# Beethoven's Piano Sonatas (the Best of the Best)



## Polednice

I've had a complete set of recordings of the sonatas for a long time now (which I'm pleased with), and occasionally I like to dip into portions of other artists' recordings of these sonatas just for the fresh perspective.

However, in this instance, I want to banish my obsessive need to have every sonata in my collection played by one individual, because I know that - especially in complete sets - even the greatest names have hits and misses.

So, in my quest to find the best performer for each individual sonata, I want to open up this question to all of you: even if you might prefer the complete set from someone else, who's done the best Waldstein? The best Hammerklavier? And all the rest!

In your _opinion_ of course


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## Sebastien Melmoth

Polednice said:


> _The best Hammerklavier?_


The best Hammerklavier? To my mind there is no question: *Glenn Gould's CBC Radio performance of 1970*.

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pia...4997723?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1300235682&sr=1-1

(Schiff and Kempff are okay as well.)

Kempff does a fine job with the other 'named' Sonatas ('Moonlight', 'Pathétique', 'Appassionata'); yet Gould gets my vote for them over all--his 'Appassionata' is utterly extraordinary.

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pia...9890515?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1300236132&sr=1-1

Also Gould's disc of the complete Op. 31 Sonatas is a gem:

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pia.../ref=cm_lmf_tit_8_rdssss0/182-3967606-9890515

And the late three:

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Pia.../ref=cm_lmf_tit_2_rdssss0/182-3967606-9890515

Now, for the change: my absolute favourite Diabelli Variations is by Arrau:

http://www.amazon.com/Diabelli-Vari...3041334?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1300236310&sr=1-1


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## Webernite

I like Schnabel (one of the top five recorded pianists, in my opinion). His recordings of the earlier sonatas are his best. He's got a reputation for hitting wrong notes in the more difficult works; but Arrau said he never heard him play a wrong note in concert, so it must have just been recording nerves. 

Solomon (Cutner) is probably the most underrated Beethoven interpreter, and one of the most underrated pianists in general. We English should be more patriotic about him: he's practically all we've got. 

I love Sviatoslav Richter, and I think he was an excellent Beethoven interpreter (better than Gilels, even). All of his recordings are worth listening to, not least his Op. 120, Op. 34 and Op. 35 variations. 

I don't agree that Gould's Hammerklavier is the best, but it's the most insightful.


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## Weston

Schiff's setting of the No. 8 "Pathetique" has the 1st movement repeat in the correct place, in my opinion, going all the back to what most people think is just the introduction. When Schiff does this it makes a great deal of sense and adds a whole extra dimension and pacing to the movement. I don't know if others do this, but I had never heard it that way until Schiff.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

*Schiff*'s new cycle is very good, as is *Ohlsson*'s recently completed cycle.

And you're right: Richter is way better than Gilels--the major problem with Richter is frequently his poor recorded sound and audience noise. Frankly I'm totally worn out with his audience noise.


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## Webernite

Sebastien Melmoth said:


> And you're right: Richter is way better than Gilels--the major problem with Richter is frequently his poor recorded sound and audience noise. Frankly I'm totally worn out with his audience noise.


Yeah, it is a shame. I guess I have quite a high tolerance of bad sound quality, though. Otherwise I wouldn't enjoy Schnabel.


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## Couchie

Arrau blows Gould's Hammerklavier so far out of the water it is so far out of the water.

Also the silences aren't filled with incessant tuneless muttering.


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## Air

I could go on and on about Beethoven performers, but I think a better thing to do is just point to certain recordings of works that I cherish above the rest.

First off, Richter's _Appassionata_:






Serkin's _Waldstein_, used to be Gilels but Serkin is magnificent here:






Gilels' _Hammerklavier_, though not to detract from Pollini's also wonderful recording:






Edwin Fischer's op.109:






Annie Fischer's op. 111, in what is arguably the best cycle of the 32 sonatas:






Schnabel's near the top in my opinion in all the Beethoven sonatas, and there are certainly moments in his playing that you just have to say - _this_ is the best. How could it not be? But then there are some not-so-good things too - not related to the interpretation itself, but rather to secondary concerns like technique and sound quality. I myself often overlook these "flaws" much like I do with Cortot's magnificent Chopin and Schumann.

Recently I also spun Michelangeli's op. 111 which was very special in the way that it balanced and colored the layers. Unforgettable trills at the end of the second movement.

Also very worthwhile are Richter's Leipzig recordings of the last three Beethoven sonatas. The idiosyncratic Yudina is always an eye-opener for me too, though I realize that some can't stand her.


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## Guest

In general, I have many recordings of the sonatas that I enjoy, but when it comes to Beethoven and piano, Kempff is my go to guy. My recording of him playing the Moonlinght, Pathetique, Appasionata, and Waldstein sonatas remains one of my absolute favorite albums. For the late sonatas, though, including the Hammerklavier, I really enjoy Pollini.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

I'm with you guys on most of these--Richter, Gilels, Kempff, Pollini...

However, the Schnabel thing eludes me.

Sure, he was the first to record all the Sonatas (on 78-RPM); even so, he plays too fast.
(Have you ever seen old heavy 78s spinning on a turntable? It's s c a r y: looks like they could slice off a head if they became airborne!)

Brendel's first account of the complete cycle was good--he also played all the Variations, Bagatelles, etc. No small feat.


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## tdc

Sebastien Melmoth said:


> Sure, he was the first to record all the Sonatas (on 78-RPM); even so, he plays too fast.
> (Have you ever seen old heavy 78s spinning on a turntable? It's s c a r y: looks like they could slice off a head if they became airborne!)


:lol::lol:

(sorry nothing intelligent to interject!) That just is funny.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

True!

Now, I enjoy CD transfers of old 78s of classic Jazz (*Art Tatum*, for example), but that's a different situation.


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## Polednice

Thanks for all the great suggestions - I'll get right on it


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## Webernite

How can you say that Schnabel plays too fast when you're advocating Gould recordings? 

He plays _quite_ fast, by glacial Kempff standards, but not _that_ fast. (Maybe in the _Hammerklavier_ he plays faster than he is really capable of, but that's an exception.) Schnabel is not as powerful as Richter, but he shares many of his other qualities: contrapuntal playing, attention to detail, sense of tempo, interpretative ability. What seperates them is that Schnabel is a master of rubato, something which Richter never really attempted. Richter is no doubt still the better pianist, but I rate Schnabel more highly than Kempff or Gilels, for example.


