I was on Tidal and looking at a Beethoven Sonata, the “Pathetique” one. I said looking because before I would have to press play on any given interpretation I had to chose one. And there lays the problem: too many great ones.
I then proceeded to go on YouTube to be guided by a specialist who knows a lot more than me on the subject. I found plenty of them. But the problem didn’t disappear, it got thicker because everybody had a different favorite one. All the experts were very convincing and telling the very last word on the absolute, the definite, the masterpiece of all masterpiece in the Beethoven “Pathetique” sonata.
Very well, it was time to warm up the remote control. I started with a modern pianist. He had a gorgeous tone and a very accurate touch, and he was fast. Too fast, perhaps, as I had a hard time discerning let alone understanding what was going on in the speedy passages.
Off to the next one. Someone from the 60’s. I love those recordings. Something very authentic about them. I don’t know how to explain it. Anyway, great pianist, fantastic phrasing and dynamics, but again, fast, way too fast, even faster than the first one.
I discovered pretty quickly that the sonata was in general, played too fast. To my taste. I need to says that as a big disclaimer. I do not have an absolute, I don’t care about that. But I want to be able to hear the notes and not a blur. And I got fast and precise gear to decipher the signals, let me tell you. So, I kept looking for a decent interpretation I could grasp. Just that. I don’t know if I would like it, but, at the very least, I wanted to be able to hear it.
Finally, I came across John O’Conor. He’s not a star, you probably never heard of him. Apparently the man is a specialist of Beethoven. Most of his recordings focus on that. He recorded the complete sonata cycle, for example.
So, I started to listen to Mr O’Conor tickling them keys. It was great! Really great! I was so relieved to hear something that wasn’t at the speed of light. Now, can he play fast? He sure can! I heard some dizzying fireworks executed with ease… when it’s appropriate. But he made me understand the composer’s work, he took his time to explain it. I loved it.
And, all of the sudden I discovered the obvious interpretation. What am I talking about? It happens when you listen to someone and he plays the piece the way you would have played it if you had the technique or the microphone or the record contract. Thank you Mister John O’Conor.
