Why Beethoven’s the go-to man in times of crisis
In times of crisis we often turn to our artists and entertainers for inspiration, and none more so than Beethoven.
Wentworth Courier
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Throughout World War II the BBC used the da-da-da-dah V for Victory Morse code tattoo opening of the Fifth symphony and when the Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989 it was the Ninth, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, that signalled the start of a new world order.
And his music may well help us all again in these dire times of self-isolation and uncertainty as record labels continue to wheel out release after release of his works to celebrate his 250th anniversary. Included in them is a lavish feast of his piano works, and there are three of these that I would strongly recommend – either to buy online or to stream.
At 33 Jayson Gillham has established himself as Australia’s foremost pianist of his generation. He started young with lessons at the age of four in his home town Dalby in Queensland, and then when he outgrew those he would commute 500km a week to Brisbane. It all paid off for by the age of 17 he reached the semi-final of the Sydney International Piano Competition before moving to London to further his studies.
SPARKLING
He made a triumphant return to Australia performing Beethoven’s Piano concerto No 4 with Sydney Symphony under Russian maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy’s baton.
This work, along with Beethoven’s other four concertos, is given a sparkling performance on Gillham’s latest release on the ABC Classics label. The pianist’s virtuosity has never been in doubt but it has always been his maturity – well ahead of his years – and elegance as a performer that has most impressed. This handsomely produced three-disc box set will not disappoint.
Italian veteran Maurizio Pollini has long been considered the creme de la creme among pianists, and you can see why with Deutsche Grammophon’s release of Beethoven’s last three sonatas, performed live before an audience in the Herkulessaal at the Residence in Munich, the very venue where the 78-year-old made his first studio recording of the works 42 years ago.
His handling of these monumental and groundbreaking works puts this recording firmly in the five-star category. Nothing is lost by the fact that they are live recordings – in fact they gain an in-the-moment dimension which leaves the listener on the edge of their seat.
The last of the three recommendations is perhaps the most interesting. Czech-born Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, like Pollini now well into his 70s, started studying Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations as a student and they have remained an essential part of his musical DNA ever since.
The 33 variations on a waltz by Beethoven’s friend and publisher Diabelli is considered by some the greatest of all piano works. Diabelli set his rather banal waltz tune as a competitive challenge to contemporary Austrian composers, including Franz Schubert, Mozart’s son Franz Xaver Wolfgang and a pre-pubescent Franz Liszt. Beethoven spurned the challenge at first but then much later returned to it, coming up with gamut of versions from the Keystone Kops-like romp of the original tune to the lofty and noble high art of the 31st and 33rd variations – in much the same vein as the late sonatas.
What makes Buchbinder’s Diabelli Project so interesting is that the pianist commissioned 11 contemporary composers, including our own Brett Dean, to write their variation on Diabelli’s tune. The result is a fascinating musical kaleidoscope, all affectionately dedicated to Buchbinder.
These 11 works form the second of Deutsche Grammophon’s two-disc set, alongside Buchbinder’s performance of the eight original contenders – none of which last more than a minute or two.
The first disc, of course, is a consummate performance of Beethoven’s magnificent 33.
These three birthday tributes are helping me to get through these difficult days and I hope they will do the same for you. When we all get through this crisis the time will be ripe for the Ode to Joy to sound out again.
All three recordings are available from Classicsdirect.com.au for $29.95 (Gillham); $19.95 (Pollini) and $22.95 (Buchbinder).