Paul Lewis’ recital debut for Harmonia Mundi contained Schubert’s C minor sonata D. 958, a recording distinguished by its dramatic fervency, inner coherence, and polished, large-scale pianism. The pianist follows up that release with Schubert’s remaining “late” sonatas. I’m especially taken with D. 960’s slow movement, where Lewis casts a shroud around the persistent left-hand accompanying figures, maintaining them in steady and spooky perspective against the right hand’s heartbreaking melodic content. It’s a remarkable performance–warmer than Richter’s controlled severity and more specifically contoured than Perahia’s relatively generalized reading.
The Scherzo is graceful and winged, although Lewis does not sufficiently differentiate Schubert’s articulation marking in the Trio. And overlooked details (unobserved accents, pedaled-through rests, for example) also render the Finale in a less characterful light than we might have expected. The first movement finds Lewis operating in an introspective comfort zone most of the time. As a result, the loud climaxes seem artificially tacked on, rather than growing out of what came before.
In the A major sonata’s first movement Lewis’ tempo fluctuations undermine the organic flow of Schubert’s disparate ideas, while the Scherzo’s slight rhythmic distensions convey coyness rather than nervous energy. Lewis builds the slow movement’s tumultuous middle section with great care, timing the recitative-like writing to perfection. But why does he habitually rush the main theme’s 16th-notes on nearly each occurrence (measure seven and similar places)? Lewis plays best when he trusts his instinct for simplicity, as borne out in the Finale. In both sonatas, Lewis eschews the first-movement repeats. In sum, although this disc may fall short of the promise held in the pianist’s previous Schubert release, its virtues attest to Lewis’ formidable talent and ripening musicianship. Not a first choice, perhaps, but there’s a lot to enjoy and having both sonatas on a single disc is a definite plus.
