Young Hyun Cho: Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 8-11
Blue Griffin Recordings

On her fifth recording of Beethoven sonatas, pianist Young Hyun Cho supplements exemplary performances with detailed program notes about four early period works composed between 1798 and 1800. While she does provide a lucid movement-by-movement account of the sonatas and their differentiating characteristics, Cho doesn't comment, naturally, on the calibre of the performances, that task left to the reviewer, who has the pleasure of noting the finesse with which the material's executed. As she's done elsewhere, Cho brings to the pieces impeccable technique and a highly attuned interpretative sensibility that consequently makes works written centuries ago seem newly born. That timeless quality's never more in evidence than in the adagio movement of the eleventh sonata, to cite but one example.

Her reputation precedes her. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and associate professor of piano at Michigan State University College of Music, Cho's performed in concert halls in Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, and her native Korea. Interestingly, the sets of Beethoven sonatas she's released (four on Blue Griffin and one Sony Classical) haven't adhered to a chronological scheme. Before this eight-to-eleven collection, sonatas one-to-four, twelve-to-twenty, and thirty-to-thirty-two were issued, with twelve-to-twenty spread across three releases. Presumably her goal is to record all thirty-two, which suggests that at least two or three more recordings will eventually materialize to complete the set with sonatas five-to-seven and twenty-one-to-twenty-nine.

Sonatas eight-to-ten are structured in three movements, while the eleventh is in four. A general change in tone is audible in the transition from the dashing eighth to the more intimate ninth and tenth and to, finally, the robust eleventh. Known as the “Pathétique” (the subtitle given the work by the publisher, “Grande Sonate Pathétique,” apparently met with Beethoven's approval), Sonata No. 8 in C Minor initiates the set on a grand, theatrical note, the dramatic character of its “Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio” movement intimated by the solemnity of its brief opening section. Momentum picks up rapidly, with insistent chords animating a series of florid expressions, trills, ripples, and tempestuous gestures. Orchestral density is achieved in the backdrop rumbling alongside the upper-register chords and ascending phrases. Tension and agitation heighten intensity, with instability generated by insistent striving motion and overall storminess. After its urgency, the soothing A-flat major “Adagio cantabile” comes as a relief, especially when Cho sensitively articulates its soulful lyricism and cantabile theme. Though the finale is half the length of the opening movement, its spirited energy reinstates itself for the “Rondo. Allegro” to lend the work satisfying shape; the reprise of a motive from the first movement likewise brings unity.

As mentioned, sonatas nine and ten play like chamber-like expressions in contrast to the symphonic pitch of the eighth. Sonata No. 9 in E Major gets under way with a spring in its step, its “Allegro” fresh and agile. Counterpoint's amplified when lead voices switch from one hand to the other or when a melody's supported by empowering accompaniment. Paced thoughtfully, the central “Allegretto” engages with its regal minuet-like dance moves and gentle touch. The towering “Rondo. Allegro comodo” does the same, though this time due to its high-velocity runs and the seeming effortlessness with which Cho delivers them. Following quickly on its heels, the Sonata No. 10 in G Major begins on a note of radiant optimism with an “Allegro” packed with sparkling melodies, fluid runs, and harmonious gestures. The nimble march rhythm that animates the “Andante” and that's subjected to a series of inventive variations adds a dash of lightness to the work, after which the sonata concludes with a breathless “Scherzo. Allegro assai” finale.

The Sonata No. 11 in B-Flat Major positions itself at a grand scale the moment its majestic “Allegro con brio” enters. Propelling the movement are titanic rhythms and patterns that make the movement feel like a sky-high mountain whose summit's successfully reached. Restful by comparison, the “Adagio con molta espressione” soothes with trills, serene melodies, and a warm, embracing aura. The penultimate “Minuetto” charms with courtly dance elegance before the work dynamically resolves with the joyful extroversion and contrapuntal entwining of an acrobatic “Rondo. Allegretto.”

Cho's virtuosity is never in doubt in these performances, as confirmed by the seeming ease with which the works' most technically challenging passages are handled. But her artistry is as evident in slower episodes that call for a delicate touch and a poised and poetic rendering. Contrasts are handled with nuance and sensitivity, such that no one could ever deem Cho's performances bombastic and vulgar. Each phrase is determined with circumspection and delivered with clarity. Beethoven is clearly in excellent hands with Cho.

November 2026