Description
SKU/Barcode: 812864016956
Alfredo Perl presents a decent performance of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations that has its good points, but also has many "gee, that could have been better" points. It starts out quite well, with good humor in the waltz theme. It then moves on to a heavy, plodding march that most would find hard to march along with. In the quieter variations, such as No. 3, No. 8, and the Fughetta, Perl produces a lovely tone and generally nice shadings in his phrasing. The problems with Perl's playing are that it is a little heavy-handed and a little too disjointed, making it hard to discern the theme in most variations. It's not just a question of using more legato, which would help in the Largo Variation No. 31, but also thinking in terms larger than four-bar phrases. Perl can do this, as Variation No. 10 is actually quite fun in its speedy execution, and Variation No. 14, although still plodding, sounds like a cohesive, whole unit. But then there are variations like No. 17 and No. 19, where the outline of the theme is too chopped up and can't be traced continuously. The final slow variations are pleasant, while the Fugue gets muddy with excessive pedal, although it has a good speed that keeps it moving forward. Perl gives the final Menuet a Classical, porcelain delicacy, and captures the touches of Beethoven's own drama without overpowering the delicacy. Overall, Perl is capable of delivering a more cohesive and consistent performance, he just doesn't seem to have envisioned it.
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