Beethoven 27
‘ A deaf man who heard infinity...
’, wrote Victor Hugo about Ludwig van Beethoven,
the titan of music whose bicentenary (26 March 1827) will be
celebrated in March 2027.
Two centuries after his death, his legacy still resonates like an inexhaustible revolution — music that, through its power and humanity, transcends time.
For Olivier, Beethoven has always been a major influence and a
composer of reference. As a passionate analyst, he has explored in
detail not only the 32 sonatas,
of course, but also the 33
Diabelli Variations – a monument to virtuosity, modernism
and invention – and the complete 23
Bagatelles, each miniature revealing a universe of its own.
He has performed the complete 32 sonatas in public on several
occasions (in Brussels, Ghent and Liège), commenting for the
audience, illuminating and generously sharing the secrets of this
music that continues to fascinate him.
"Beethoven leaves us with absolute perfection. He is a
composer apart, having pushed the classical structure to its
limits. Every silence, every half-breath, every sixteenth note
is measured with mathematical precision in order to achieve a
rigorous formal balance — and yet nothing is cold, nothing is
abstract. Where his contemporaries submitted to form, he
embodied it: he is form, he is movement, he is music itself.
Another facet of his genius was his ability to create highly
complex musical architectures from extremely simple cells – so
expressive and original that they have entered the collective
memory (think, among other examples, of the motif from
Symphony No. 5, known as the ‘Fate’ symphony, which is so
expressive that it seems to have always existed).
His originality also stems from his profound knowledge of the human soul and his subtle perception of the listener's psychology: Beethoven's music perfectly matches our inner time, its division of musical time coinciding with the unfolding of our consciousness as we listen. This is why its effect is so powerful, its art so deeply moving and universal: his music speaks to us about ourselves!
Bach was said to be a god, Mozart an angel, and Beethoven a man — a man who fought against his fate with heroic strength; a symbol of the triumph of an ideal in the face of human pettiness and suffering. Deaf, isolated, and consumed by suffering, he nevertheless composed works of triumphant joy, overwhelming tenderness, and liberating anger. He embodied the struggle of the artist who, despite adversity, transforms pain into beauty.
As an anecdote, it is worth noting that his paternal grandfather, Lodewijk van Beethoven, was Belgian: born in Mechelen in 1712, he left his hometown to become a musician in Bonn, where his son Johann and then his grandson Ludwig were born — who therefore bore the same first name as his grandfather Louis."
See full interview in Crescendo magazine
His originality also stems from his profound knowledge of the human soul and his subtle perception of the listener's psychology: Beethoven's music perfectly matches our inner time, its division of musical time coinciding with the unfolding of our consciousness as we listen. This is why its effect is so powerful, its art so deeply moving and universal: his music speaks to us about ourselves!
Bach was said to be a god, Mozart an angel, and Beethoven a man — a man who fought against his fate with heroic strength; a symbol of the triumph of an ideal in the face of human pettiness and suffering. Deaf, isolated, and consumed by suffering, he nevertheless composed works of triumphant joy, overwhelming tenderness, and liberating anger. He embodied the struggle of the artist who, despite adversity, transforms pain into beauty.
As an anecdote, it is worth noting that his paternal grandfather, Lodewijk van Beethoven, was Belgian: born in Mechelen in 1712, he left his hometown to become a musician in Bonn, where his son Johann and then his grandson Ludwig were born — who therefore bore the same first name as his grandfather Louis."
See full interview in Crescendo magazine
Sonates
:
- Plasticien du son, De Spiegeleir leur prête son sens du discours musical en même temps que sa force de conviction (La Libre Belgique-99)
- Un interprète qui cisèle les partitions, les scrute jusqu’au fond de l’âme et les illumine de ce qu’il y a trouvé de grand, de noble et de beau. Il y a entente totale entre l’œuvre, le compositeur et l’interprète, nuancé à l’extrême, au toucher étincelant, délié, et toujours ‘ en phase ’ avec la partition (Jean Gallois-97)
- Un jeu d’une grande clarté, nuancé, au timbre subtil et au toucher délicat. Respiration large, équilibre des deux mains, souplesse du geste, élégance sans affectation : évidence et confort d’écoute (Le Monde de la Musique-97)
- Een prachtig authentisch pianist, die als géén andere de diepten heeft gepeild van Beethovens genie (De Rode Pomp-08)
- La poésie d’un interprète aux moyens hors pair, soulignant les tensions, les sursauts, les contrastes entre de formidables élans et de plus délicates ponctuations. Ses adagios sont des moments privilégiés. Virilité et poésie. (La Libre Belgique-98) Intégrité, grande sensibilité, intelligence, délicatesse et approche personnelle (La Semaine d‘Anvers-99)
- Il possède en lui la rigueur du classicisme beethovénien (Privilège-86)
- Beethoven (dernières sonates): une finesse réfléchie, un esprit poétique et méditatif. Entraînant son auditoire par une dynamique vivante et par une expression nuancée, portée par une sensibilité chaleureuse, le pianiste s'exprime avec beaucoup de naturel. Dans l'expression du rêve intime, dans la poésie des accords lents et des phrases éloquentes, le pianiste nous touche profondément par son lyrisme généreux... (Bourglinster-06)
- De dromerige intieme sfeer van het overbekende eerste deel, het Adagio, werd perfect geëvoceerd, in contrast met de twee volgende delen (Beethoven: opus 27/2) (De Rode Pomp-03)
- Beethoven, la totale ! Coup de chapeau à Olivier De Spiegeleir : le pianiste belge joue l’intégrale des 32 sonates pour piano de Beethoven – avec introduction, toujours brève et sensible, par l'artiste. (La Libre Belgique-08)
Variations
Diabelli :
Bagatelles
:
- Une interprétation de toute beauté ; une version à classer parmi les plus grandes : un disque à se procurer absolument! (Crescendo-93)
- L’ensemble se tient avec beaucoup d’unité, à
l’instar de ce que font Arrau ou Brendel. Un
disque d’un grand intérêt musical! (Diapason-93)
- Trente-trois variations jouées et commentées en une analyse fine et accessible : le chef-d’œuvre absolu de Beethoven a enthousiasmé les mélomanes ! (Molenbeek-22)
- De magistrale pianist Olivier Despiegeleir, die de Diabellivariaties van Beethoven speelde. Eén van onze beste pianisten, die op onze Bösendorfer een warme, heldere, doorvoelde en tastbare gouden en kostbare klank voortbrengt (De Rode Pomp-06)
- His performance is quite lyrical and affecting; his ’Pour Elise ’ is one of the best you will hear (Fanfare-USA-91)
- C’ est extrêmement sensible et musical (L’Eventail-91)
...