Vintage Beethoven in Living Stereo

Vladimir Horowitz was not especially well regarded as a Beethoven interpreter, but this album may well be the exception which proves the rule. These performances, taped in 1959, were Horowitz' first stereo recording. RCA has reissued this as part of the Living Stereo series, and the remastering is a great improvement over the original LP. The sound has been opened up and the dynamic range greatly increased. The recording was made in Carnegie Hall (empty), and the rumbling of the subway trains underneath the hall has been largely removed--something that was a major problem with the original CD issue.

Horowitz had performed the Beethoven Sonata in D, Op. 10, #3 publicly in the 1940s, so he was well aquatinted with it when this recording was made. The first movement is taken at a fast tempo, with some drawn out ritards at climaxes. The rhythmic vitality of Horowitz' performance, and his capturing of Beethoven's humor, are a delight. The slow movement, Largo e Mesto, is taken at a tempo referred to as heroically slow in 1959, but the movement sounds normally paced to early 21st century ears--an excellent example of how tempos have generally slowed in recent decades. The last two movements are played in a straightforward manner, but notable for their sparse pedaling.

Horowitz seemed more comfortable in Beethoven's well known "Appassionata" than in any other of the composers solo works. This 1959 recording shows a sober Horowitz concentrating on the structure, rather than the drama of the first movement--no heart on sleeve hysteria here! The second movement variations are played as simply and directly as Horowitz can manage. The finale is taken at a sensible tempo--more ma non troppo than allegro. But Horowitz tends to get caught up in detail, rather than maintaining forward motion. His Sony recording, made in 1972, is more successful in this respect. The LPs original cover art and liner notes are reproduced.