Ludwig van Beethoven: In Celebration of his 250th Anniversary
Label: Centaur Records | Catalog: 3828 | CD/MP3/Streaming Album, distributed by NAXOS
Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op. 13 ‘Pathetique’
Fantasia in G minor/B Major, Op. 77
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ minor ‘Quasi una fantasia’, Op. 27, No. 2 ‘Moonlight’
Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 No. 2, ‘The Tempest’
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Live Concert Video Performances
“Tempest” Sonata – III. Allegretto
“Tempest’ Sonata” – II. Adagio
“Moonlight” Sonata – I. Adagio sostenuto
“Moonlight” Sonata – III. Presto agitato
Interview in the March-April 2021 Issue of Fanfare: http://www.fanfarearchive.com/
Interview in MainlyPiano
Reviews
“Pianist Sophia Agranovich is a thoughtful, eloquent artist who brings an individual and convincing profile to each of the featured works. Overall, Agranovich adopts a cultivated and poetic approach to Beethoven’s keyboard writing. The music is articulated with the utmost clarity, and graced with a singing, lovely tone… The nine-minute Fantasia (1809), although a fully transcribed work, is one that with its constant and mercurial changes of mood, evokes the spirit of Beethoven’s legendary powers of improvisation. Agranovich proves more than equal to the task of giving each episode its full musical and dramatic impact, all the while seamlessly connecting one section to the next. The three famous nicknamed piano sonatas all receive fine performances; played with technical assurance, and keen attention to phrasing and dramatic contrast. To my ears, it is in the slow-tempo movements that Agranovich most distinguishes herself. Here, the pianist employs a marvelous and subtle application of varieties of articulation, dynamics, colors, and flexibility of phrasing.”
“I was reminded of hearing vocal music of a similar character performed by superlative artists. And so, in the second movement of the “Pathétique”, I felt as if I were hearing a beautiful Schubert lied sung by the likes of Hans Hotter. And in the opening of the “Moonlight”, the image of Maria Callas sculpting a poignant Bellini cantabile line, invaded my consciousness…”
“Agranovich’s sensitive, elegant, and lively interpretations bring considerable pleasure. The recorded sound is excellent, offering a detailed, rich, and lifelike concert acoustic. Sophia Agranovich’s liner notes provide considerable information and musical insights. A Beethoven recital of merit, and one I am happy to recommend.”
–Ken Meltzer, Fanfare
“Sophia Agranovich has released a stunning recording of some of Beethoven’s best-loved solo piano works. Can any pianist bring something fresh and new to Sonata Pathetique or Moonlight Sonata? With Ms. Agranovich on the piano bench, the answer is a decisive “Yes!!!”…She brings such a freshness and enthusiasm to her performance that it’s almost like she is getting reacquainted with old friends…One of my favorite classical pianists, she is in full command of the piano whether it be with fiery passion or gentle nuance, and it feels almost as if each piece was composed just for her… Sophia Agranovich’s selection of pieces to celebrate the anniversary of Beethoven’s birth clearly demonstrates the full range of Beethoven’s composing styles, moods and passions. Her performance is magnificent and this album is a must!”
–Kathy Parsons, Mainly Piano
“Agranovich successfully makes these familiar sonatas her own, and she does so without drawing excessive attention to herdelf…The famous melody is shaped with complete naturalness, and there are gradations of phrasing and a hint of rubato to make the melodic line breathe….listening to how expressive her left hand is, one realizes how beautifully Agranovich handles Beethoven’s lyrical side. She is just as successful in the Adagio cantabile of the “Pathetique” Sonata, making the melody sing while conveying its solemn dignity…Agranovich shows a gift for striking contrast.”
“Agranovich gives the piece just the right balance of spontaneity, free expression, and high spirits. Beethoven is in a mood to dance rather than rage, but you never know what’s around the next bend, and Agranovich manages even the sharpest swerves with a powerful technique and musical alertness. The piano has been milked close up to vividly capture the depth of a modern Steinway concert grand…Listening to Agranovich’s performance of the finale of the “Pathetique” Sonata, I heard how personal it is—this music means something to her, as she communicates through an aliveness and emotional vibrancy that has largely been lost in our time, when Beethoven has been diminished by a correct, safe performing style.”
“Agranovich has aligned herself with the great tradition of Schnabel, Serkin, and Richter, where passion and heroism are never far away. Strongly recommended.”
–Huntley Dent, Fanfare
“Quite breath taking new release from Steinway artist Sophia Agranovich…
Celebrating Beethoven by Sophia Agranovich is a true classical reflection of an artist who deeply cares, and shows such a vast level of attention to the smallest of details and performance structures, from the abundant refrains of Beethoven Fantasia Op. 77 through to the albums conclusion, and the presentation of Beethoven. Tempest III. Allegretto, a masterful work in its own right, and it must be said, Agranovich’s performance on both pieces is incredibly stunning.
