Make your own Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycle

[DavidW]

I also mentioned Wilhelm, no?

Doesn't count because you mentioned Arrau with more frequency, and Arrau is an inferior pianist.  It just nullified your entire post.

[Holden Fourth]

Here's my set: It will be amended as I listen to more recordings. Annie Fischer's complete set is travelling with me (on MP3) while I'm here on holiday and I'm starting to enjoy it more and more.

1 Annie Fischer
2 Hans Richter-Haaser
3 Solomon
4 Brendel (VOX)
5 Schnabel
6 Richter
7 Casadesus
8 Richter
9 Richter
10 Richter
11 Schnabel
12 Richter
13 Schnabel
14 Solomon (APR)
15 Barenboim (EMI)
16 Rosita Renard
17 Richter and Hungerford
18 Rubinstein and Richter
19 Kempff
20 Fischer
21 Tomsic and Kovacevich
22 Richter
23 Richter, Richter, Richter and Rubinstein ('45)
24 ?
25 ?
26 Solomon
27 Moravec
28 Gilels
29 Solomon
30 Levy
31 Richter
32 Arrau (on DVD), Barenboim (EMI) and  Levy

[premont]

I feel that if you go out and get a complete set of 32 Sonatas by any of the following pianists, you can't go wrong:
Kuerti, Goode, Sherman, Schnabel, Brendel, Rangell , Anne Fischer & Gieseking to start.

Did Sherman, Rangel & Gieseking ever record a complete set ? Obviously I have been sleeping at school.
Besides I would not dare to recommend a complete set by Kuerti, Brendel (except perhaps the VOX cycle) and Gieseking.

[Don]

Did Sherman, Rangel & Gieseking ever record a complete set ? Obviously I have been sleeping at school.
Besides I would not dare to recommend a complete set by Kuerti, Brendel (except perhaps the VOX cycle) and Gieseking.

I have major doubts that Rangel ever recorded the cycle, but Sherman did for the GM label ( I have each of the discs).

[jlaurson]

Although I have all the sonatas in various performances, I could not possibly claim to give anything more than a suggestive liking about most... and then a few about which I feel strongly.

Brutally simplified, my tastes are such:

Early: Ashkenazy

Middle: Brendel

Late: Pollini

Sticking with late: I may have Richter, Kempf mono, Kempf stereo, Schnabel, Serkin live (too late in his career), Serkin studio (Sony), Richter, Kuerti, Ashkenazy and a couple others of one out of those 5, 6 sonatas... and I enjoy Richter, in particular... but all of them play horizontal, Pollini plays vertical. Like mountainclimbing. His op.106 (sorry Gilels) is the Eiger Nord, the K2 of sonatas... his 111 a transfigured experience. His double CD set of the late is a must have, even for those who are not too hot about Pollini. Softer can always be gotten later. I am going to keep quiet about other sonatas, because even if I like the Kempf stereo Waldstein, for example, I can't say I have compared it in any detail to even Kempf mono or any of the others... loving those sonatas as I do, I haven't the time to give them their due listening space. Generally I tend to love Pollini more than the many here... but only his late sonatas can I recommend with the knowledge that bias does not could my judgement (too much.)

best of luck,

jfl