Joseph Haydn: Piano Sonata g minor, Hob XVI:44
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Fantasia d minor, KV 397; Piano Sonata a minor, KV 310
Ludwig van Beethoven: Diabelli Variations, op. 120

Alfred Brendel
Musikhalle Hamburg, June 20, 2002

I was slightly afraid of this concert, the programme seems to be overly
long.  But it turned out that due to Brendel's dignity and modesty there
was no danger of a too demanding evening.  This is not to say that the
performances were below par, the opposite holds true!

The audience unfortunately was trying to improvise a concerto for coughs
and piano, alas without Brendel's supported.  He was obviously distracted
by the most cutting coughs and a few phrases didn't quite end the way they
were supposed to.

The concert began with Haydn's g minor sonata, which Brendel played
virtually perfectly.  He showed that he is one of the most capable
interprets of this music nowadays.  He united the tragic and dramatic
side of the music perfectly with the playful, virtuoso and lyrical
elements.  The break between the two movements was surprisingly short,
so that it almost appeared as one movement; that indeed made it seem
even more continuos.  However, Brendel's rather recent weakness became
apparent in this work most clearly:  He tends to over-pedal.  Some of
the fast scales and arpeggios stayed in the pedal for too long time.

Mozart's d minor Fantasia is a different matter, and this may have
been the best piece of the evening.  He displayed mercilessly how
Mozart juxtaposes the most different moods and motives.  From the sombre
beginning over the hectic sigh-motif to the ridiculous minuet - there
was no transition, and there was no need for it.  Written down it sound
strange, but in the concert hall it makes perfectly sense.  Some moments
were wonderfully spiritual experiences.  The Fantasia isn't Mozart's
masterpiece, granted.  But in Alfred Brendel's hands it seems to be!

The wonderful a minor sonata clearly was the weak part of the evening.
Brendel failed to show the tremendous pain and suffering that Mozart put
into it.  Here, especially the first movement seemed to be a comfy Viennese
salon piece.  However, during the slow movement things improved somewhat:
The middle section was as chilly as one could wish, and the sweet theme
didn't sound quite as sweet afterwards anymore.  The finale came of best,
hushed yet crystal clear.  The major-key middle section didn't sound vulgar
at all, on the contrary, it seemed to be a slightly stiff baroque dance.

After the interval, the main piece of the evening followed:  Beethoven's
giant Diabelli Variations.  Brendel masters them to perfection.  There
were a few wrong notes, but they slipped by hardly noticed so strong is
his grasp of the structure of this work.  Beethoven crossed the border
between piano variation and symphony in this work and Brendel is the man
to show it.  There were far too many gems to attempt to describe them, so
a few highlights have to do:  The first variation already made clear that
it isn't only serious music, but also very funny music.  I have never heard
so clearly how Beethoven ridicules Diabelli's waltz in this march.  The
following variation's texture was stunningly clear, with a very accented
bass.  Mind you, I'm talking about a soft piano!  The thirteenth variation
was as odd a ever, which made the following serene Grave only more
surprising.  Brendel called the twenty-fourth variation of 'otherworldly
purity' and he showed it.  It was a religious experience akin to Bach, and
that is not only because of the obvious stylistic similarities.  The fast
variaitons of the second half were a challenge to the pianist's technique,
and some of the fast runs weren't as precise as one expected it.  There was
nowhere any danger, but it lacked a bit of the clarity he brought to the
rest of the music.  Brendel placed the climax in the last variations and
they were outstanding indeed.  From the little c minor march, over the
sad polyphone variation to the large Largo song, the music seemed to flow
perfectly.  For once, Beethoven's surprises made way for his melodic gift.
Of course, the fugue destroyed this, only more because it was played
furiously fast and loud, when demanded.  Yet the texture was never muddy.
The greatest riddle perhaps lies in the concluding minuet.  Brendel didn't
solve it, but presented it clearly and lovingly.  It is a farewell of a
very special kind - a laughing one.  Indeed, the final chord sounded simply
hilarious.  A great way to end an evening by the grand old man of the
piano.  I am very thankful for having had the opportunity to attend this
concert.  It has enriched me greatly because, above all, Alfred Brendel
is a human being.

Jan