If you’re looking for vital, stylishly insightful middle Beethoven sonatas, consider Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear, as long as you can deal with dry engineering that turns brittle and monochrome in loud moments. As with his previous Beethoven release devoted to the late sonatas, Goodyear generally responds to the composer’s meticulous linear trajectory, combative dynamics, instinct for drama and aching lyricism with a sense of freshness, rhythmic vivacity and organic sweep that evokes like-minded (albeit dissimilar) Beethoven performances by Schnabel, Gulda, Lipkin, Frank and Kovacevich. His giddy gait and slight accelerations in the second movement of Op 27 No 1 swing like mad, while the first movement’s central Allegro explodes with fierce abandon and hair-trigger accuracy. These qualities abound in the Moonlight Sonata’s finale, although the first two movements are well played but less eventful. Fast tempi and flexible phrasing invigorate each of the Pastoral Sonata’s four movements and I’ve rarely heard the difficult coda tossed off with such joy and insouciance.

While other pianists may convey Beethoven’s ‘untogether hands’ effects in the opening Allegro vivace of Op 31 No 1 more purposefully, the Adagio grazioso stands out for Goodyear’s firm pulse and breathtaking articulation. His smoothly sculpted arpeggiated chord-playing throughout the Tempest requires little pedal, except, of course, where Beethoven specifically asks for it. Given Goodyear’s speedy proclivities, it’s no surprise that he navigates the finale of Op 31 No 3 at a true presto without derailing, nor that he feels the Minuet in one rather than three beats and shapes the phrases so that they move over the bar-lines. But I would have expected a lighter, wittier, more woodwind-like rendition of the Scherzo, which comes off sounding brusque, driven and a tad monotonous.

Despite minor reservations, this is an impressive release that hopefully signifies a complete Goodyear Beethoven cycle in the works.