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## scytheavatar

Sebastien Melmoth said:


> I'm with you guys on most of these--Richter, Gilels, Kempff, Pollini...
> 
> However, the Schnabel thing eludes me.
> 
> Sure, he was the first to record all the Sonatas (on 78-RPM); even so, he plays too fast.
> (Have you ever seen old heavy 78s spinning on a turntable? It's s c a r y: looks like they could slice off a head if they became airborne!)
> 
> Brendel's first account of the complete cycle was good--he also played all the Variations, Bagatelles, etc. No small feat.


In Schnabel's days, he had the reputation of being a boring old man who cares too much about playing everything neatly..... it's sad that we no longer live in those times and people nowadays care more about everything being played correctly than being played with fire and passion.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

Webernite said:


> _How can you say that Schnabel plays too fast when you're advocating Gould recordings?_


Good point; but when I think of GG, I actually think firstly of his s l o w tempi.


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## Webernite

True. GG does play some things very slow, like the _Appassionata_.


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## Duke

I need a tip about who plays the tempest sonata (17) part 3 best?

Really like that piece


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## Webernite

Duke said:


> I need a tip about who plays the tempest sonata (17) part 3 best?
> 
> Really like that piece


I'll go with Sviatoslav Richter, as usual. Too bad the recording quality is so low here. Try turning the volume up:






Most people would probably say Wilhelm Kempff:






And here's Glenn Gould's fantastic unorthodox interpretation:


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## Guest

I don't know, I have tried repeatedly to like Gould. I understand all the arguments for him, but at the basic, "do I like the sound of this" level, he just doesn't do it for me. And it isn't even, necessarily, his blasted vocalizations in his various recordings. For example, everybody raves about his recording of the Goldberg Variations (take your pick, 50's or 80's), but they bore me. I love these variations, but not with him playing. I much prefer Perahia.

For Beethoven, Kempff just really works for me, at least for the early and middle periods. For the late sonatas, especially the Hammerklavier, he just goes a bit to slow for me. Then I switch over to Pollini.

For what it is worth, I have a recording of the entire violin sonatas with Kempff and Menuhin on DG, and it is one of my prized possessions. I never get tired of the two of them playing the Kreutzer sonata.

Kempff also does wonderfully with Schubert's piano sonatas.


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## wingracer

I like my Pathetique fast. Now I know a lot of people don't care for him but for me, this is as good as it gets:


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## Webernite

DrMike said:


> I don't know, I have tried repeatedly to like Gould. I understand all the arguments for him, but at the basic, "do I like the sound of this" level, he just doesn't do it for me. And it isn't even, necessarily, his blasted vocalizations in his various recordings. For example, everybody raves about his recording of the Goldberg Variations (take your pick, 50's or 80's), but they bore me. I love these variations, but not with him playing.


Maybe try his Brahms (if you like Brahms), his Haydn, or the last three Bach _Partitas_. Each of these takes up only one CD, if I remember correctly.


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## tdc

I have to agree with Dr. Mike on Gould. But I acknowledge it doesn't mean Gould is bad, but I just can't get into him. At the time I prefer anybody interpreting Bach that I have heard professionally recorded over listening to Gould. I heard a bit of a GG Brahms concerto too - didn't care for it much either. But I admit this has happened to me with other players before, and I came to appreciate them later. When somebody is as famous as Gould I know its for good reason.


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## Webernite

Yeah, when I say "try his Brahms," I don't mean the concerto recording, which has pretty bad sound quality and has not been properly remastered. What I've got in mind are the solo piano pieces he recorded.


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## warren

Polednice said:


> ...So, in my quest to find the best performer for each individual sonata, I want to open up this question to all of you: even if you might prefer the complete set from someone else, who's done the best Waldstein? The best Hammerklavier? And all the rest!
> 
> In your _opinion_ of course


I play several Beethoven sonatas, though I would not rank near the very worst performer I've heard on record.

I have complete sets by Barenboim (3 different recordings) and Brendel, and additional recordings by Rubinstein, Pollini, Gilels, Richter, Ashkenazy, Kempff, Horowitz, Schnabel, Serkin, Maria-Joao Pires, Annie Fisher, Edwin Fischer, and many many others. Most of the performances I own are on vinyl, and it is worth the effort to find someone with an excellent record playing system and a good collection, to realise just how much realism is lost in most transfers to or recordings on CD.

The predominance of Barenboim recordings will tell you that I have a particular affinity to his approach to Beethoven, though that does not mean I consider all his performances to be preeminent. To me, Barenboim does three things riight every single time:

Barenboim performs without any technical errors even though, right from the beginning, he almost never did retakes - a very difficult ask in many of these sonatas
Barenboim recognises that a musical line can be much longer than just a few notes, and has the ability to voice that long line better than anyone else I've heard
Barenboim sounds distinctly like himself and no other pianist, without sounding quirky or just plain weird (like say Glenn Gould or Roger Woodward). Far too many pianists have a sound which could be any of 100 or a 1000 others - it should be as easy to tell that a specific pianist is playing as it is to recognise Heifetz, Stern, Grumiaux or Oistrakh on the violin. So it is with Barenboim, Arrau, Horowitz, Janis, Pollini, Rudolph Serkin, etc. Most recently, Paul Lewis presents superb new insights into Beethoven's music, and establishes a sound which is uniquely his.

One thing that Barenboim has, which is a two-edged sword, is subtlety. The sense of sudden and real drama which is so apparent in performances by say Arrau, come across as measured and a little less spontaneous with Barenboim. Some pianists imbue Beethoven with a sense of brutality and agression, which Barenboim clearly does not accept, preferring to establish the power of the music with a great deal of control. Having listened to Arrau, Woodward, Barenboim, Lupu and a host of other pianists playing Beethoven on the concert stage, there is much to be said for that unbridled passion that Arrau displayed in his Beethoven, but the subtle intensity of Barenboim is my preference.

Here are my favourites from among Barenboim's first set on EMI/HVM (Angel?) released in 1970 - these are my favourite performance by ANY performer I've heard:

*Pathetique Sonata Opus 13* - Barenboim's very slow introduction to the first movement was a revelation to me, and completely changed my understanding of the movement. I now play it that way (even though Barenboim's more recent performances take a somewhat faster pace). I wish I had the technique at 54, to play the rest of the movement with the same ease he showed in his teens. His tremelo in this movement is incredibly lovely with just enough menace to build great tension throughout. The right hand run down the keyboard just before the recapitulation is, on its own, miraculous. 2nd movement is beautiful. 3rd movement is delightful and perfectly balanced with the rest of the sonata.

