This release is an addendum (if it's correct to use that word for the mighty 33 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120) to a complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle recorded live in Reims in 1998 by French pianist Georges Pludermacher. Its chief claim to fame, beyond a competent exposition of the classically suave French Beethoven approach, is the unusual piano employed: Pludermacher plays a Steinway with a so-called harmonic pedal, an invention of French builder Denis de la Rochefordiere. This fourth pedal is a sort of reverse sustain pedal, removing the dampers from unplayed notes so that the overtones or harmonics of a chord continue to resound. Whether this makes sense for Beethoven is certainly subject to debate; this innovation was certainly within reach of the piano technology of the 19th century, but nobody saw a need for it at the time. Pludermacher uses the new sounds intelligently, however, and never overdoes the novelty aspect. What you get is a Diabelli set that's weighted toward the slow variations that invented whole swaths of chromatic harmony. The pianist dispatches the opening variations briskly, with a light, tripping feel, and the piece takes on an interesting, fantasy-like dynamic absent from other versions as it enters progressively murky realms. Pludermacher's performance is very nicely balanced; he uses rubato to bring out small details, but the progression toward the giant third relationships that structure the entire work is inevitable and the resolution back to C major for the final variation magical. His reading is a mixture of precise technical control and innovation, intelligently applied. The live recording is well done, with only minimal audience noise, and Pludermacher's well-deserved applause at the end is retained. ~ James Manheim, Rovi
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