# Favorite Beethoven sonata pianist?



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

A few additions to the line-up lately! I've always been a Schiff kind of guy, but Burchbinder seems very very good. Korstick, not so much. Who's your fave? Lots to choose from!


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## Guest (May 15, 2014)

All I have these days is my standard: mix of Kempff/Brendel throughout, Pollini for the late, Gilels for most of the "big names".


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

The usual suspects for me as well. Pollini for the late sonatas...a mix of Pollini/Gilels/Kovacevich for the rest.
I'd might lean towards Kempff if forced to choose a cycle.

For variety, Goode has decent late sonatas but the rest is forgettable. Perl is great for high energy works but a bit dull during lyrical moments.


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## SilenceIsGolden (May 5, 2013)

Kempff is excellent and has been a long time favorite, but I love Arrau's traversal of the 32 as well.


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## SottoVoce (Jul 29, 2011)

Of the old, Schnabel. Of the new, Schiff. Of the _very_ new, Jonathan Biss. And of the unexpected, I think Gould's last sonatas are quite good (but the op. 111 raises questions)


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## Svelte Silhouette (Nov 7, 2013)

Pollini it has to be for me


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## Alydon (May 16, 2012)

There cannot only be one and that as a question can only be folly as there are 32 sonatas to interpret and so many great musicians whose lives have been dogged by that ultimate question of how to shine a new light on this music. However as a personal and broad answer I was privilege to hear Alfred Brendel's complete cycle at the Wigmore hall in the nearly 90s and he laid before us the meaning and canon of this most unfathomable work - the pianist displayed a poetic touch and a nerve of steel, and that complete recital singled him out as a man who has a God - given genius. However, each sonata has a different interpretation and every great pianist in the recording era has a place in this 'New Testament' of music. I think on a Winter's evening and wanting comfort I would be hard pushed to push away the old Schnabel recordings or the magisterial Kempff.


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

Biret, Gulda, Arrau, Sokolov, Perahia, Lupu, Schnabel. Barenboim is okay, not ideal.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Annie Fischer.


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## shadowdancer (Mar 31, 2014)

Arrau, Gulda, Giles, Barenboim, Wilhelm Kempff


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Couldn't say a single favorite, but in addition to some of the ones mentioned Sviatoslav Richter would be among them. Could wish for better sound quality at times, of course.

By the way, some may appreciate Jens Laurson's review of complete sonata cycles: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/June09/Beethoven_piano_cycles.htm


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## Guest (May 20, 2014)

I have Schiff and some Brendel. Paul Lewis didn't do much for me, but mine's hardly an expert opinion.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

BPS said:


> I have Schiff and some Brendel. Paul Lewis didn't do much for me, but mine's hardly an expert opinion.


Sonatas aside, Paul Lewis's _Diabelli Variations _are second to none. Well, to one maybe.


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## ShropshireMoose (Sep 2, 2013)

It has to be horses for courses methinks, as I believe I wrote on a similar thread a while ago. These pieces cover such a wide range and diversity that it would be unrealistic to expect one pianist to play them all equally well. Of complete sets, my favourites are Schnabel/Backhaus/Gulda and Arrau. Then Gilels is nearly complete. I have recently bought Annie Fischer's set and look forward immensely to wading through this! Solomon's traversal of just over half of them only leaves you wishing he'd completed the set. Then there are superb individual performances of nearly all of them, a few that spring readily to mind:
"Pathetique"- Horowitz- I don't think I've ever heard a better performance of this sonata by *anyone!* 
Op.27 No.1- Shura Cherkassky
"Moonlight"- Walter Gieseking (the 1953 Columbia LP, not the later stereo remake)
"Waldstein"/"Les Adieu"- Benno Moiseiwitsch- a superb player of Beethoven- his Andante Favori is 2nd to none
Any of the Beethoven recordings of Egon Petri, but especially his performance of the "Hammerklavier", my piano teacher was not keen on this sonata, and said that Petri was the only pianist he'd ever heard who actually made sense of it (he'd heard him live in the 1930s), and when I took him a recording of Petri playing it that was released in the 1980s, he stuck by his opinion.
The Beethoven recordings of Frederic Lamond, a wonderful down to earth, no-nonsense series of recordings made in the 1920s by a major pupil of Liszt.
Op.110/111 Youra Guller, a pianist who made all too few recordings, but her Op.111 is unsurpassed.

So there you are, a few from off the top of my head. No doubt more will spring to mind, but hopefully this is food for thought enough.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

If I had to pick one it would be Schiff, but then there's Richter too.

For good transparent middle of the road performances I don't even mind Jando or Ashkenazy.


