After many years of being known for
Bach performances, pianist
Angela Hewitt seems to have immersed herself in
Mozart in later life, recording the concertos and now, with this 2022
Hyperion release, launching a cycle of the complete piano sonatas. One might perceive
Hewitt's
Mozart style as Bachian; her pulse is quite consistent, and she keeps phrases foursquare and avoids use of the pedals, but this would be a superficial impression. Take a look at the booklet notes, which are
Hewitt's own and give a good deal of insight into her thought process. She sets herself the task of countering the idea that
Mozart's sonatas, especially the early ones, are secondary works, and she accordingly fills them with small details, an impressive feat in view of the basic straightforwardness of her readings. Generally, she is on the delicate side, but she can apply muscle where it is called for, as in the quasi-orchestral
Piano Sonata in D major, K. 284. Consider the finale of this work (the problem is that
Hyperion annoyingly breaks up the variations into separate tracks), where
Hewitt brings out the movement's breadth and the sense of experimentation with new textures that the young
Mozart was carrying out. There are similar finds in all seven of the sonatas here, and
Hewitt makes a good case for them.
Hyperion deserves credit for excellent sound engineering, forgoing its usual English haunts for an ideally idiomatic small space at the Kulturstiftung Marienmuenster foundation building in Germany. One awaits with great anticipation
Hewitt's takes on the middle and late
Mozart sonatas. ~ James Manheim
