After many years of being known for
Bach
performances, pianist
Angela Hewitt
seems to have immersed herself in
Mozart
in later life, recording the concertos and now, with this 2022
Hyperion
release, launching a cycle of the complete piano sonatas. One might perceive
Hewitt
's
style as Bachian; her pulse is quite consistent, and she keeps phrases foursquare and avoids use of the pedals, but this would be a superficial impression. Take a look at the booklet notes, which are
's own and give a good deal of insight into her thought process. She sets herself the task of countering the idea that
's sonatas, especially the early ones, are secondary works, and she accordingly fills them with small details, an impressive feat in view of the basic straightforwardness of her readings. Generally, she is on the delicate side, but she can apply muscle where it is called for, as in the quasi-orchestral
Piano Sonata in D major, K. 284
. Consider the finale of this work (the problem is that
annoyingly breaks up the variations into separate tracks), where
brings out the movement's breadth and the sense of experimentation with new textures that the young
was carrying out. There are similar finds in all seven of the sonatas here, and
makes a good case for them.
deserves credit for excellent sound engineering, forgoing its usual English haunts for an ideally idiomatic small space at the Kulturstiftung Marienmuenster foundation building in Germany. One awaits with great anticipation
's takes on the middle and late
sonatas. ~ James Manheim