This morning's musical interlude - "The Hunt"

[George K]

This performer came up in my Spotify "Classical New Releases" list, so I thought I'd give it a listen.

I've always had a soft spot for Beethoven's "Hunt" sonata (Op 31, #3) particularly the second movement. I love the rumbling baseline that permeates the movement.

However, this guy redefines rubato. I have to admit I was amazed at his liberties with the tempo. At times it's really effective to bring out the somewhat playful nature of the movement, at times it's distracting.

Thoughts?

Link to video

He does it throughout the sonata, by the way.

[Klaus]

That's a lot of rubato indeed. Also a lot of other liberties with dynamics and tempo. Interesting. I'm not sure yet whether I like it. In Chopin, rubato sounds organic. But here it sounds a little artificial.

[Klaus]

I like this Kovacevich recording, which is in some sense the opposite of the one you posted: Faithful to the score in every detail.

Link to video

Obviously not necessarily better, but quite different.

[George K]

@Klaus said in This morning's musical interlude - "The Hunt":

Faithful to the score in every detail.

Indeed, except at the last few measures of the 2nd movement, where I think he slowed down just a bit.

But yes, it's wonderful, and very "Beethoven." The recording I posted (mostly out of curiosity) just struck me as being, well, odd. I listened to some of his other interpretations of the sonatas (Op 28, 26, 11) and he does the same crap with them as well.