There are plenty of other recordings of Beethoven's last three piano sonatas, including some by Maurizio Pollini himself, but this 2019 live recording from the Herkulessaal in Munich, made when Pollini was 77, will appeal to more than just the pianist's fans. It's quite identifiable as Pollini in its urgent forward motion and virtuoso power, but, as great artists do, Pollini continues to explore. He does not treat the sonatas as a three-part set but takes each as an individual. The performance of the Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109, is extraordinary. Pollini pushes the tempos, even compared with his own earlier performances, and brings an edgy, Lisztian quality to the music, with the gathering virtuoso scales in the finale set of variations coming out extremely excitingly. The Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110, is a different kind of work, and Pollini has trouble following his own act. However, the last sonata, the Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111, is once again very strong: Pollini provides plenty of fireworks once again, but he makes room for the even larger and more detailed set of variations with its remote-key trills and its syncopations. The recording, with some noise but no applause, is close up, slightly harsh, but gives a strong sense of Pollini's distinctive presence, and listeners may well feel that they just don't make pianists like this anymore.
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