*Moonlight Sonata Opus 27 No 2* - The most recorded sonata on earth, and Barenboim's is NOT perfect, but I often experiment by playing one that I really like, and then follow it immediately by this Barenboim recording. Within seconds, I have dumped the previous interpretation in favour of Barenboim's (And doing it the other way is an excruciating experience). The last movement especially I find totally satisfying in a way that other performances don't.

*Pastorale Sonata Opus 28* - This "relatively" easy sonata sounds dull or clumsy in almost everyone's hands. In Barenboim's it invariably sounds sublime, and, for me, he got it just right in this recording.

*Tempest Sonata Opus 31 No 2* - Possibly my favourite Beethoven sonata (depending on my mood maybe), and, for my hands, manageable but very very difficult, Barenboim takes the 2nd and 3rd movements slower than just about anyone else, and does it perfectly. The third movement in particular is romantic Beethoven idealised. Exquisite.

*Walstein Sonata Opus 53* - Fiendishly difficult sonata to play badly, let alone well. The last movement sounds deceptively easy (most of it anyway), but is quite a trial right from the very start, and requires a technique well beyond mine once you get to the pianissimo glissando octaves. Barenboim unifies this sonata is a way that no one else does. Whether you listen to Gary Graffman, Brendel, Arrau, Schnabel, the sonata sounds more like a series of connected exercises than a set of 3 movements, let alone the feeling I get with Barenboim of a single piece of music. His amazingly slow last movement is wonderful.

*Opus 54* - This 2-movement sonata, which sits like a small child between the giants of the Walstein and Appassionata, is played very very badly by most interpreters. The first movement tends to be very bangy if it isn't handled with care, and the second movement ends up sounding like one of Czerny's more musical exercises! Barenboim's ability to extend an impossibly long musical line is what makes this performance so much better than anyone else's. In the 2nd movement in particular, the line in some respects extends from the beginning all the way to the coda! It is really quite magic.

That will do for now.

EXCEPT...

I need to mention a recording which is outside your request, but is so much better than its rivals that it needs to be promoted: There are a few recordings of Beethoven's own transcription for Piano and Orchestra of the Violin Concerto in D Major, Opus 61. Most of these (in fact all but one that I have heard) sound like a pianist and orchestra playing a transcription of a violin concerto. That one exception is Daniel Barenboim directing the English Chamber Orchestra on DGG. It alone sounds like the work could have been written for Piano and Orchestra, so superbly is it portrayed. I actually like it almost as much as the Violin Concerto itself!

Cheers,
Warren in Sydney, Oz


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## Curiosity

Barenboim's playing just doesn't do it for me. Too slow and lethargic. I like Gulda and Brautigam.


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## warren

Weston said:


> Schiff's setting of the No. 8 "Pathetique" has the 1st movement repeat in the correct place, in my opinion, going all the back to what most people think is just the introduction. When Schiff does this it makes a great deal of sense and adds a whole extra dimension and pacing to the movement. I don't know if others do this, but I had never heard it that way until Schiff.


As far as I know, it was first done by Brendel. I think it is entirely wrong, both musically and theoretically. Had this been an early work of Beethoven or a work of Haydn or Clementi I would agree. But, by the time Beethoven wrote the Opus 13, he was already breaking many structural taboos, and was throwing his audiences off-guard with for instance unexpected modulations. The failure to resolve the exposition in a restatement of the introduction is exactly the type of thing that Beethoven would have done here to shock his audience. It seems unlikely to me that the generations of Czerny students who all repeated at the Allegro rather than the Grave opening, would have gone against Czerny's own experience of Beethoven's performances. Schiff's (some would say obscene) haste in the first movement of the Opus 27 No 2 also seems wrong to me, but at least it makes sense according to the actual score.

Cheers, Warren


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## Bix

Webernite said:


> I love Sviatoslav Richter, and I think he was an excellent Beethoven interpreter (better than Gilels, even). All of his recordings are worth listening to, not least his Op. 120, Op. 34 and Op. 35 variations.


very true


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## warren

Sebastien Melmoth said:


> I'm with you guys on most of these--Richter, Gilels, Kempff, Pollini...
> 
> However, the Schnabel thing eludes me.
> 
> Sure, he was the first to record all the Sonatas (on 78-RPM); even so, he plays too fast.
> (Have you ever seen old heavy 78s spinning on a turntable? It's s c a r y: looks like they could slice off a head if they became airborne!)
> 
> Brendel's first account of the complete cycle was good--he also played all the Variations, Bagatelles, etc. No small feat.


I'm with you regarding Schnabel. Whenever I listen , I REALLY want to like what I'm hearing, but it just aint so. I do find most of his speeds OK though, given the need to complete every wax recording in 3 minutes!!!. If that means playing a touch faster than I'd like, I'd do that too.

I agree with whoever said the mistakes might have been recording nerves. Karl Haas, one of his students, spoke glowingly of his precision in performance.

Also the one place where his speeds are completely off the rails is in the Opus 106 (Hammerklavier), but this was really not his fault - Beethoven gave metronome markings, but his metronome ran slow. This was only realised well after Schnabel's 3rd set of Beethoven sonata recordings. Others suspected as much and simply ignored the metronome marks, but Schnabel felt that Beethoven's wishes had to be obeyed.

Cheers, Warren


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## Klavierspieler

On the Hammerklavier, I actually prefer the quicker tempo used by Schnabel and, my personal favorite for the Beethoven Sonatas, András Schiff. No-one can, in my opinion, quite come close to Schiff's interpretations (except, of course, myself ).


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## annie

my playlist for the most popular ones is like this for a while:

8 gilels, kovacevich, rubinstein
12 perahia, gilels, lewis
14 a.fischer, lewis, rubinstein
15 perahia, gilels, lewis
17 gilels, kovacevich, lewis
21 arrau. lewis
23 richter, gilels, rubinstein
26 lewis, rubinstein
29 pollini, gilels
30 kempff, kovacevich
31 gilels, kempff
32 pollini, kempff


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## annie

Duke said:


> I need a tip about who plays the tempest sonata (17) part 3 best?
> 
> Really like that piece


you should try Clara Haskil, too


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## Klavierspieler

Duke said:


> I need a tip about who plays the tempest sonata (17) part 3 best?
> 
> Really like that piece


You should try András Schiff, he does a wonderful job with this piece.


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## kv466

Hey, if you can't 'get into' Gould that's okay...someone's gotta like poorly executed phrasing and fluctuating tempi; mediocrity and plain musicianship...for those of us who strive to find the best and can open our eyes to true expression and interpretation, we have Glenn.


