Beethoven　 Piano Sonatas

For once the hyperbole rings true. Christian Leotta’s fourth volume of Beethoven sonatas is indeed ‘a major addition to other sets currently available’. Musicianly to the core, this young Italian pianist quietly but unmistakably commands your attention at every level. His musical focus and concentration are unswerving, nothing is rushed or overly volatile, everything is scrupulously placed yet illuminated with acute detail and vitality. You will rarely encounter performances more meticulously prepared.

This double-CD release is a second volume in pianist Paavali Jumppanen’s ongoing recording cycle of the Beethoven piano sonatas. This new release contains six piano sonatas: three early Op. 10 sonatas (published in 1798) and three sonatas written between 1804–06 (Opp. 53, 54 & 57). Piano Sonata Op. 53 Waldstein, completed after the 3rd Symphony, was described by Wilhelm von Lenz, an early biographer of Beethoven, as a “heroic symphony for piano.” Piano Sonata Op. 57 Appassionata is undoubtedly Beethoven’s darkest and most aggressive work. The Sonata has been compared to Dante’s Inferno and Shakespeare’s bloodthirsty Macbeth.

Jimin Oh-Havenith interprets three of Beethoven’s most famous, beautiful, but also most demanding piano sonatas. Her carefully chosen tempi allow for a vivid and transparent presentation of the thematic structures and internal developments.

Paavali Jumppanen is an internationally esteemed pianist, with a vast performance repertoire spanning from Bach to the Avant-garde. Jumppanen’s performances of the complete cycles of Beethoven’s and Mozart’s Piano Sonatas as well as Beethoven’s concertos and chamber music have won critical acclaim. Jumppanen has collaborated with numerous contemporary composers and has premiered many solo and chamber works for the piano. Of particular note are his recordings of Pierre Boulez’s complete piano sonatas at the request of the composer. This adaptability between musical genres gives a fresh reading of the core classical piano repertoire.