Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 14, 17 & 23

Album Description

After a first part devoted to the late sonatas, Nikolai Lugansky continues his exploration with this second volume of complete Beethoven work. This recording is part of the monumental Beethoven Edition 2020-2027 undertaken by harmonia mundi alongside contemporary musicians. It will undoubtedly be a pivotal recording, providing an accurate snapshot of Beethoven interpretations in the early 21st century, just as the recordings released in 1970 did for the bicentenary of the legend’s birth.

However, recording Beethoven in 2021 is becoming increasingly challenging now that every performer and music lover has an incredible collection of every recording for over a century at their fingertips. Whilst this is an undeniably huge asset, it can, unfortunately, give the impression that everything Beethoven’s music could possibly express has already been said and filed away.

What’s immediately striking about this new album devoted to the three famous sonatas: “Moonlight,”“The Storm,”and“Appassionata”, is the way Nikolai Lugansky’s deeply personal interpretation encourages a new way of interpreting the music. It sometimes feels as if the ink that wrote these sonatas isn’t yet completely dry. There’s nothing overtly academic in his musical vision; everything feels extremely tense; the music plunges the listener into the heart of a violent storm swirling with emotion and desire, and it’s all so masterfully constructed. His version of Beethoven is rebellious, forcing the listener to confront their conscience and ponder upon the future of the world. Lugansky has proved that even music that’s centuries old still has so much to offer. © François Hudry/Qobuz