The performances offered here by Beatrice Rana are anything but run-of-the-mill. She begins with a highly temperamental rendition of Chopin’s ‘Funeral March’ Sonata. The opening of the first movement is played with tremendous energy and fire. This contrasts well with her lyrical, free approach in the second theme, resulting in a compelling and exhilarating start to the work. The second movement continues the fiery playing but with many intelligent details, such as colouring the melodic second theme differently as it appears in various keys. In the famous Funeral March movement, Rana observes Chopin’s pedal indications, blending certain harmonies together to great effect, though one might wish a bit more emotion were squeezed out of the Trio section. The finale is quite unusual, with even more harmonic blending and many interesting voicings.

In Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata, Rana’s playing is no less fiery but her high-octane approach is a bit less effective. Although she is faithful to Beethoven’s markings, the opening movement features some abrupt accents, and in the second movement her dotted rhythms are so energetic they at times sound rushed. In the slow movement she creates some beautiful sonorities and is lyrical throughout, but the pain and sorrow don’t always come through. In the work’s closing Fugue, Rana plays with astonishing technique and builds to an almost overwhelming sonority.

These two performances are definitely worth hearing though they won’t be to all tastes. The sound quality is excellent, capturing Rana’s wide dynamic range without any harshness. In an interesting booklet interview with Jeremy Nicholas, Rana presents her personal views on these works and why she was attracted to them.

This review originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of International Piano. Never miss an issue – subscribe today