American pianist Jeffrey Swann’s recording career is largely based in Europe, where his disntinguished Liszt recordings have garnered notable attention. He is an intelligent, stylish Beethoven player too, commanding a secure technique and clarion sonority. His account of the E major Op. 109 sonata stands out for surface elegance, contrapuntal sophistication, and a variation movement that flows with cogency and ease. The first two movements of Op. 110 share these virtues, but the concluding fugue lacks cosmic breadth and ecstatic splendor. In contrast, Swann overshoots Beethoven’s carefully plotted tempo relationships in Op. 111’s sublime Arietta movement, undermining the music’s unfolding, cumulative grip. No qualms, though, about Swann’s lighthearted sprint through the delightful little Op. 79 sonata, which puts a nice button on an uneven but well-recorded recital by this unsung artist.
