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This is not the first all-variation recital by a leading pianist, but it's a fresh outing by the venerable Emanuel Ax that uses the variation form to explore the innovative currents percolating through some less commonly played works. Beethoven's Variations and Fugue for piano in E flat major, Op. 35, are known as the "Eroica Variations" because they are based on the same two themes that would later appear in the Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 ("Eroica"). It's very easy to construct a splashy reading pointing to Beethoven's early career as a virtuoso pianist, and that's what's often been done. Ax, on the other hand, takes the reasonable step of treating the work as a prelude to the "Eroica" symphony, damping down the virtuosity a good deal (of course, he's enough of a virtuoso to get away with that) and bringing the variations together into larger groups. His reading seems almost meditative at first, although it eventually builds in power, and it's quite absorbing. Likewise for the Variations for piano in F minor, Hob. 17/6, of Haydn, perhaps the single piece in Haydn's entire catalog that points forward most clearly to the Romantic era. The work, with its harmonic excursions and unusual double variation structure, offers plenty to chew on if the pianist slows down enough to get inside it, and Ax's reading brings out its adventurous quality. The Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13, of Schumann are given a confidently, coolly controlled performance, even in the midst of extreme technical challenges. The upshot is to make these three works sound quite close to one another, no mean feat, and one that brings fresh insights to each.
© TiVo
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Variations and Fugue for Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 35 ("Eroica Variations") (Ludwig van Beethoven)
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Ludwig van Beethoven, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Joseph Haydn, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Symphonic Etudes Op. 13 (Robert Schumann)
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Robert Schumann, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Emanuel Ax, Piano, MainArtist - Aaron Copland, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
This is not the first all-variation recital by a leading pianist, but it's a fresh outing by the venerable Emanuel Ax that uses the variation form to explore the innovative currents percolating through some less commonly played works. Beethoven's Variations and Fugue for piano in E flat major, Op. 35, are known as the "Eroica Variations" because they are based on the same two themes that would later appear in the Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55 ("Eroica"). It's very easy to construct a splashy reading pointing to Beethoven's early career as a virtuoso pianist, and that's what's often been done. Ax, on the other hand, takes the reasonable step of treating the work as a prelude to the "Eroica" symphony, damping down the virtuosity a good deal (of course, he's enough of a virtuoso to get away with that) and bringing the variations together into larger groups. His reading seems almost meditative at first, although it eventually builds in power, and it's quite absorbing. Likewise for the Variations for piano in F minor, Hob. 17/6, of Haydn, perhaps the single piece in Haydn's entire catalog that points forward most clearly to the Romantic era. The work, with its harmonic excursions and unusual double variation structure, offers plenty to chew on if the pianist slows down enough to get inside it, and Ax's reading brings out its adventurous quality. The Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13, of Schumann are given a confidently, coolly controlled performance, even in the midst of extreme technical challenges. The upshot is to make these three works sound quite close to one another, no mean feat, and one that brings fresh insights to each.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 35 track(s)
- Total length: 01:23:20
- Main artists: Emanuel Ax
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Sony Classical
- Genre: Classical
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
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