# Best Mozart Fortepiano Sonata Set?



## SalieriIsInnocent

I'm looking for a fortepiano set of Mozart's sonatas. It should have good sound, and should be well played. 

I like what I've sampled of Brautigam's set, but I don't know if I care for the reverb. Might sound better on the actual cds. 

I like Staier's performances and the sound, but I don't want the added improvisation. 

It has to be on a fortepiano, preferably from Mozart's time or modeled after one from his time.


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## Chordalrock

If you want it to actually sound like it's from Mozart's time, there's probably not much else available than the Schoonderwoerd. The Brautigam and the Bezuidenhout sets seem like compromises, where they decided to use period pianos but not as primitive as Mozart's (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Schoonderwoerd uses some embellishments on repeats, but they don't seem particularly intrusive compared to those of some other pianists (from what little I've listened anyway).

The Bezuidenhout seems mostly very nice, but again there are embellishments on repeats. Still, I probably like this considerably more than the Brautigam (should listen to them more before judging though).

There's an album by Andras Schiff from 1992 that has some solo piano Mozart played on a very nice sounding period piano that might be worth checking out. I don't recall whether he embellishes repeats.


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## Bulldog

I've always enjoyed Bilson's recordings on Hungaroton.


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## Pugg

SalieriIsInnocent said:


> I'm looking for a fortepiano set of Mozart's sonatas. It should have good sound, and should be well played.
> 
> I like what I've sampled of Brautigam's set, but I don't know if I care for the reverb. Might sound better on the actual cds.
> 
> I like Staier's performances and the sound, but I don't want the added improvisation.
> 
> It has to be on a fortepiano, preferably from Mozart's time or modeled after one from his time.


As far as I know this set had raving reviews all over the world


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## Triplets

The Brautigan set is outstanding. I don't detect excessive reverberation, just Hall resonance.


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## chesapeake bay

I just stumbled upon this set. it has excellent recorded sound and the playing is excellent as well.


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## Triplets

chesapeake bay said:


> I just stumbled upon this set. it has excellent recorded sound and the playing is excellent as well.
> 
> View attachment 84391


 I stumble on a lot of music. My wife is always on me to pick up the CDs. Just yesterday I accidentally kicked a Bergland Sibelius Symphony Set halfway to Finland.
Is that Levin a complete set?


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## chesapeake bay

Triplets said:


> I stumble on a lot of music. My wife is always on me to pick up the CDs. Just yesterday I accidentally kicked a Bergland Sibelius Symphony Set halfway to Finland.
> Is that Levin a complete set?


thats pretty funny lol.

This is supposed to be a set (this is vol 1) though this one was released in 2006 and I don't see any other volumes available. However he does embelish the repeats and cadenza's so maybe not the one for the original poster.


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## Heliogabo

Bart van Oort in Brilliant Classics. He recorded all of the piano works by Mozart in period instruments, but there's a sonatas edition too. Very good indeed.


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## SalieriIsInnocent

All great suggestions. It's going to be tough to chose just one.


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## Pugg

SalieriIsInnocent said:


> All great suggestions. It's going to be tough to chose just one.


Tossing a coin perhaps ?


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## premont

Heliogabo said:


> *Bart van Oort *in Brilliant Classics. He recorded all of the piano works by Mozart in period instruments, but there's a sonatas edition too. Very good indeed.


Yes, he is my favorite together with *Badura-Skoda*.

Brautigam's set must be warned against. He is utterly unrefined and kills Mozart's delicate music.


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## SalieriIsInnocent

Pugg said:


> Tossing a coin perhaps ?


I think for now, I'll randomly choose one, but will get others down the road. Sometimes you need more than 5 recordings.


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## Pugg

premont said:


> Yes, he is my favorite together with *Badura-Skoda*.
> 
> Brautigam's set must be warned against. He is utterly unrefined and kills Mozart's delicate music.


According to whom?


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## premont

Pugg said:


> According to whom?


According to me , of course.


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## SalieriIsInnocent

I've never heard a Brautigam performance that I didn't like.


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## Pugg

premont said:


> According to me , of course.


Enough said..... and no, it has nothing to do he's being Dutch


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## premont

Pugg said:


> Enough said..... and no, it has nothing to do he's being Dutch


Of course not. There are a lot of great Dutch pianists playing pianoforte, e.g. van Oort and Paul Komen


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## Ukko

Badura-Skoda and van Oort can be regarded as 'old reliables' by now.