One of my personal favourite performances by the artist can be found by enjoying the incredible efforts given on the piece Beethoven Pathetique I. Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio. It has pace, power, intensity and a wonderfully fluent sense of balance and texture.
This is an album of pure culture and made accessible by the masterful performances and open interpretations of Beethoven’s work by Agranovich, from the artistic nuances of Beethoven. Pathetique III. Rondo allegro, and to the loving arms of one of Beethoven’s most famous works entitled Beethoven. Moonlight I. Adagio sostenuto, a body of work used in so many movies and musical arenas worldwide over many years, and beautifully played by Agranovich, with such heart, sensitivity, and an almost symbiotic energy, it is as if she is literally channeling the grand master here.
One can also deeply enjoy the tapestry of a crafted performance on Beethoven. Tempest I. Largo – Allegro, a presentation where two opposing sides seem to literally dance around each other in a chaotic energy of dominance.
From start to finish, from page to page Sophia Agranovich flows with the essences of Beethoven’s crafted compositions, on the light energies of Beethoven. Moonlight II. Allegretto, into the intensity and powerful force that is known as Beethoven Moonlight III Presto agitato, a track that has an abundance of depth, complexity and tone.
The penultimate offering on the album is entitled Beethoven. Tempest II. Adagio and Agranovich’s performance here was delightfully subtle, profound in its presentation, and perceptive in its overall tones, one which would of course lead us to the final concluding offering, the aforementioned Beethoven. Tempest III. Allegretto, a more fluent presentation you will not find, and performed with such an amazing technically emotive performance, but one held within the musical constraints of the piece beautifully, but adding a deeply compelling romantic hint into the weave of the composition.
Celebrating Beethoven by Sophia Agranovich celebrates the anniversary of Beethoven’s 250th birthday, and she does this with such style and panache. Each and every performance on this wondrous new album is utterly sublime, and I am sure the grand master himself would have been very pleased indeed at the penetrating, profound, assured, and eloquent presentations given here. If you are appreciative of the works of Ludwig Van Beethoven, then you really must have a copy of Celebrating Beethoven by Sophia Agranovich in your musical collections as quickly as you can.”
– Steve Sheppard, OneWorldMusicRadio
“Sophia Agranovich is an artist who brings intense commitment and a fresh “take” on music to her performances… And indeed, she is different—quite different, in fact—in her performance of the Fantasia…Her take on it is that it is the closest we can probably come to the way Beethoven improvised in his concerts, that it is an improvisation which he wrote out and published, and that is how she plays it. The result is indeed quite different from other pianists, almost startling in fact…In the quiet section around 3:40, she almost makes it sound as if she herself were ‘thinking the music through’ as if improvising it into being herself.”
“This is a performance that has the same odd but invigorating effect as her recording of Schumann’s Carnaval, which I consider to be both a unique and a masterful interpretation unlike any other. Agranovich’s reading of the first movement of the “Moonlight” sonata bears a striking resemblance to the famous recording left us by Cutner Solomon, only not quite as slow as his. Here, the feeling of détache in her playing fits the mood perfectly. The second movement, however, is taken a bit slowly, but you know what? It sounds good this way…Interestingly, Paderewski also played it at this tempo, at least on one of his recordings…Agranovich’s idiosyncratic phrasing can also be heard in the “Tempest” sonata. By this point, most listeners will have adjusted their ears to her very personal sense of phrasing.”
“One thing you have to say about her, she is no mere cookie-cutter interpreter. She has her own way of hearing and presenting the music she plays, and sounds like no one else in the world, thus her Beethoven is entirely unique. Would that all modern-day pianists had a personal style as she does!“
– Lynn René Bayley, ArtMusic Lounge
“The first movement of her “Tempest” is electrifying, taken at a breathtaking tempo…It’s not just Sophia’s speed, however, that contributes to the adrenalin-rush of her performance. It’s the range of her dynamic contrasts and the percussive shock of her chords that stir the fight-or-flight instinct. Once or twice I was amazed that even her Steinway D could withstand the force of her playing. Her strength is that of two men, while her technical prowess enables her to pounce, spring, and leap across the keyboard with feline stealth….pathos that’s truly heartbreaking…Maintaining a quite regular tread, she brings out the crepuscular character of the music by means of varying the weight of her touch, much in the way a violinist would use vibrato as an expressive device. Beautiful! And again, the sheer power and dynamism of her playing in the last movement is something to behold and marvel at…This is not just another Beethoven piano disc. Sophia Agranovich has given us, in my opinion, one of the great Beethoven piano recordings of all time. Urgently recommended.”
–Jerry Dubins, Fanfare
Liner Notes by Sophia Agranovich