Beyond the keys in Schubert: a dynamic between instrument and concert hall
Paul Lewis’s Celebrity Series recital with an all-Schubert program at Jordan Hall wrestles with clarity and meaning
All-Schubert Program
Schubert Piano Sonata No. 19 in C Minor, D. 958, Schubert Piano Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959, and Schubert Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-Flat Major, D. 960
The Celebrity Series of Boston
Paul Lewis
NEC Jordan Hall
October 25
A pianist’s instrument is both the piano and the hall. On October 25th, Paul Lewis challenged the interplay between them with the music of an all-Schubert Celebrity Series recital and the acoustics of NEC Jordan Hall. Often referred to as Schubert’s Last Sonatas and performed together, the three piano sonatas in C Minor, A Major, and B-Flat Major provide a set of innovative and emotional landscapes to Schubert’s classic lyrical lines. While having a recital with pieces from only one composer can present difficulties in creating varied moods and colors, it also provides a deeper understanding of smaller details and the composer’s voice. Known to be an expert in Schubert’s music, Paul Lewis made it clear that there were voices he wanted the audience to pick up in the performance.
Paul Lewis played the C Minor sonata intensely and with heightened excitement, which led to a dramatic effect but also the unfortunate inability to enjoy his usually well-balanced chord voicings. The faster tempo and the reverberation of the well-known recital hall seemed to make his pedal usage feel more extraneous than usual, and the sound overly emphasized the lower range, making the bass notes feel muddled, with some lines missing his characteristic clarity. In addition, the focus of the pieces was scattered due to sounds outside the pianist’s control, including an incessant chirping noise in the middle of the C Minor Sonata and a frequent coughing on top of the music. These issues, combined with the difficulties of the hall, persisted much through the first half of the program, though the beautiful singing lines seemed to help him settle more into the performance, still flowing in both slow movements of the C Minor and A Major Sonatas.
Particular phrasing choices were effective. The left-hand figures in the fourth movement of the C Minor sounded appropriately galloping, keeping the audience at the edge of their seats with the creeping chromaticism in the right hand floating above it. He was able to create many characters in different sections of the same movement, taking time and silence to delineate them. The arpeggios in the first movement of the A Major Sonata were distinctly harp-like, while the rolled chords in the third movement were varied in speed to match the rubato he took within the passages. The lightness of touch was a particular highlight in the Trio, with the tapped repeated notes creating a special matte finish that sounded almost senza vibrato amongst the more lush melodies.
In both the A Major and B-Flat Major Sonatas, Paul Lewis did not observe the repeats of the long expositions in the first movements, a hotly debated topic within the piano community as there are separate endings. Skipping these repeats omitted some measures of music and opportunities to present new ideas that could be savored by the audience. This was an interesting choice because one of his strengths lies in how different he can make the repeated passages. For example, he started the first movement of B-Flat Major in an extremely delicate, crystalline color, and yet impressively, he could dial it down further when those phrases returned. The incredible ability to fine-tune color with the instrument in this hall left the audience wondering how different he could have made the passage if it were repeated as well.
His trademark sensitivity was the most audible in the post-intermission B-Flat Major Sonata, when a balance between the piano and the hall was achieved. In addition to the stable Molto moderato first movement, the middle section of his second movement created long pastoral lines evoking a sense of the countryside. The Scherzo of his third movement highlighted the smooth connection between melodies switching from low to high registers as if multiple voices were singing back to each other. He had unique interpretations of some repeated figures, such as the playful repeated notes in the third movement, or the more nonchalant fortepiano octaves in the fourth movement. His delivery of the fourth movement highlighted all the interpretations of Schubert he was known for—the changes of character, individual notes all being expressed clearly within a singable line, and rolling, mood-setting baselines—all ending in a thrilling Presto flourish that captured his virtuosity.
Paul Lewis gave a recital with the same program with the Boston Celebrity Series more than a decade ago, around the same time his album with Harmonia Mundi was released. Compared to his interpretations in these recordings, this live performance in Jordan Hall took more flexibility in musical phrasing while trying to maintain the same sense of clarity, sensitivity, and attention to detail. Artistry is ever-expanding and changing, and one of the joys of live listeners is getting to revel in the moment and experience the transforming interpretations of the future. It is a distinct privilege that the Boston music scene can make this happen for so many.