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## Curiosity

Gould's good for those who like robotic playing from a guy who doesn't like Beethoven's music, sure.


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## itywltmt

About Gould - I like his set of Beethoven's piano variations a lot more tha his sonatas. I own an early CBC broadcast recording of the "Eroica Variations", where he (reportedly) was being given the "your time is up" wave from the control booth and he just "floors" the gas pedal on the last three. One of my favourite Gould recordings!

One name has not been mentioned (much) in this thread, and it's Rudolf Serkin. I like his Hammerklavier, and some of his work in the later sonatas. As for "Moonlight", Kempff is the best IMO.


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## Amfibius

I nearly choked on my coffee when I saw that someone actually _likes_ Gould playing Beethoven! It has been on my "rubbish" list for as long as I remember. He hated Beethoven, and simply does not have the range of emotions required to bring out all the different characters of Beethoven's music. Instead, we get the same old staccato that sounds as if he is plucking the feathers of a chicken one by one. One wonders why he even bothered recording the Beethoven sonatas when he is on record saying that he hated Beethoven.


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## itywltmt

Amfibius said:


> I nearly choked on my coffee when I saw that someone actually _likes_ Gould playing Beethoven! It has been on my "rubbish" list for as long as I remember. He hated Beethoven, and simply does not have the range of emotions required to bring out all the different characters of Beethoven's music. Instead, we get the same old staccato that sounds as if he is plucking the feathers of a chicken one by one. One wonders why he even bothered recording the Beethoven sonatas when he is on record saying that he hated Beethoven.


If you read my contribution to this thread, you will note I specifically said I liked his interpretation of the "variations", not necessarily the sonatas.

For the record, Gould made several recordings of Beethoven piano works, and many of them before 1964. This is significant for two reasons (1) most of these were done either for the CBC or with Canadian orchestras before he achieved international notoriety and (2) this is before Gould, shall we say, chose a more reclusive approach to life. I think as he stopped performing and chose a more "introspective" approach to his music, maybe he found more satisfaction in the works of Bach and Richard Strauss than in Beethoven.

Also of note: in the early 1970's, he provided a quite memorable performance of the Emperor concerto (you can find it on YouTube) for CBC television, with the Toronto SO and Karel Ancerl, replacing Michalengeli "a pied leve".

I will grant you that Gould is an acquired taste, but I think it's somewhat myopic to dismiss the entire Gould/Beethoven discography, and some of his perfiormances for CBC radio before 1954 are worth listening to. A Gould posessing all the pianistic power and not yet tainted by agoraphobia.

Chacun a son gout, mon ami.


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## annie

i'm with amfibius here. Beethoven is like a god to me and i have so many versions of his so many compositions that i listened to over and over but i accept being myopic . gould is ok for many baroque compositions but if you are mechanic with beethoven you'd better not try


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## itywltmt

I urge you to find a set of CDs issued by CBC records called "Gould The Young Maverick" featuring Gould playing all five Beethoven concertos, the variations I mentioned and playing some chamber works with other Canadian artists between 1952 and 1956 (?). Agreed this is not pro-forma Beethoven, but it is not the work of a "robotic pianist" either...

We can agree to disagree, and still remain on friendly terms, I hope...


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## Amfibius

Well I have not listened to the Variations by Gould that you allude to. I have to admit that I was so horrified by his sonatas that I dismissed him on the spot. That CD still sits unloved somewhere in my collection. I guess i'll have to hunt one of those performances down. 

Coming back on topic - people who I rate for Beethoven sonatas - Schnabel, Richter, Gilels, and Arrau. I am not too impressed with Paul Lewis - to me he sounds like Brendel on sleeping pills  I have to keep listening, because I paid a lot of money for those discs!!


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## annie

itywltmt said:


> I urge you to find a set of CDs issued by CBC records called "Gould The Young Maverick" featuring Gould playing all five Beethoven concertos, the variations I mentioned and playing some chamber works with other Canadian artists between 1952 and 1956 (?). Agreed this is not pro-forma Beethoven, but it is not the work of a "robotic pianist" either...
> 
> We can agree to disagree, and still remain on friendly terms, I hope...


don't urge me ). i have a set of gould/beethoven concertos with bernstein, golschmann, stokowski. i have almost 50 complete sets of beethoven's 5 piano concertos....a lot more of 4th and 5th . that's my specialty...kind of


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## annie

Amfibius said:


> Well I have not listened to the Variations by Gould that you allude to. I have to admit that I was so horrified by his sonatas that I dismissed him on the spot. That CD still sits unloved somewhere in my collection. I guess i'll have to hunt one of those performances down.
> 
> Coming back on topic - people who I rate for Beethoven sonatas - Schnabel, Richter, Gilels, and Arrau. I am not too impressed with Paul Lewis - to me he sounds like Brendel on sleeping pills  I have to keep listening, because I paid a lot of money for those discs!!


i wish gilels sounded like lewis ....sound-wise


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## Webernite

Gould's Beethoven is variable, but he made quite a few good recordings, not just of the variation sets but of the bagatelles and certain sonata movements. Like kv466, I'm attracted to a straightforward playing style with a firm sense of tempo, and I don't think it's necessarily the wrong approach in Beethoven. (That said, I don't quite understand kv466's love of Earl Wild; he should try listening to Friedrich Gulda or Anatoly Vedernikov if he likes Gould-ish playing.)


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## itywltmt

Amfibius said:


> Well I have not listened to the Variations by Gould that you allude to. I have to admit that I was so horrified by his sonatas that I dismissed him on the spot. That CD still sits unloved somewhere in my collection. I guess i'll have to hunt one of those performances down.


Not to kick a dead horse... I own a recording of Gould playing Mozart sonatas (I reported this on a thread about "my worst record" a few weeks back) and he butchers the "Turkish Rondo" sonata by playing it "his way". So, I know he can disappoint as much as he can delight. Just saying I haven't drunk the whole vat of kool-aid...


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## Webernite

annie said:


> don't urge me ). i have a set of gould/beethoven concertos with bernstein, golschmann, stokowski. i have almost 50 complete sets of beethoven's 5 piano concertos....a lot more of 4th and 5th . that's my specialty...kind of


Annie, do you not find Gould's playing of the first movement of the Piano Concerto No. 2 quite characterful and propulsive?

