Late Beethoven for the punk era? Maybe not, but young Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear's interpretations of Beethoven's last four piano sonatas are forceful and intentionally almost inexpressive, and they're somehow of a piece with his shaved head (which is all to the good). Goodyear deserves all kinds of credit for thinking out his own interpretations of these works from the ground up. He takes everything at a brisk clip, and at some points this can come as quite a surprise: the giant Adagio sostenuto slow movement of the ...
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Late Beethoven for the punk era? Maybe not, but young Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear's interpretations of Beethoven's last four piano sonatas are forceful and intentionally almost inexpressive, and they're somehow of a piece with his shaved head (which is all to the good). Goodyear deserves all kinds of credit for thinking out his own interpretations of these works from the ground up. He takes everything at a brisk clip, and at some points this can come as quite a surprise: the giant Adagio sostenuto slow movement of the Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106, "Hammerklavier," despite the fact that Goodyear in his own booklet notes finds "screaming sobs" in the music, verily breezes by and comes in at under 15 minutes (on many recordings it pushes 25). As with any really unusual interpretation there are strong points and weak points, and the "Hammerklavier" is among the former. In many cycles this giant work seems to stand by itself, a chill monument in stone that sharply contrasts with the...
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