CD Review | The Beethoven Project: Beethoven 5/Vol. 5; Jonathan Biss

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The Beethoven Project: Beethoven 5/Vol. 5

Jonathan Biss, piano; Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Malin Broman, leader

Orchid Classics

Jonathan Biss is clearly grappling with Beethoven. The latest and final instalment of the Beethoven Project, which pairs Biss’s performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 3 with Caroline Shaw’s Watermark— written in direct response to the concerto—offers listeners a fresh perspective on the composer.

Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto sits at the crossroads between his early works and the composer’s “heroic” middle period, when his compositions became much larger in scale and emotionally powerful. Unlike many of the great recordings of the concerto, Biss emphasizes the lucid harmonic writing and rhythmic drive that are hallmarks of Beethoven’s style. In other words, he favours a high classical approach rather than a wholly romantic one. His focus is less on expressive nuance than on conveying the structural logic of the work.

In Biss’s recording, we hear the intention behind every note and chord. He invites the listener into his deep understanding of Beethoven, showing us how each note of each chord, like a stone in a structure, fits into the larger design. Overall, his performance is very precise, clear and intellectually compelling.

Watermark is a striking response to Beethoven’s concerto. Shaw transforms and expands the original, and it is intriguing for the listener to hear Beethoven’s work recast in modern musical idioms. She draws out Beethoven’s harmonies and the orchestral accompaniment consists largely of tremolos and pizzicatos.

While the orchestration is quite strong and the piece very well-crafted, Shaw’s work, unlike Beethoven’s, does not generate a strong sense of development. As a result, the music can feel somewhat static, even if it remains an interesting and thought-provoking exercise.