Lugansky’s Beethoven.
Pianist Nikolai Lugansky has recorded an intriguing Beethoven recital, combining two famous sonatas with two other less well known but masterful works, the Op.10, number 3, and the Op. 54.
Lugansky’s amazing technique is on full display in all these great sonatas. I must admit, however, that I am very fussy and hard to satisfy about the first movement of the Moonlight sonata.
For me, the Moonlight theme’s dotted quarter note, followed by the eighth note need to be played super legato. So many pianists wind up playing this as a dotted eighth, so the legato character is lost, because the eighth note is too short. The one pianist who succeeds with this is Daniel Barenboim.
The Appassionata sonata, on the other hand, is simply staggering in its clarity and beauty as performed by Mr. Lugansky.
Here is the Piano Sonata no. 23 in F minor, op. 57, written by Ludwig Van Beethoven in 1804. Movement I: Allegro Assai, as performed by Nicolai Lugansky:
And next, here is the wonderful Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, by Ludwig van Beethoven, the 2nd & 3rd movements, as played by Nicolai Lugansky:
What great lyric quality of this music!
Tags: Beethoven, Nicolai Lugansky, Sonatas, Moonlight, Appassionata
