Pianist Romero Cuts Straight to the Heart of Beethoven

Gustavo Romero’s summertime recitals here, under the auspices of the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library of La Jolla, have turned into a cottage industry.

In 1999, the young American pianist gave a six-recital Chopin series, covering virtually all of that composer’s published solo piano music. Last year, he celebrated the Bach anniversary with four programs of the composer’s keyboard music.

Now, again in four programs, ending July 29, Romero surveys Beethoven. This is a demanding sampler of mostly sonatas, a prelude to the 175th anniversary of Beethoven’s death (in 2002).

In the first recital, Sunday afternoon at the Neurosciences Institute north of La Jolla--but still within San Diego city limits--Romero performed five sonatas covering the composer’s three periods. The series looks to become the crowning achievement of the 36-year-old pianist’s three summer festivals--so far.

The playing is authoritative, incontrovertibly Beethovenian in re-creating the composer’s style, technically immaculate and compelling in the extreme. One came away convinced that these five sonatas--the F Minor from Opus 2 and from Opus 57; Opus 78 in F sharp; Opus 31, No. 3, in E flat; and Opus 109--had been analyzed and probed thoroughly.

Romero found the personal quirks and signatures in each and gave them a vivid restoration. He delivered the pushiness, arrogance and precipitousness of the young composer in his first essay in the form (Opus 2, No. 1), and made tangible the practically impressionistic haze of thought and sound that covers the enigmas of the oddball Opus 78. The noirishness and adamant anti-sentimentalism of the E-flat Sonata was as bracing and breathtaking as Beethoven intended.

He caught the straightforward songfulness of the beloved Opus 109 and the unsheathed rage and heat in Opus 57--truly “Appassionata,” but not always given its full temperament by others.

Familiar, even overfamiliar, works all, but Romero rediscovered them and gave them full and committed expression before an over-full house in the acoustically live, 350-seat Neurosciences Institute Auditorium. The rest of the series includes 10 more sonatas and a concerto (mixed with Haydn and Mozart concertos, on the last program). For 2002 here, one would like to hear more of the Beethoven sonatas from the gifted pianist.

* Gustavo Romero’s Beethoven recitals continue, Sunday, July 22 and July 29 at 4 p.m., Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, $25. (858) 454-5872.