There's a video here, for those who don't own the CD:


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## annie

Webernite said:


> Gould's Beethoven is variable, but he made quite a few good recordings, not just of the variation sets but of the bagatelles and certain sonata movements. Like kv466, I'm attracted to a straightforward playing style with a firm sense of tempo, and I don't think it's necessarily the wrong approach in Beethoven. (That said, I don't quite understand kv466's love of Earl Wild; he should try listening to Friedrich Gulda or Anatoly Vedernikov if he likes Gould-ish playing.)


yes, that "firm sense of tempo" is what i meant by mechanic. after the second concerto i won't agree that "playing style". it's too superficial for beethoven...for me that is of course


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## annie

Webernite said:


> Annie, do you not find Gould's playing of the first movement of the Piano Concerto No. 2 quite characterful and propulsive?
> 
> There's a video here, for those who don't own the CD:


nice timing . i wanted to highlight that after 1799 you can't play beethoven like gould ....for the first two concertos i wouldn't mind his "style". you can't perform 4th like he did... you just shouldn't


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## smoledman

Op. 13, 27 No. 2, 57 - Serkin
Op 90, 101, 106 - John O'Conor
Op. 109-110 - Helene Grimaud


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## Pestouille

Hello!
Being new in the forum, I am quite wondering why certain names do not show up as they should.

The first one being Claudio Arrau. Arrau has an inner vision of Beethoven which is tremendous, dark and powerfull. One of the Alpha & Omega of Beethoven, the second one being Gilels. Comparing those 2 to Gould, there's a world between the fluidity of an Arrau and the much too mechanical approach of Gould.

Other names are missing like Maria Yudina:








Ivan Moravec:








Hans Richter-Haaser:








Friederich Gulda:








And a lot of others.... Brendel with 3 cycles, Uchida, Ginzburg, Backhaus...


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## jalex

Another name not showing up often enough is Kovacevich. His playing of the last three sonatas is the best I've heard.


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## kv466

annie said:


> don't urge me ). i have a set of gould/beethoven concertos with bernstein, golschmann, stokowski. i have almost 50 complete sets of beethoven's 5 piano concertos....a lot more of 4th and 5th . that's my specialty...kind of


Ok, so which out of those 50 or so is your favorite then? Please tell as I could break down every note of every second of each of these concertos and clearly show you how the set you have mentioned is better in every way than any of the others.


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## kv466

Sonata no.18 in e-flat, 'The Hunt' by Glenn Gould; that and half a dozen others.

I would be extremely curious to hear what one thinks is better.


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## Vaneyes

kv466 said:


> Sonata no.18 in e-flat, 'The Hunt' by Glenn Gould; that and half a dozen others.
> 
> I would be extremely curious to hear what one thinks is better.


Don't back me into a corner.

View attachment 3361


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## misterjones

Sticking with Gould for the moment, are his recordings of Beethoven's piano sonatas included in the Complete Original Jackets Collection considered Gould's best (or most interesting) readings of the Beethoven piano sonatas? I see all the sonatas are not in that collection, though the Glenn Gould Edition CDs include all 32 (suggesting the ones left out of the COJC might be inferior).

I'm looking for responses from those who like Gould for the most part (like I do). "They all suck" doesn't help me much.


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## smoledman

What does anyone here think of John O'Conor's complete set? Personally I love his Opus 106.


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## misterjones

"Me first!" he said, trying to stretch his post out to the required 10 charatcers.


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## kv466

annie said:


> nice timing . i wanted to highlight that after 1799 you can't play beethoven like gould ....for the first two concertos i wouldn't mind his "style". you can't perform 4th like he did... you just shouldn't


Wow, are we really talking about Glenn and Leonard's g major concerto? 'You just shouldn't' what? Play it with such elegance and grace that nothing else can even come close in beauty. Play the cadenza with supreme mastery and flawless execution? Hmmm, I'm sorry but that is exactly what I look for in music and truly don't give a rat's caboose what the great maestro wrote and countless other pianists have recorded over and over. Said it before and I'll say it again: I do not have a problem with accepting and listening to greatness.

Now to what Misterjones was talking about,...the Glenn Gould Edition does not contain all of Beethoven's sonatas as he did not record them all. If so then please direct me to them as I've been dying to hear him play the Waldstein more than half my life. Anyway, it really just depends on what you like. Most people I have ever encountered consider something like his 23rd sonata interpretation to be something of a sin or an outrage. I find it to be the only version I can tolerate as just about every other interpreter hacks and chops up the first movement,...plays the second movement harshly and inconsiderately and practically has no idea what the third movement should even sound like or how to truly make it work. That and fluctuating tempos all over the place and lovely phrases not even being played in a sensible manner. Same goes for the Tempest for me, too. That third movement, in the hands of even the best master, sounds like it's being played like a first year student with not even a hint of natural talent; to me, of course.

The e-flat sonata 13 is yet another example of just how well this man understood Beethoven, regardless of what was written on the page.


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## misterjones

Yes. I see my mistake now. The Glenn Gould Edition superficially appears to be a complete set, but it in fact only contains the ones in the COJC. I appreciate the insights into his recordings, however.

Odd that he never recorded them all, as most (all?) of the major pianists seem to want to lay down one or more complete sets of the sonatas. Perhaps the other sonatas bored Gould for one reason or another. He strikes me as the type of person who did what he felt like doing despite what the public and/or record company executives wanted.

The above makes me wonder all of a sudden if there are any Glenn Gould bootlegs floating about.


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## Vaneyes

Would've been nice if Gilels had finished up. Of course, there was no hope for Richter finishing. On the other hand, we have some completes that didn't need to be.


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## Stargazer

Well, the only one that I feel really strongly about, recording wise, is his Sonata #31. It's my favorite of his piano sonatas, and there's a particular recording I have that I love so much more than the rest. It's performed by Donald Betts (link below), and I personally prefer it much more than the recordings by some of the bigger names out there. May not be the best, but it's the best for me . And the best part is it's free of charge!

http://musopen.org/music/piece/182


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## NightHawk

The repeat back to the slow intro of the first movement is arguable, I believe - the dotted-rhythm, _Grave_ material shows up 3x's throughout the 1st movement, and in unusual places (if you count a compete return to the beginning of the _Grave_ as one of the occurrences), the second is before the Development and the third is a short reminiscence just before the Coda. In this way Beethoven is being consistent as Intro material is seldom heard again in sonata first movements, and in so pronounced a manner. Also, it is well known that Beethoven was an indefatigable stickler for accurate printing of his intentions when dealing with his publishers. The 1st ending flows so rightly back to the slow intro that I was convinced the first time I heard it performed in that way.

