Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
       The Piano Sonatas, Volume 1

Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 "Pathetique"
Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op. 14 no. 1
Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14 no. 2
Sonata No. 24 in F sharp minor, Op. 78
Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a "Les adieux"
Bagatelle WoO 56

Murray McLachlan, piano
Recorded 2003
Dunelm Records DRD 0201 [78:33]

Pianist: McLachlan's recordings have been mainly of 20th century piano
music on the Olympia label.

Program: Except for the "Pathetique", the program presents Beethoven's
cheerful and exuberant side.

Performances: Excellent readings that do not displace current favorites
in a highly crowded field.  Performances are mainstream and fully
idiomatic.  McLachlan uses lean textures and eschews the suave and
cosmopolitan interpretations of many of his fellow artists.  Tempos are
well within the usual boundaries, and rhythmic patterns are the expected
ones.  Concerning emotional content, McLachlan nails them all.

Sound Characteristics: The piano is slightly toward the back of
the soundstage, but tension and power are amply projected.  There is a
steady diet of crackling noises embedded in the soundstage quite similar
to those found on LP's.  Given that this is a 21st century recording,
the crackling is unacceptable.  Dunelm needs to address and correct the
problem in order for the series to have any hope of being competitive.
Titans such as Schnabel and Richter can easily overcome sound deficiencies,
but McLachlan isn't quite in this exalted company.

Don's Conclusions: The odd crackling noises are more prominent when
using headphones and/or high-end equipment.  Regardless, I can't recommend
Volume 1 or any future volumes unless Dunelm takes corrective action.
That's a shame, because McLachlan has a fine handle on Beethoven's music
and deserves state-of-the-art sound.

Don Satz
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