Early and late works make up the fifth and final volume of Paavali Jumppanen’s Beethoven sonata cycle. He brings a supple, pliable touch to Op 7’s first movement, yet sometimes undermines its rollicking qualities with pauses between sections and downplayed subito dynamics. Conversely, Jumppanen plays up the Largo’s wide dynamic compass with mesmerising intensity; listen, for example, to the climactic build-up at the 3'25" mark. In the Scherzo, Jumppanen’s gracefully dispatched outer sections contrast with his daring pedal effects in the minore Trio, while the pianist’s attention to left-hand lines imbues the finale with a sharper than usual edge.

He unfolds the Pathétique’s Grave introduction at a daringly slow and steady pace. If the main body of the movement is not quite Allegro di molto, animation is still suggested by way of Jumppanen’s clear lines and attention to accents. The central Adagio starts out slow and austere but eventually gains speed and flexibility, in contrast with Jumppanen’s slightly square, held-back Rondo finale.

The rhapsodic Vivace ma non troppo of Op 109 is a model of sensitive phrasing and timing, in spite of Jumppanen’s downplaying the climaxes (here Igor Levit and Paul Lewis give their all). The Prestissimo makes up in linear tension for what it lacks in fervency. I was surprised by much of the variation movement’s detachment and reserve, compared to Jumppanen’s far more fluent and involving live performance from the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum (available free online). Although more songful and mellifluous Op 110 interpretations grace the catalogue (Angela Hewitt’s, for example, among recent recordings – Hyperion, 9/15), Jumppanen’s ability to clarify the busiest, thickest fugal writing without sacrificing tonal heft must be acknowledged.

In Op 111’s first movement, Jumppanen revels in the transitional episodes’ emotional ambiguity but his accurate yet notey execution of the rapid counterpoint doesn’t match Pollini or Arrau for power and sheen. The pianist brings riveting breadth to the Arietta theme and the first variation but his slight speeding-up for the following two variations somehow breaks the spell. Towards the end, many pianists primarily focus on the long chains of trills, while Jumppanen gives equal and welcome due to the left hand’s changing harmonies.

In sum, a superbly engineered and annotated conclusion to a Beethoven cycle characterised by occasional drawbacks and numerous strengths.