In all fairness to your opinion, however, the movement, does work perfectly with the traditional sonata repeat (to the beginning of the Allegro/theme 1), and perhaps a couple of dots could escape even Beethoven's eagle eye attentions. I certainly realize that most pianists perform it in this manner. 
best, nh



warren said:


> As far as I know, it was first done by Brendel. I think it is entirely wrong, both musically and theoretically. Had this been an early work of Beethoven or a work of Haydn or Clementi I would agree. But, by the time Beethoven wrote the Opus 13, he was already breaking many structural taboos, and was throwing his audiences off-guard with for instance unexpected modulations. The failure to resolve the exposition in a restatement of the introduction is exactly the type of thing that Beethoven would have done here to shock his audience. It seems unlikely to me that the generations of Czerny students who all repeated at the Allegro rather than the Grave opening, would have gone against Czerny's own experience of Beethoven's performances. Schiff's (some would say obscene) haste in the first movement of the Opus 27 No 2 also seems wrong to me, but at least it makes sense according to the actual score.
> 
> Cheers, Warren


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## misterjones

I find myself enjoying Gould's renditions of the piano sonatas immensely . . . more than any other pianist I've heard so far. I understand the position of the purists who believe the sonatas should be approached in a less cavalier manner, even though I'm not hearing a lot of liberties being taken by Gould. Perhaps I just don't see them because I approach music from more of a jazz perspective, where creative interpretations of music are not only accepted but encouraged.


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## kv466

^^ Amen!



I've been really into the e-minor sonata no.27, op.90 lately. Trying to find just the right one. Favorite thus far is Gulda's.


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## alexc

Here's the best of Beethoven Sonatas! incredible deal on new complete Beethoven piano sonatas recording

http://itunes.apple.com/us/preorder/beethoven-complete-piano-sonatas/id525810495
Only $9.99 for all of the Beethoven piano sonatas! It's a new recording played by HJ Lim, released by EMI Classics

Here's a video of her as well (there's a bunch more on YouTube):


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## mensch

I'm extremely fond of the Paul Lewis collection of complete sonatas. The recording is crystalline and top notch as well, which also helps. I feel that Lewis is at its best at the more lyrical of the Sonatas, the No. 15 ("Pastorale") being a prime example. Lewis often gives Beethoven a more Romantic treatment which I really enjoy.

A common remark is that he has a hard time with the technically difficult No. 29 ("Hammerklavier"), so I'm currently in the process of listening to the cycle Alfred Brendel recorded for Decca.

Brendel often has these witty touches in his playing which he maintains even throughout the demanding No. 29. So I concur with assessment of Lewis struggling a bit with the piece and I find Brendel's recording of the Sonata better.


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## moody

scytheavatar said:


> In Schnabel's days, he had the reputation of being a boring old man who cares too much about playing everything neatly..... it's sad that we no longer live in those times and people nowadays care more about everything being played correctly than being played with fire and passion.


I don't know where you got this from because it is utterly untrue, have you listened to Schnabel?


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## moody

kv466 said:


> Hey, if you can't 'get into' Gould that's okay...someone's gotta like poorly executed phrasing and fluctuating tempi; mediocrity and plain musicianship...for those of us who strive to find the best and can open our eyes to true expression and interpretation, we have Glenn.


Please don't start the Gould thing up again, we've just dragged ourselves through it at excruciating length.


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## moody

THIS FOR SCYTHEAVATAR.

Arthur Schnabel was a pupil of the great Theodor Leschetizky, part of a class that included Gabrilowitsch and Mark Hambourg. He was taught musical theory by Eusebius Mandyezewsky a good friend of Brahms.
As a pianist he achieved international fame first as interpreter of Schubert, Schumann and Brahms. Also as one of the greatest exponents of Beethoven and Mozart, many of whose concertii he restored to the repertoire.

What makes Schnabel's playing still powerful and influential is its thoroughness of study, intensity of commitment and profundity of insight------and the vitality and daring with which these qualities are realised at the keyboard .
DAVID HAMILTON.

Schnabel in the greater Beethoven begins where other pianists leave off. What is his secret? There is a saying to the effect that Schnabel is a great interpreter of Beethoven rather than a technically great pianist. It is a stupid saying---as though a pianist could get anywhere near an "interpretation" of the Op.106 without a consummate technique. As he plays this work you know that this is the mind of a man that reaches as far as thought and feeling will ever reach.
NEVILLE CARDUS.

It sounds as if Warren is as fixated on Barenboim as KV 466 is on Gould.

I think that Horowitz' RCA 1960 recording of the Appassionata is the most arresting version I've heard.
My favourite Hammerklaviers are those by Charles Rosen and Egon Petri.
But for the sonatas in general the following pianists are are all great and legendary performers .
Elly Ney, Wilhelm Backhaus, Egon Petri, Artur Schnabel, Annie Fischer, Denis Matthews, Yves Nat, Robert Casadesus, and Edwin Fischer.


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## Vaneyes

Like many here, I've heard a lot of LvB Piano Sonata recs. Probably unlike most, I've culled a lot of what I've bought.

I won't presume what's the *best*. The list below is what I like the most...so far. Feltsman was the latest acquisition, and on probation for a while. But, I finally decided some of his slower tempi were convincing enough...for the time being. Note: All the Schiff listings are ECM.

Wading carefully in Kv466 waters, I think GG does a splendid job on big guns 8, 14, 23. Note: Kitty has escaped from the corner and gone for Goode (for 18).

Sidenote: Schnabel is the real deal. In LvB's stringent moments, a bonafide chance-taker who gloriously pulls it of virtually all the time. Gulda, then Gould, for honorably-mentioned risk-takers.

1 - 3 Pollini, Richter (3)
4 Richter, Sokolov
5 - 8 Pollini, Gould (8), Gilels (8), Gelber (8), Gulda (8)
9 - 11 Schiff
12 - 15 Schiff, Gould (14), Gelber (14), Gulda (15)
16 - 18 Goode
19 - 20 Schiff
21 Gilels, Gulda
22 - 26 Schiff, Gulda (22), Gould (23), Gilels (23)
27 Richter, Gilels
28 - 32 Pollini, Sokolov (28), Horowitz (28), Michelangeli (32), Gilels (28, 30, 31), Feltsman (30 - 32)


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## Amfibius

mensch said:


> I'm extremely fond of the Paul Lewis collection of complete sonatas.


Sorry, but I find Lewis and Brendel to be utterly boring. I was discussing Lewis with a few friends - the consensus was - why bother recording a new Beethoven piano sonata cycle if you are going to say nothing? Lewis goes through the motions. It's all clean, but lacking in originality, excitement, or insight. There is nothing bad about it, but nothing good either.


