A Monument for Beethoven (2022)

The monument for Beethoven referred to in the title of this debut release by pianist Yoav Levanon, just 18 when the album appeared in 2022, is not an abstract thing but an actual bronze sculpture of the composer that still stands in Bonn today. The composers included, Liszt, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Schumann all helped raise funds for the monument, but only Liszt actually performed at the unveiling concert, owing to rivalries and musical politics that are outlined in an enjoyable booklet note that quotes liberally from ... Read More

The monument for Beethoven referred to in the title of this debut release by pianist Yoav Levanon, just 18 when the album appeared in 2022, is not an abstract thing but an actual bronze sculpture of the composer that still stands in Bonn today. The composers included, Liszt, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Schumann all helped raise funds for the monument, but only Liszt actually performed at the unveiling concert, owing to rivalries and musical politics that are outlined in an enjoyable booklet note that quotes liberally from Hector Berlioz's journalistic dispatch about the event. None of the works is terribly unfamiliar, and one may question how well the concept actually unifies the program. This said, Levanon is a pianist to watch. He looks a bit like Liszt, or at least is made to do so by Warner Classics' makeup staff, and the main work on the program, Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor, receives an impressive, sweeping performance, as does the "La Campanella" Paganini Etude. Levanon's technical equipment is... Read Less