Yep, really as good as everyone says: Igor Levit plays Beethoven at the Wigmore
Beethoven's Piano Sonatas nos. 30, 31 and 32
Igor Levit
Wigmore Hall
Stalls P2, £5 under-35s ticket
13 June 2017
Wigmore page
YES you read that right: two concerts in one evening! How hardcore am I?! Well, nowhere near as hardcore as Igor Levit, who played the same absurdly taxing programme twice within two hours of each other, charitably doubling the chances for Levitites to snap up a ticket, and for extremist Levitites to give themselves a double dose.
Personally I think the two concerts in one evening thing is a bit ridiculous, even for as magnificent a musician as Levit. Still, magnificent he is, and the late night and long day seemed to take as penance only a count-on-one-hand smattering of mistakes, far fewer, I expect, than normal human beings make at full strength. And I'm sure for those who experienced both performances there was an observable transformation between recitals: a rare if not unique opportunity to compare in live performance two different interpretations by one great artist.
As you might remember, I've only heard Levit live once before, and that was as an accompanist. Now having experienced Levit full-fat, I can aver with everyone else: he is simply a superlative musician. This is combined as you would expect with thorough technique and evidence of extensive preparation. Those two you can almost take for granted, but not so Levit's vision.
There are many things he does which are surprising in fact but not in experience: his selections of colour, tempo and articulation are innovative but truthful. His control of all elements is simply breathtaking, yielding luminous beauty in the glorious space of the Wigmore – but his performance was also enlivened with a feeling of spontaneity and selection, of re-considering each phrase anew. I feel to describe these interpretations as definitive would be to misread how Levit sees the music.
So it was very good – extraordinary, really. An absurdly precious gift, for the price of £5.
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