What does this mean, Herr
Korstick: "
Beethoven Cycle Vol. 1?" Why does Vol. 1 of a cycle of
Beethoven's piano sonatas start with the Diabelli Variations, the composer's final, epic work for the piano written after his last sonata? And why does Vol. 1 of a cycle of
Beethoven also include
Haydn's Variations in F minor, the composer's final, tragic farewell to his last love? In the notes, you refer to the Diabelli Variations as "the quintessence of
Beethoven," but starting after the end is odd, and including
Haydn's Variations is simply a mystery.
Ah, yes, by playing the disc, the listener grasps your meaning. Through the subtlety of tone, lucidity of rhetoric, transparency of balances, intensity of concentration, and, above all, the humor, intellect, warmth, strength, and spirit of your performance, your interpretation of the Diabelli does touch what could aptly be called the quintessence of
Beethoven. In your performance, the listener understands that the Diabelli Variations, as
Beethoven's ultimate piano work, is not only the ideal toward which his piano sonatas strive, it is also the summation, the distillation, and the quintessence of
Beethoven's pianistic achievement. While the addition of your slightly too reserved performance of
Haydn's Variations is still a mystery, the listener takes your meaning: if the rest of your cycle is as successful as the first, yours could be one of the great recorded
Beethoven cycles. Oehms' sound is clear and warm, but perhaps too reverberant.