University of Virginia Library

Straddling Interpretation

Anievas's reading of the Mozart
G Major Sonata, KV 283, set me on
edge from the outset. I had the
impression that the pianist could
not make up his mind whether he
preferred a rich nineteenth century
approach to the score or a more
streamlined reading that was in
keeping with the results of
twentieth century Mozart
scholarship. The resulting
interpretation straddled the fence,
so to speak, and was not, to me at
least, a happy compromise.

The most intriguing aspect of
the program was Anievas's view of
the Chopin Sonata No. 3 in B
Minor, Op. 58. I don't know
whether it was conscious or
unconscious on his part, but his
reading of the opening movement
stressed its relationship to the first
movement of Beethoven's
Hammerklavier Sonata. The
allegro maestoso thus took on a
craggy, headlong, virtuoso
character that was really quite
marvelous but more appropriate to
Beethoven than to Chopin. The
slow movement was perhaps the
most unnerving aspect of the entire
evening. At first the largo seemed
too slow, but eventually it became
apparent that the tempo was not at
fault. Anievas did not seem to be
able to sustain the long melodic
lines or make them really sing. As
far as the overall interpretation of
the B Minor Sonata was concerned,
I had the distinct feeling that I was
listening to a photographic negative
of the score, if you will forgive the
mixing of aural and visual
metaphors, for the climaxes
seemed to all come in the wrong
places.