Forceful Beethoven!
Having made a favorable acquaintance with this duo in other recordings, it was only natural to explore their work with some hard core classics. Beethoven's music demands an intensity and almost aggressive attitude, something frequently missing in many performances, which come across as too pretty for my taste. Beethoven would have hated his music to be described as pretty, although beauty (in which it abounds) is never in short supply.
Cooke and Watkins seem to have made a conscious effort to reflect the spirit of the composer's time, with an emphasis on what is actually marked in the music. Fortepiano indications, usually glossed over too lightly, are given the full treatment here, and taken quite literally. Crescendos, when not indicated, are steadfastly resisted. Tempos are solidly in line with those of the time, fast enough but not rushed, rather than the all too brisk tempi usually selected by many of today's performers - excessive speed in such music has the effect of glibness, reducing the weight of the music.
On the downside, there are moments of less than tight ensemble between Cooke and Watkins, which accounts for 4 stars instead of 5 in my rating. Perhaps the fact that they apparently recorded all the music in the space of 2 days (according to the CD booklet), while remarkable in itself, accounts for this, but I wish they had taken the time to achieve ideal precision. At times, I would have preferred less articulated bowings in the cello. Recorded sound is quite good, although at times it sometimes favors the piano in fullness, if not volume. Technically, the performers are on right the money, while not allowing technique to overshadow the music and meaning of what they are trying to convey.
Overall, I would rate this collection highly as an interesting and assertive alternative to the many predictable readings we are accustomed to.