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## GGluek (Dec 11, 2011)

Impossible to answer unless I had heard all (or at least many or most) sonatas played by a good number of different pianists which I haven't. I like some individual recordings of individual works by individual pianists better than others, and over the years have found favorite recordings of some works that speak to me, without having heard dozens of different recordings of that work -- so it's a moving and far from in-focus target. 

Some pianists I like in some works include Schnabel, Brendel, Ashkenazy, Fleischer, Rangell, Rosen, Kempff, Goode . . .


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## hreichgott (Dec 31, 2012)

I listen to Takacs' and Goode's sets all the time, as I say whenever these threads come up


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Gilels for an older recording. I enjoy Paul Lewis' cycle. I've very much enjoyed the recent late sonatas performed by Igor Levit. Pretty dramatic for a debut recording.


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

I have the cycle by Schnabel & then lots of various recordings by a variety of pianists...specific recordings that impressed me prior to the time of purchase. I like it that way & I don't particularly find the collection of 'sets' that appealing...though I appreciate that frequently, gentlemen in particular _do_ like to collect things so that they have 'the complete set?!'


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

hreichgott said:


> I listen to Takacs' and Goode's sets all the time, as I say whenever these threads come up


The subject does come up, eh? This time around I'll mention my 3rd or 4th place favorite - Richter. His interpretations always work.


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## Muse Wanderer (Feb 16, 2014)

I picked Claudio Arrau's cycle and truly enjoyed these 32 marvellous sonatas over the course of several months on and off. 

Arrau's playing is clear with a beautiful technique. 

Now I listen to a bit of Richter here and then to spice up things.

It's a shame Richter was never a completist, as a cycle of his would have been so much welcome.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

JCarmel said:


> I have the cycle by Schnabel & then lots of various recordings by a variety of pianists...specific recordings that impressed me prior to the time of purchase. I like it that way & I don't particularly find the collection of 'sets' that appealing...though I appreciate that frequently, gentlemen in particular _do_ like to collect things so that they have 'the complete set?!'


There are at least theoretical advantages to complete sets per pianist, relating to one consistency or another - technique for instance. If the recordings were made for one project, using the same environment and techs/engineers, you get consistency in, ah, aural ambiance too. Whether or not the same instrument should be played for Opus 2 as for Opus 106 is debatable, but HIP is still mildly controversial anyway, eh?


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

_Maria Yudina_, but with miserable sound;
A good deal of _Richter_ and _Gould_; 
_Gilels_/Melodiya & Brilliant classics (no.23 etc.); 
_Samuil Feinberg_;
_Bruce Hungerford_; 
_Ernst Levy_; 
_Beveridge Webster_ (no.29);
_Arthur Schnabel_ (poor sound)
some of _Anton Kuerti_´s (no.17).

I´ll be getting _Robert Goodyear_´s set too, probably before autumn sets in.


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## Guest (May 21, 2014)

For the early and middle sonatas, Wilhelm Kempff, hands down. There is a wonderful recording on DG of him performing the Moonlight, Appasionatta, Pathetique, and Waldstein sonatas that has been my favorite since I first heard it. For the late sonatas, though, I like Pollini.

And for some fun, I also really enjoy Brautigam's recordings of the sonatas on the fortepiano (not more than Kempff on a modern piano, but still very enjoyable, listening to the very different dynamics).


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

hreichgott said:


> I listen to Takacs' and Goode's sets all the time, as I say whenever these threads come up


Goode is certainly among the best. But Takacs? Will they all really fit on the piano bench?


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

"There are at least theoretical advantages to complete sets per pianist, relating to one consistency or another - technique for instance. If the recordings were made for one project, using the same environment and techs/engineers, you get consistency in, ah, aural ambiance too. Whether or not the same instrument should be played for Opus 2 as for Opus 106 is debatable, but HIP is still mildly controversial anyway, eh?"

I think that this is probably right, Ukko..but I play all my music so unsystematically..a bit of this, a bit of that...a bit of the other?!
Well, I don't know about the latter!! But, back to the sonatas....so I'm not going to register consistencies of technique really & both my hearing...having lost frequencies, high & low....nor the equipment that I play my music on, are that strong on the 'aural ambience' bit for me to notice?!


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

joen_cph said:


> I´ll be getting _Robert Goodyear_´s set too, probably before autumn sets in.


I've got this one. It's not my favorite, but it's sufficiently distinctive that I'm glad to have it.

*p.s.* I don't think Solomon's been mentioned yet, despite his famous (and famously slow) Hammerklavier. I love it--though I also like Goodyear's. There are lots of ways to go right with Beethoven.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

JCarmel said:


> I think that this is probably right, Ukko..but I play all my music so unsystematically..a bit of this, a bit of that...a bit of the other?!
> Well, I don't know about the latter!! But, back to the sonatas....so I'm not going to register consistencies of technique really & both my hearing...having lost frequencies, high & low....nor the equipment that I play my music on, are that strong on the 'aural ambience' bit for me to notice?!


