I saw Volodos giving a masterclass on this sonata in Madrid. He said that the small crescendo in the opening (Db, Eb, F) should not be done with sound intensity, but with the soul. I can hear this so clearly..., what and amazing artist.
don't forget Uchida. heard her once in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. with the three last sonatas. magic, the acustics and her playing. modest and refined. such as Volodos - but then different.. love diversity
but with Schubert's 959 and 960 he is unparallelled - and i had the privilige to hear the two by him in one session also in Amsterdam. we are lucky bastards here...
He plays it like it was a Mozart sonata, this is Sparta, this is madman Beethoven, old, deaf, bitter and totally strong owning his creative brilliancy, c'mon Arkadji, his late works show genius foresight not a decline
I suggest you to real Beethoven's Letters in his late stage of his life. He is not bitter. His outer "rage" quality may show a temporary moment of explosion but, in reality Beethoven is a gentle soul under immense frustration due to lack of appreciation of him and music.
