BEETHOVEN: “EROICA” VARIATIONS; “FUER ELISE”; BAGATELLES, OPUS...

BEETHOVEN: “EROICA” VARIATIONS; “FUER ELISE”; BAGATELLES, OPUS 126; SIX ECOSSAISES. Alfred Brendel, piano. Philips 412 227-2 (compact disc). In this appendix to his complete Beethoven sonata cycle, Brendel revels in the structural clarity and intellectual conviction that make him a paragon among contemporary pianists. The variations receive an ebullient reading, dominated by a striking sense of contrast. “Fuer Elise” has rarely sounded so airy, and Brendel minimizes the formal arrangement of the enigmatic Ecossaises (date of composition unknown). The prize is the second set of Bagatelles, explored with pristine logic and consummate musicianship. The CD sound is satisfactory, even if it captures an occasionally steely and unlovable aspect of Brendel’s pianism.