[Editor’s Note: In the wake of the late-breaking scandal concerning the provenance of Joyce Hatto’s recordings, we had the option of removing all Hatto reviews, or leaving them intact and identifying the correct artists, to the extent possible, as we learn them. We have elected the latter, both as a caution and as a way to do some justice to the real artists as we learn their identities. So enjoy the review, but please refrain from purchasing this disc until we know who should get proper credit for it. DH]
Put this CD in your player, and within the first bars of Schubert’s “little” A major sonata you realize that you’re in the presence of interpretive greatness. You can’t help but be seduced by Joyce Hatto’s gorgeous phrasing, and by how she shapes the gently rolling left-hand arpeggiated accompaniment as if a cello section had replaced the piano’s bass register. Hatto rightly resists dragging the central Andante, and she achieves subtle variations in voicing and nuance that penetrate right to the music’s tender heart. The Allegro vivace’s suave, rippling scales effortlessly and elegantly dance off the page, again supported by Hatto’s enlivening left-hand work.
The B-flat Posthumous sonata proves equally special. Taken at a true Molto moderato as opposed to the foot-dragging Adagio habitually favored by pianists of the “slow equals profound” school, Hatto’s first-movement exposition unfolds in long-breathed arcs, where the delicately articulated soft passages rivet your attention and the climaxes make a shattering impact by virtue of Hatto’s careful dynamic orchestration rather than through tempo adjustments. Hatto also opts for a brisk basic tempo in the Andante sostenuto, aligns the hypnotic ostinato accompaniment in perfect perspective with its lyrical surroundings, and times the opening section’s isolated, bell-like high notes to more exquisite effect than anyone else I’ve heard.
I love how Hatto pushes the Scherzo trio’s accented bass notes ever so slightly ahead of the beat, and also appreciate her awesome suppleness and symmetry in the outer sections. The pianist’s harmonically-oriented accentuations throughout the finale help prevent her fleet tempo from sounding glib. She also brings a surging, angular intensity to the difficult dotted chords that mirror the excitement of Schnabel’s old recording, but with far greater accuracy. A warm, mellow concert-hall perspective complements Hatto’s wonderful, moving artistry in a release to cherish for all time. [1/9/2007]
