Simone Dinnerstein - The Berlin Concert (2019)

Exciting young pianist Simone Dinnerstein picks up where her acclaimed recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations left off with The Berlin Concert, which takes her label Telarc out, unusually, on the road. This concert was given in November 2003 at the Berlin Philharmonie and was engineered by ace classical recording veteran Adam Abeshouse; the sound quality is not significantly different from a studio recording, and while it does not capture the crackling electricity of some live dates, it is free of coughs, fidgeting, and other kinds of aural distractions. It opens with a very fine Bach French Suite No. 5 in G major, and Bach really seems to be Dinnerstein's strong suit -- there are moments where the very manner in which she negotiates rests in this music is breathtaking and catches the listener off guard. Bach is also front and center in the Twelve Variations on a Chorale by J.S. Bach, "Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott" by contemporary composer Philip Lasser, who teaches at the Juilliard School and once studied composition with David Diamond. It is a striking piece in that Lasser develops his variations from the Bach original in a manner not unlike what a nineteenth century composer might have done, but includes rhythmic gestures and harmonic movement that does not belong to past eras and is strictly contemporary. The overall impression, however, is that the Twelve Variations are tonal and very well crafted, and Dinnerstein makes the most of it.
Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111, follows. This complex, valedictory work is viewed in some quarters as an anomaly among Beethoven's sonatas, but pianists have developed ways of dealing with it that have become more or less well established. Dinnerstein's interpretation does not draw from this line of thinking, which emphasizes very flexible rhythms and various kinds of dramatic flourishes, such as pounding out the three-note theme in octaves that is the core to the first movement. Her reading is lean, classical, and generally even in tempo, which leads to some funkiness in certain figures in the second movement that ties the work back to similar elements in the second movement of the "Moonlight" Sonata. While some listeners might not be able to relate to an Op. 111 that is lacking in its usual weight and gravity, the upside of Dinnerstein's approach is that it makes the work seem less like an anomaly and more like Beethoven's other pieces of this kind; being both valedictory and summary.
Thankfully, applause from the concert at the ends of tracks is kept to a minimum; Dinnerstein also picks a choice Goldberg Variation to use as an encore. Dinnerstein impresses not only through her virtuosity and precocious depth, but also in her ability to separate her interpretive facilities from her peers, and that is certainly a plus.