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## Hausmusik

Amphibius, I agree with you about Lewis (sorry, mensch!). But I like quite a bit of the Beethoven Brendel has recorded over the years, and I love his Schubert, Haydn and Mozart.


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## Alydon

Having been in search all my life of the best recording (if there is such a thing possible) of the Hammerklavier, my final choice would have to be Brendel's live 1995 recording from Philips, followed Gilels on DG. Of course, the choice will never be over as new recordings and reissues come up all the time. I would also choose Brendel in the Waldstein as with most of the other sonatas, all on his latest Philips complete cycle.

I don't dismiss Gould lightly, as his was a uniquie musical mind - but he just doesn't cut it in Beethoven for me, and Schnabel is interesting from a historic point of view - but all those wrong notes! - come on! As to some other suggestions, Pollini is a good bet in most of the named sonatas and for a fresh approach and bang up to date recording, Paul Lewis' cycle is a good investment.

As to some of the outsiders who pull off the greatest one - off performances, I would name Rudolf Serkin's last concert of the last three sonatas as a high point in what is possible on a spiritual level and for sheer musical perception Kempff gets to the mystery of the Moonlight and Tempest sonatas. 

For a furthur thought on the Hammerklavier issue, there is an interesting contender in Edith Vogel, whose 1977 Concert Hall, Broadcasting House recording available on a BBC Music CD nearly has first place for me - do try and hear it, you really will be amazed - and as a last suggestion Myra Hess in the 'Appassionata' is also well worth searching out.


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## moody

Alydon said:


> Having been in search all my life of the best recording (if there is such a thing possible) of the Hammerklavier, my final choice would have to be Brendel's live 1995 recording from Philips, followed Gilels on DG. Of course, the choice will never be over as new recordings and reissues come up all the time. I would also choose Brendel in the Waldstein as with most of the other sonatas, all on his latest Philips complete cycle.
> 
> I don't dismiss Gould lightly, as his was a uniquie musical mind - but he just doesn't cut it in Beethoven for me, and Schnabel is interesting from a historic point of view - but all those wrong notes! - come on! As to some other suggestions, Pollini is a good bet in most of the named sonatas and for a fresh approach and bang up to date recording, Paul Lewis' cycle is a good investment.
> 
> As to some of the outsiders who pull off the greatest one - off performances, I would name Rudolf Serkin's last concert of the last three sonatas as a high point in what is possible on a spiritual level and for sheer musical perception Kempff gets to the mystery of the Moonlight and Tempest sonatas.
> 
> For a furthur thought on the Hammerklavier issue, there is an interesting contender in Edith Vogel, whose 1977 Concert Hall, Broadcasting House recording available on a BBC Music CD nearly has first place for me - do try and hear it, you really will be amazed - and as a last suggestion Myra Hess in the 'Appassionata' is also well worth searching out.


"In his public appearances and even in his recordings (done of course in pre-LP dayswhen there was no such thing as tape splices, there were places Schnabel's fingers were painfully extended, pianistic holes there were in plenty.
But those who are pedantic enough to judge a pianist only by his wrong notes entirely miss the essence of Schnabel . The magnitude of his creative accomplishments left technical considerations far behind. his Beethoven has incomparable style,intellectual strength and phrasing of aristocratic poetry. The important thing was even when when his fingers failed him, his mind never did. and when Schnabel had his fingers under control, which was more often than not, he took his listeners to an exalted level." Harold C. Schonberg, "The Great Pianists".
I have now fowarded two posts including opinions by fairly exalted commentators, do you merely discount anything that fails to fit into your preconceived opinion? I wonder how you explain the opinions of other pianists, the critics and the public over the last ddecades? Have you noted how many re-issues of Schnabel are available?
You presumably have an even bigger problem with Cortot's Chopin and wrong notes.
What I think you should try to do is to listen to the music making and don't worry about a few wrong notes or the age of the recording. In my opinion if you think that Lewis' Beethoven is particularly exalted you have a slight problem.
When did Rudolf Serkin become an outsider, his Beethoven was extremely exalted.?
I once was at a George Bolet concert when he got completely lost in the middle of the Liszt sonata and he was a fearsome technician.
Lastly I hope you are not a fan of Maria Callas--not much actual technique there I fear.


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## Moira

Amfibius said:


> Sorry, but I find Lewis and Brendel to be utterly boring. I was discussing Lewis with a few friends - the consensus was - why bother recording a new Beethoven piano sonata cycle if you are going to say nothing? Lewis goes through the motions. It's all clean, but lacking in originality, excitement, or insight. There is nothing bad about it, but nothing good either.


This is a perfect recording for people wishing to know what the sonata actually sounds like.


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## mensch

Amfibius said:


> Sorry, but I find Lewis and Brendel to be utterly boring. I was discussing Lewis with a few friends - the consensus was - why bother recording a new Beethoven piano sonata cycle if you are going to say nothing? Lewis goes through the motions. It's all clean, but lacking in originality, excitement, or insight. There is nothing bad about it, but nothing good either.


I've heard that criticism of Lewis before, see this rather scathing review. Regarding the Beethoven Sonatas I haven't got much comparison material except from the Lewis cycle and the Brendel one, as I've listened to them both rather extensively. Brendel does add some, almost classical, touches to the works, which aren't present in the renditions of Lewis. I rather like the latter's smooth, lyrical playing.

As for the excitement I have to disagree on that, I always come back to the No. 15 or No. 25 because of his playing. About the insight and originality, I'm not sure, due to the aforementioned lack of comparative material. I believe Lewis is from the same school as Brendel, having studied under him, who believes in turn that the pianist should respect the composers wishes in favour of virtuoso flourishes.

But what would you consider the best recording of the sonatas? I've read that you prefer Schnabel, Richter, Gilels or Arrau. I would be happen to listen some of their interpretations as a comparison. That said, I must admit I'm not a great fan of Richter's playing, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.


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## Alydon

I think the word 'recordings' is the key here. Of course, Schnabel was a master pianist and his was the first complete cycle - a groundbreaking achievement for the time and as a mentor and teacher he was, and always will be respected. My view has always been that the problem with older recordings when editing wasn't available that on repeated listening you always expect that wrong note or faulty passage work which can spoilt, or frankly just be plain irritating - I do have a problem with Cortot in so far as some of his recordings are so dreadful they should never have been released - and despite all the old chestnuts about poetry and fire shouldn't a half decent professional pianist be able to hit some of the right notes? Times move on and as recording techniques have improved over the years, so has pianistic technique - this isn't taking anything away from Schnabel et al, but then again we don't take photographs with a box camera anymore. I have just listened to a couple of CDs from the complete Schnabel Beethoven cycle, and yes, there is poetry and a fluid sense of line which is refreshing when listened to ocassionally and in the proper historic context.
Rudolf Serkin has never been an outsider, but his last concert of the last three Beethoven sonatas is an outside choice, one many might not be aware of, or put in the top rank of recordings of these pieces. There will never be any definitives as the musical world and recording is ever changing, which makes discussion so interesting.


