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Beethoven to sink your teeth into at Meany Hall

Beethoven to sink your teeth into at Meany Hall
by Rod Parke - SGN A&E Writer To say Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire was shy in his stage manner should not be taken to mean he was at all shy about asserting the composer's wishes. This solid little man was in fact a powerhouse at the keyboard. He made the new $200,000 Steinway at Meany Hall sing with a power seldom matched. His tone was never clangorous or brittle. In fact there was warmth that at times may not have been entirely appropriate. He began with two chorales from Bach, arranged by Busoni. These poured forth from the piano with quiet grandeur and beauty. What a perfect appetizer to the stormy Beethoven that followed. Beethoven's "Waldstein" sonata (No. 21, Op. 53) was an excellent match for this artist's talents. Though fairly brisk, it all flowed with logic and passion. The lyrical moments were lovely, providing a great contrast to the drama and bravura of the big climaxes. The last movement, which can often sound repetitive and banging, was beautifully modulated and phrased. To these ears, the whole sonata was totally satisfying. I was less pleased with the second half of the program. The Chopin 'Sonata No. 2' was a bit frantic and unsettled. Was it my mood? Am I too "stuck" on the Rubenstein recording? There is always a danger in having a recording that one regards as perfect. Perfect also means "finished," as in completed and not to be changed. I'd like to think I can be open to a new approach, but this wasn't it for me. The Debussy "Children's Corner" Suite that followed disappointed only in that it lacked the last degree of French coloration. Freire's pervasive warmth clouded the crystalline atmosphere I like to hear in these gemlike pieces. They were not quite light enough, lacking a certain playfulness. I was likewise not entirely satisfied by the Albeniz that closed the printed program. Neither his "Evocacion" (from 'Iberia,' Book I) nor "Navarra" had the joyous rhythmic abandon that one gets from, for instance, Alicia de Larrocha. I felt Freire was too polite to expose the hot blood of this composer. Two encores, one by Scriabin, and the "Dance of the Blessed Spirits" from Gluck's 'Orfeo ed Euridice' rewarded the enthusiastic response of the audience. Nelson Freire is a fine pianist, and I would gladly see him again. My criticisms are not meant to appear major. Everything he did was worth hearing, and the Beethoven was superb. So good, in fact, that I am going to give away my old recording by Wilhelm Kempff because it's just too austere when compared to Freire's warmth. Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rmp62@columbia.edu.