing the old master’s gifts. Op.57 is none other than the Appassionata Sonata, epitome of Beethoven’s stormy Middle Period. s Beethoven'han the Appassionata Sonata, thester'1 was Beethoven'stein Sonata (Op.53)nist Both sonatas sandwich the congenial Sonata in C major (Op.2 No.3), one of his sunnier and more humorous creations. These are very satisfying performances with brain and brawn, bringing to mind many qualities of the great Beethoven interpreters: Kempff, Arrau and Brendel. Further instalments in this cycle are keenly awaited.

These CDs may be purchased online from: www.msrcd.com

MEDTNER/RACHMANINOV/PROKOFIEV

SOFYA GULYAK, Piano

Champs Hill 064 / ****1/2

In 2009, the Tartarstan-born pianist Sofya Gulyak made history when she became the first woman to win 1^st Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition. Unsurprisingly, her calling card début disc is a programme of 20^th century Russian piano works which play to her strengths. She is an uncompromisingly direct pianist with a burly physical stature that can more than withstand the repertoire’s heavyweight blockbusters. This is most evident in Prokofiev’s Sixth Sonata where the force of a juggernaut, seemingly unlimited endurance and sense of irony are a premium. 

Equally daunting is Nikolai Medtner’s single-movement Sonata Tragica which is as dense and compact as it is lyrical, a showcase of Slavic brooding and sublimation. A different light is shed on Medtner’s lesser-known Skazki (Folk Tales) Op.26, four short and varied miniatures that reveal a plethora of colours. This sense of fantasy is consummated in Rachmaninov’s Corelli Variations, where her formidable technique is every match for the work’s kaleidoscope of nuances. This is a very well-conceived recital, expertly delivered, one that demands serious attention.