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## Ukko

For many years I purchased new recordings of Beethoven's sonatas as they became available, and was sometimes pleased. Then I decided to 'survey' the recordings, listening to the sonatas in chronological order, played by every pianist I could locate a recording by. The results were revelatory.

The survey only got to the Opus 31s before running out of gas -that's a lot of repetitive listening - but there was a consistency that made further investigation superfluous: Gilels, Richter and Schnabel _always_ 'breathed life into' the works. Brendel was always interesting; Kuerti made the majority of them work, with unusual tempos.

Some pianists have made outstanding recorded interpretations of particular sonatas. Michelangeli - Op.2/3, Cziffra - Op. 53, Webster - Op. 106, for instance. Those are in a different category though: 'one offs', or maybe 'a few offs'.

And now I'm off.

[Yeah, yeah I know - in more ways than one.]


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## kv466

While many people buy all kinds of 'things', I primarily buy only musical equipment recorded music. If I need a new pair of shoes I'll go get 'em but not make a big deal out of them. Beethoven Sonata Cycles, on the other hand, I buy as much as science buys ruby red shoes!

The most recent is unfortunately not yet offered as a whole and is in volumes but I am anxiously awaiting the following installments.










It's not 'the best', but very worth listening to...this guy plays Debussy nice, too.

Thing is, there is probably only one pianist can play more than one Beethoven sonata in a way I consider to be perfect and so for the most part I'm going to have a different favorite pianist for each single sonata. These being among my all-time top favorite works not only for piano but in general, I give everyone a chance...I gave this other Chandos release a chance and it it a beauty.


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## Ukko

kv466 said:


> [...]
> Thing is, there is probably only one pianist can play more than one Beethoven sonata in a way I consider to be perfect and so for the most part I'm going to have a different favorite pianist for each single sonata. These being among my all-time top favorite works not only for piano but in general, I give everyone a chance...I gave this other Chandos release a chance and it it a beauty.


Lortie's Beethoven ranges from mediocre to OK+. Bavouzet, I am waiting for him to 'shake out'. I thought Freddie Kempf was going to get there, and he didn't, A piano-nut friend is very high on Grosvenor, I am not.

And I don't know what it is that is missing; damn.


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## Alydon

I'd like to add one recording which I have admired above many and like to share - No 4 op 7 - played by A B Michelangeli, now available on DG 'The Originals' - it's worth catching the live performance on a live BBC CD, but there is something very special about his first 1975 recording.


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## kv466

Hilltroll72 said:


> Lortie's Beethoven ranges from mediocre to OK+.


I know, but that's what I think of everyone! You know how I operate when it comes to these particular pieces. I have to literally separate myself and simply enjoy the notes I know and love so much, almost completely ignoring whatever so-called 'master' happens to be playing them. They are only truly perfect in my mind.


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## Ukko

kv466 said:


> I know, but that's what I think of everyone! You know how I operate when it comes to these particular pieces. I have to literally separate myself and simply enjoy the notes I know and love so much, almost completely ignoring whatever so-called 'master' happens to be playing them. They are only truly perfect in my mind.


Jeez, I wish I could do that. My mind retains only a few sequences of notes and some qualities of sound in orchestrations. The details go away. If I wait a couple years between hearings, the really great recordings of the really great music are close enough to 'new' that I am carried away again. But you don't have to wait; you are blessed, Mikey.


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## Muddy

Couchie said:


> Arrau blows Gould's Hammerklavier so far out of the water it is so far out of the water.
> 
> Also the silences aren't filled with incessant tuneless muttering.


I agree. Arrau absolutely nails the Hammerklavier. For me, the slow movement is the test. Arrau seems to truly get to the heart of that great movement-one of the greatest slow movements in all of music. Arrau's tempos are perfect, the movement is a heartbreaking journey ending in numbing exhaustion. Perfection.


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## Bradius

Thanks AlecC for the HJ Lim info. 
Wow! Great deal. I just downloaded it. 
And, as a bonus - she's hot


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## Hausmusik

Confining myself to recordings in "modern" sound:

Overall cycle, Gulda's my man, though he sometimes is too manic in his tempi (cf. the Tempest).

For the last 5 sonatas, its Arrau (though Pollini, Schiff, and, yes, Eschenbach--among others--have interesting things to say in these sonatas as well; I'll never stop seeking out recordings of these inexhaustible works).

For Opp. 2 & 31, it's Brendel (digital).

For Opp. 10, 13 & 14 it's Schiff.


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## Novelette

Hausmusik, I definitely agree about Op. 31 with Brendel.

Gulda was a phenomenal pianist, and there's virtually no recording of his that I disliked, even if not my favored performances. And is it any wonder that he believed so much in Argerich, quite a perceptive appraisal, there.

Still, Barenboim has some good moments. His performance of 32 is quite good.


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## KenOC

For me, mostly Schiff or Gilels. Gulda is excellent except when he becomes a bit too enthusiastic... Lewis I have to listen to more.

I have the stereo Kempff and find it quite fine. A compendium of comments FWIW:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/sy...ZP1D2U2Q1EK/ref=cm_sylt_byauthor_title_full_5


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## Novelette

I'm not familiar with the recording by Gilels.

The Schiff performances I've heard a few times, but they weren't particularly memorable at the time. I might also have to revisit them. A vote from Hausmusik and KenOC is high praise indeed.


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## Nevohteeb

I love Rudolf Serkin's interpretations of the Beethoven Sonatas. Although Rudi, wasn't fond of recording, it was a struggle to get him in there, and he didn't record all 32. My favourites are, #21, 26; 29; 30; 31; & 32. I used to write him, every Christmas, and birthday, and beg him to record the last 3 sonatas.Finally, in '88 or '89, he did. My favourites of the 21st century, are the last sonatas, with Mitsuko Uchida. She makes them sound like, brand new, never heard before, works. She is absolutely superlative.


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## maestro57

I think Vladimir Ashkenazy does all of the sonatas best. He's definitely my favourite Beethoven interpreter.


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