# Gould does Beethoven Piano Sonatas



## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

I've just sat here and listened to him rip through Beethoven's 7th Piano Sonata in D major 1st movement in 3 mins 55 secs. I have goosebumps on my arms and legs, I know it is marked Presto, and he ignores the repeat, but still. I have waited 40 years to hear this and it sounds insanely impossible, but still!!!!

Also, the 1st mov of the 5th; he plays the opening like chords he is so quick. Fascinating recordings when I have been used to Brendel for so long.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

beetzart said:


> I've just sat here and listened to him rip through Beethoven's 7th Piano Sonata in D major 1st movement in 3 mins 55 secs. I have goosebumps on my arms and legs, I know it is marked Presto, and he ignores the repeat, but still. I have waited 40 years to hear this and it sounds insanely impossible, but still!!!!]/QUOTE]
> 
> Here it is:


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

beetzart said:


> ...Also, the 1st mov of the 5th; he plays the opening like chords he is so quick. Fascinating recordings when I have been used to Brendel for so long.


Here is that one:


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Here is Brendel:


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Typical Gould. Does everything 'wrong' yet manages to convince most of the time. I have the set of sonatas and apart from the monstrous Appasionata I love the quirky playing. Liker Beethoven improvising.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

DavidA said:


> Typical Gould. Does everything 'wrong' yet manages to convince most of the time. I have the set of sonatas and apart from the monstrous Appasionata I love the quirky playing. Liker Beethoven improvising.


Drat! Yet another post of yours that I agree with. Either I'm going insane or you are!:lol:


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## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

Beethoven himself flows through the fingers of Gould. I have never heard his sonatas played with such verve and arrogance, power and slight of touch. Playing these sonatas technically and mechanically correct can take years, to add a nuanced interpretation in such a manner on top of the that is edging the performer's greatness to near parity with that of the composer's.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

beetzart said:


> Beethoven himself flows through the fingers of Gould. I have never heard his sonatas played with such verve and arrogance, power and slight of touch. Playing these sonatas technically and mechanically correct can take years, to add a nuanced interpretation in such a manner on top of the that is edging the performer's greatness to near parity with that of the composer's.


Brilliant post. Almost totally convincing.:tiphat:


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I love Gould's Mozart set.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

millionrainbows said:


> beetzart said:
> 
> 
> > I've just sat here and listened to him rip through Beethoven's 7th Piano Sonata in D major 1st movement in 3 mins 55 secs. I have goosebumps on my arms and legs, I know it is marked Presto, and he ignores the repeat, but still. I have waited 40 years to hear this and it sounds insanely impossible, but still!!!!]/QUOTE]
> ...


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## Bluecrab (Jun 24, 2014)

beetzart said:


> ...he ignores the repeat...


He also ignored the repeats both times he recorded the Goldberg Variations. I wonder what he had against repeats.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

beetzart said:


> I've just sat here and listened to him rip through Beethoven's 7th Piano Sonata in D major 1st movement in 3 mins 55 secs. I have goosebumps on my arms and legs, I know it is marked Presto, and he ignores the repeat, but still. I have waited 40 years to hear this and it sounds insanely impossible, but still!!!!
> 
> Also, the 1st mov of the 5th; he plays the opening like chords he is so quick. Fascinating recordings when I have been used to Brendel for so long.


Do you like his op 111? (I don't) The best Beethoven I've heard from him is possibly op 126.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Is there anyone who prefers this






To this?


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Mandryka said:


> Is there anyone who prefers this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That movement is one of my favorites and you suckered me into listening to the Gould. Ugh! That was possibly the worst performance of it I have ever heard. Not enthusiastic about the Schnabel either.


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## GeorgeMcW (Jun 4, 2018)

Gould playing Beethoven í ¾í´®í ¾í´®í ¾í´®í ¾í´®. Wtf is this??


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## GeorgeMcW (Jun 4, 2018)

GeorgeMcW said:


> Gould playing Beethoven ������������������������. Wtf is this??


Emoticons didn't come out well.. I was trying to say:


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

GeorgeMcW said:


> Emoticons didn't come out well.. I was trying to say:


A unique approach.


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## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

Mandryka said:


> Do you like his op 111? (I don't) The best Beethoven I've heard from him is possibly op 126.


Yes, I do. Don't they say that some pianists can play the 1st movement and the rest play the 2nd movement? Well GG bucks this trend as he makes a fine interpretation of both.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

beetzart said:


> Yes, I do. Don't they say that some pianists can play the 1st movement and the rest play the 2nd movement? Well GG bucks this trend as he makes a fine interpretation of both.


I listened to him playing the variations, two thoughts crossed my mind. The first was that in the first two variations he tried to play them like real contrapuntal pieces, and he played them seriously, gravely. They made me think of stile antico, like at the start of Clavier Ubung III. That was interesting as an idea, but I'm not sure he pulled it off, I'm not sure he made the counterpoint cohere.

And second, and this is less complementary, the way he played the trills towards the end made me think of all those 19th century tremolos you get in Liszt transcriptions, horrible and vulgar!


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