Yeah, I also listen unsystematically, usually. Solo piano 'sets' and some other chamber music are occasional exceptions. Frequencies above 4KHz are diminished in volume at something greater than 12dB/octave for me too. Still, a lot of 'room sound' is at the 1st harmonic, so if I can hear the instruments direct... I can hear the room.


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## Rachmanijohn (Jan 2, 2014)

For me it's Barenboim hands down. His Beethoven recordings are the most consistent to what I want to hear.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Rachmanijohn said:


> For me it's Barenboim hands down. His Beethoven recordings are the most consistent to what I want to hear.


That's a valid point all right, especially if you have a firm preference in interpretation. I have to ask though, what your reaction is to just about any of Kuerti's recordings of the sonatas. Seems like there is always one movement...


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I've been listening to some of the sonatas performed by Annie Fischer today. She certainly makes that tank of a piano work for her! A very worthy set of sonatas, and pretty much unlike any other.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Gulda, Schnabel, Gilels, Pollini, some GG, would be my fellow desert islanders, were I forced to choose limited companionhip. 

I once chose "Waldstein" as my favorite sonata, but not long after saw the futility in this. All play important roles in LvB's incredible creation. Cheers! :tiphat:


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

KenOC said:


> I've been listening to some of the sonatas performed by Annie Fischer today. She certainly makes that tank of a piano work for her! A very worthy set of sonatas, and pretty much unlike any other.


Just bought some of Annie Fischer's a Beethoven. Looking forward to it.

For great pianism try:
Serkin - not a complete set but awesome
Richter - the same
Kempff - the earlier is preferable but both are illuminating
Schnabel always had something to say as for the young Barenboim.
Perahia - just bought some of his. The initial lisyening sounds good.
Gould - is Gould. Can be infuriating but is constantly illuminating.
And don't forget Solomon and Pollini in the late sonatas.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

DavidA said:


> Serkin - not a complete set but awesome.


Serkin...I grew up with the great mono recording of the Emperor with Serkin/Ormandy on Columbia, in mono. When I went to stereo, I replaced it with the Serkin/Bernstein, which was aurally grainy and (frankly) not as good. You post made me think back and I just downloaded the three tracks from the old mono recording, playing now. Few are as intense as this.

http://www.amazon.com/Serkin-Legend...sr=1-2-spell&keywords=emperor+serekin+ormandy

There's quite a bit of later Serkin on YouTube in late Beethoven. Great playing, but close your eyes because it looks like he's having some sort of attack.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

KenOC said:


> Serkin...I grew up with the great mono recording of the Emperor with Serkin/Ormandy on Columbia, in mono. When I went to stereo, I replaced this with the Serkin/Bernstein, which was aurally grainy and (frankly) not as good. You post made me think back and I just downloaded the old mono recording, playing now. Few are as intense as this.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Serkin-Legend...sr=1-2-spell&keywords=emperor+serekin+ormandy
> 
> There's quite a bit of later Serkin on YouTube in late Beethoven. Great playing, but close your eyes because it looks like he's having some sort of attack.


Serkin introduced me to Beethoven concertos as a lad. I got him playing 2 & 4 and then a 10" disc of no 1, all in mono with Ormandy. Serkin was at his peak then. Fantastic performances! I also had one of him pkaying the Emperor with Walter. Very exciting.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

KenOC said:


> Serkin...I grew up with the great mono recording of the Emperor with Serkin/Ormandy on Columbia, in mono. When I went to stereo, I replaced it with the Serkin/Bernstein, which was aurally grainy and (frankly) not as good. You post made me think back and I just downloaded the three tracks from the old mono recording, playing now. Few are as intense as this.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Serkin-Legend...sr=1-2-spell&keywords=emperor+serekin+ormandy
> 
> There's quite a bit of later Serkin on YouTube in late Beethoven. Great playing, but close your eyes because it looks like he's having some sort of attack.


Yes, great early mono Beethoven concertos from the Serkin/Ormandy duo. Concertos 1+2, for example - some of the best recordings there are.


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## PeterF (Apr 17, 2014)

I have 3 favorites for the Beethoven Piano Sonatas - Wilhelm Kempff, Rudolf Serkin and Rudolf Buchbinder.

When it comes to the Beethoven Piano Concertos, my current favorites are Rudolf Serkin and Leon Fleischer.
However, I have just ordered the box set by Rudolf Buchbinder and will be looking forward to hearing him playthe concertos.


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

I think my favourite would be Kempff.


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