Much as Angela Hewitt’s fast and fluid tempos befit Schumann’s Kinderszenen (except for a slightly rushed Hasche-Mann, where some of the runs blur), her interpretations are too arch for their own good. Yes, Hewitt alters voicings on repeats as well as Alfred Cortot ever did, yet her little hesitations, slight rushing ahead, predictable ritards at phrase endings, and self-consciously drawn-out first notes of certain pieces betray a lack of simplicity.
Hewitt’s restless and arguably hyper-detailed approach better suits Davidsbündlertänze. No. 1’s lilting, whimsical patterns manage to soar and sustain with far less pedal than usual, Nos. 4 and 10 appropriately surge forward, No. 8’s “stride piano” left hand acquires welcome variety of tonal shading and accent, while No. 14’s gorgeous linear differentiation justifies Hewitt’s languid tempo.
The G minor sonata’s busy, thick textures gain revelatory variety and lightness via Hewitt’s fingers. She shapes the Scherzo’s quirky melodies and impetuous cross-rhythmic gestures to characterful perfection, and serves up the “perpetual motion” toccata-like finale in a way that manages to sound incisive without being “notey”. That’s easier said than done on the overly bright (to my taste) Fazioli grand that Hewitt has been using for many of her recent recordings. As usual, Hewitt supplies her own supremely well-written, insightful, and communicative annotations.
