# good Beethoven recordings



## seven (Jan 16, 2010)

Can anyone recommend a recording of Beethoven's late piano sonatas (27 or 28 - 32)? I've looked around a little but can't decide. I'm new to classical music (and this forum, hi) and I really enjoyed these pieces. I've heard good things about Pollini, Kempff, Arrau, Uchida, Brendel... Which should I buy?

Also looking for a good recording of the string quartets and was leaning towards the Takacs quartet.


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

Vladimir Ashkenazy's performances of Beethoven's sonatas are among the greatest I have ever heard. His concerto recordings are just as phenomenal.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

He seems to strike such division among people here that I almost daren't mention him, but I think that Daniel Barenboim's close understanding and handling of Beethoven's music makes him a must-listen. I don't go all-out on Barenboim like some people do, and listen to everything he records, but, so long as it's Beethoven, you know you're in good hands.


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

I choose Solomon Cutner, Serkin, Gulda and Horowitz.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Have been collecting for many years & owns a lot of recordings, including about 10 of each sonata.

Basically, I suppose, it ís preferrable to have at least two recordings of each of these
very substantial works - one, that renders the music in a rather-objective-and not-too-eccentric-but-still-emotionally-engaged-way, and another one that is allowed to experiment a bit more with tempi, accents etc. and gives a wholly new perspective to the music. Now here, of course, finances may obstruct one´s buying, but prices vary a great deal and budget price does certainly not imply that the music making or sound is worse than in full-price releases. Actually, generally, the performances tended to be more personal in the earlier days, but of course the sound quality was not as pleasant and natural. 
In Denmark, the complete Sonatas with Schnabel on 10 membran cds costs only about 13 Euro, and there are many real jewels and interesting moments in this set, which makes the music sound much different than in most of today´s more predictable way of objective performance - which by the way has probably only little to do with the temperamental personality and composer Beethoven was. The problem is that the sound is not good enough to be one´s only set and introductory set to this music, and that Schnabel had some off-days, including a too sketchily performance of the 29.Sonata. Now the Brendel, Kempff, Pollini and Arrau sets, which have been the introduction to this music for meny people, are mostly stiff and boring in comparison. Gulda is more lively and sometimes quite good, but he tends to play down the drama and the contrasts in the music, becoming too "linear". I haven´t heard Uchida in Beethoven. She is good, and sensitive, but tends to be rather feminine and soft in her style. It functions well in Mozart or Schubert, but perhaps less in Beethoven.

Actually, I just recently made a list of my preferred recordings of Beethovens sonatas. However, some of the recordings are not easily available, and it will be very expensive to buy them all. Also, I tend to make new discoveries. But in the long run these are all very
romantic, emotionally committed performances, often with rather extreme tempi, thus worth hearing, if you should find them: 

1 Schnabel 
2 Kuerti
3 Richter 1960 Leningrad masters
4 Richter 1974 Brilliant cd
5 Gould
6 Gould
7 Gilels Brilliant cd
8 Gould
9 Gould
10 Gould
11 Kuerti
12 Gould
13 Kovacevich EMI
14 (Gilels Brilliant ? Can´t make up my mind.)
15 Kuerti
16 Gould
17 Kuerti
18 Gould
19 Schnabel
20 Schnabel
21 Kovacevich EMI
22 Kuerti
23 Gilels Brilliant cd
24 Kovacevich EMI 
25 Schnabel 
26 Gilels Brilliant cd
27 Gilels Brilliant cd
28 Schnabel
29 Kovacevich EMI 
30 Gould
31 Gould
32 Gould

The other day I found a old LP with Beveridge Webster performing the Hammerklavier, a truly outstanding performance, succeeding with the fast tempi, where Schnabel doesn´t. Schnabel and Webster are the only one´s I know that try to keep up with Beethoven´s fast indications. But it must be said that Kempff is actually better than average in the Hammerklavier, especially in the slow moment, which he gives very intense climaxes.

Now, should I chose a reasonable budget solution for a basic collection it would be:

- Sonatas 1-32 in a super budget 10cd issue by Schnabel
- Sonatas 1-5,7,8,12,14,16,23,25,26,27,29 + the 5 Piano Concerti with Gilels on Brilliant super budget 6cd (sonata 23 is given a fantastic performance, and sonatas 27 and 29 very good performances)
- Sonata 29 with Kovacevich on emi
- Sonatas 30-32 with Gould on Sony

These recordings can stand comparison with everything as regards commitment; they have something to say and they are represent very different aspects of the music, making it a pleasure to return them again and again in the future.


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## seven (Jan 16, 2010)

Haha, four replies, four completely different responses. Thanks to everyone, I guess I'll have a listen to all the suggestions and decide from there. Special thanks to joen.cph for such a comprehensive list  I did find some recordings by Gould and Schnabel.


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## dafnis (Jan 18, 2010)

... and I'm introducing yet another one... the recently completed by Paul Lewis on Harmonia Mundi. I do also own Schnabel's and Kempff's, I'd choose to start with the full spectrum either Kempff or Lewis.


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

Polednice said:


> He seems to strike such division among people here that I almost daren't mention him, but I think that Daniel Barenboim's close understanding and handling of Beethoven's music makes him a must-listen. I don't go all-out on Barenboim like some people do, and listen to everything he records, but, so long as it's Beethoven, you know you're in good hands.


His symphony recordings are unrivaled.


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## David58117 (Nov 5, 2009)

I think you might benefit from the "Beethoven Edition" from Brilliant Classics. It includes the complete published works of Beethoven on 85 cds, and can be had for about $140USD or less (check the foreign Amazons as they sometimes have it much cheaper..I got mine for about $70USD including shipping from the german amazon).

It includes the Gulda piano sonatas, Guarneri String Quartets which I've really been enjoying, Gulda Piano Concertos, Kurt Masur Symphonies, Szeryng Violin Concertos, Brendel Piano Variations, Colin Davis Masses....these definitely aren't poor/no name performances, and all of these PLUS everything else Beethoven wrote in one set is a heck of a deal.

Highly recommended set.

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Com...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1263846880&sr=8-1


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

27-Richter, 28-Sokolov, Horowitz, 29-Gould, 30-Gould, Uchida, 31-Gould, Uchida, 32-Michelangeli, Gould, Uchida.


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