I wonder if the 23-year-old Pierre Boulez knew that his piano sonatas, at least his first two, would be considered classics of their kind more than half a century after their composition. Could he have imagined that they’d be required repertoire in certain international piano competitions, or have numerous recorded versions on the market? The passing years bring more and more pianists who toss off Boulez’s rhythmic complexities and jagged textures with stupefying proficiency. Claude Helffer’s 1980 recordings always reveal the music behind the manifesto, so to speak. He binds pointillistic phrase groups into shapely, fluid paragraphs that always know where they’re going. The pianist’s varied articulations and ricocheting dynamic contrasts add welcome dramatic dimension to the composer’s elaborate markings. The only viable competition Helffer faces on disc is Idil Biret’s equally commanding cycle on Naxos. There’s little to differentiate the two, except for the cost, but you certainly won’t go wrong with this beautifully packaged mid-price reissue.
