Paul lewis

[Peter]

He seems to be the in pianist at the moment for Beethoven, having done the complete concertos at the proms last year and also recorded the sonatas. I heard him live a couple of years back playing the last 3 sonatas and yes he has a fine technique, yet somehow his playing seems cold to me. Op.111 for example didn't achieve that transcendental quality that the last movement needs. Am I alone in this opinion?

[Roehre]

He seems to be the in pianist at the moment for Beethoven, having done the complete concertos at the proms last year and also recorded the sonatas. I heard him live a couple of years back playing the last 3 sonatas and yes he has a fine technique, yet somehow his playing seems cold to me. Op.111 for example didn't achieve that transcendental quality that the last movement needs. Am I alone in this opinion?

Technically superb IMO, but in many of his recordings, like Peter in opus 111, there is lacking something. The Hammerklavier is IMO superb, as are the Diabelli variations, but 53, 57, 110, 111 e.g. leave me cold.
Don't know why (yet).

[Peter]

Technically superb IMO, but in many of his recordings, like Peter in opus 111, there is lacking something. The Hammerklavier is IMO superb, as are the Diabelli variations, but 53, 57, 110, 111 e.g. leave me cold.
Don't know why (yet).

That's very interesting Roehre - especially that you experience the same reaction to those last sonatas. I also watched the proms performances of the concertos and yes they were technically superb, but there is something lacking - you don't feel drawn into his performances, there is a sense of detachment and I don't feel moved by it.