32@32: An epic journey with a musical mastermind (Orlando Sentinel)
Forget binge-watching a TV show. I just spent two and a half weeks binging on Beethoven. To celebrate his 32nd birthday, Adam Golka played all 32 of the composer’s piano sonatas in a series for the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park.
Personally, I celebrate with a nice piece of cake — but then again, I’m no world-class pianist.
In Golka’s 32@32 series, he set out to play each of 11 programs three times (read on for a slight change to that plan). The programs were recorded and are still available if you want to watch from home; details are at bachfestivalflorida.org.
Smartly, Golka did not play the works in chronological order but let us see how earlier sonatas contrasted with later ones, how Beethoven could create different moods and ideas even when using the same key. It was a fascinating and spirit-rejuvenating way to explore one of the world’s greatest collections of artistic creativity.
The series was a massive undertaking, especially with coronavirus restrictions in place, for the Bach Festival Society, Golka and hardcore music fans, who found themselves scheduling their days around some of the greatest musical works ever written.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel