Audition: Beethoven - Piano Sonata Op. 106, Hammerklavier - Petri, Decca 1956
Egon Petri (1881-1962) recorded this piece in New York at the Esoteric Sound Studio on the 11 June 1956. He had made an earlier recording five years previously and probably chose to make this recording for a new LP version of his reading. Petri was influenced by Busoni his mentor. His style was straightforward avoiding rubato and focussing on structural aspects. As this recording attests that he focused on the long line, a preference for speed over weight and a mastery of polyphonic transparency and clarity. Petri was a connoisseur's pianist and his performances and recordings were lauded by collectors. He was noted for his finesse in this reading but also a visceral, bold and quite muscular recording. It's worth noting the acoustic is somewhat boxy - and incidentally one wonders what he was like in the concert hall. That said what we have shows a pianist at ease with the challenge in hand and the recording is not limited by the venue. Petri launches ...