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## DarkAngel

Brautigam is fabulous comprehensive set with all rondos, variations etc for total of 10 Cds with excellent detailed sound for BIS label. Never fails to capture the sprung rhythms and imagination in these works, and his instrument is a fine replica of Anton Walter fortepiano Mozart himself later used, sounds great with nice rich tone, sells for reduced price boxset



The recently completed Bezuidenhout set for HM is also really great for the same reasons as Brautigam, perhaps best to wait for a boxset in the future since it is costly to buy each CD release, I love this set also


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## Vittorio

I've got them all. Badura-Skoda is on fortepiano what Ingrid Haebler (Denon) is on a modern grand. Perfect balance, brilliance and XVIII C.'s unemotional, symmetric panache. Maestro Bilson's playing is O.K., but he's once again betrayed by a poor sound engeneering, as he was on Gardiner's PCs. Brautigam is to be warned about; I usually like the white moptop guy's playing, but his Mozart PS cycle on BIS is plagued with a lot of undesirable reverberance; another victim of bad engeneering. As for van Oort..., well, just take a listen to his Alla Turca. Not only in a rush, but it also seems that this dude has never attended a military parade. He's uncapable of keeping a regular, steady marching step. Don't ever dare let him come close to a janissary piano...!


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## Kjetil Heggelund

I'm very happy with both Brautigam and Bezuidenhout. Didn't know that Robert Levin or Andreas Staier had recorded Mozart sonatas, so I'll check out those


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## Vittorio

I've got them all. Badura-Skoda is on fortepiano what Ingrid Haebler (Denon) is on a modern grand. Perfect balance, brilliance and XVIII C.'s unemotional, symmetric panache. Maestro Bilson's playing is O.K., but he's once again betrayed by a poor sound engeneering, as he was on Gardiner's PCs. Brautigam is to be warned about; I usually like the white moptop guy's playing, but his Mozart PS cycle on BIS is plagued with a lot of undesirable reverberance; another victim of bad engeneering. As for van Oort..., well, just take a listen to his Alla Turca. Not only in a rush, but it also seems that this dude has never attended a military parade. He's uncapable of keeping a regular, steady marching step. Don't ever dare let him come close to a janissary piano...!


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## Pugg

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> I'm very happy with both Brautigam and Bezuidenhout. Didn't know that Robert Levin or Andreas Staier had recorded Mozart sonatas, so I'll check out those


If my memory serves me right the Levin are very hard to get / buy.


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## Mandryka

Has anyone heard Siegbert Rampe's Mozart set?


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## Pugg

Mandryka said:


> Has anyone heard Siegbert Rampe's Mozart set?


Isn't that the one using :harpsichord, clavichord, pianoforte and tangent piano ?


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## hpowders

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> I'm very happy with both Brautigam and Bezuidenhout. Didn't know that Robert Levin or Andreas Staier had recorded Mozart sonatas, so I'll check out those


Check out Alexi Lubimov too! Wonderful! Complete! Erato!


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## hpowders

SalieriIsInnocent said:


> I've never heard a Brautigam performance that I didn't like.


Neither has his mother.


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## hpowders

I just received the complete Mozart Fortepiano Sonata set with Brautigam.

I played through two of the six CDs. Some observations:

The finest sounding fortepiano I have ever heard. Always in tune.

Performances are delightful and infectious

All repeats taken...I mean ALL of them!

Unfortunately Brautigam does not ornament the repeats, creating dullness the second time around.

If he didn't wish to embellish, he simply should have chosen to play first repeats only, limiting his "crime" to a more acceptable level.

If none of that bothers you, then you will not find more irresistible performances of Mozart on fortepiano than what I am currently hearing from Ronald Brautigam.


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## gardibolt

I adore Brautigam's Beethoven recordings, but I can't say that I've ever heard his Mozart. Seems worth checking out.


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## wkasimer

My personal favorite HIP set is the Finlandia set played by Tuija Hakkila, much more extrovert than Lubimov or Brautigam:









The six CD's are also available individually, but are just as OOP and hard to find.


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## DarkAngel

A 2CD set of sonatas, rondos etc by Immerseel thats sounds really great to me with a rich warm forte piano sound (1988 Clarke fortepiano replica) , a nice supplement to Brautigam comprehensive 10CD survey and new Bezuidenhout set.....cheap used at Amazon USA


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