The ONE Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycle to Rule Them All!

[Geo Dude]

Perhaps BIS is writing fat checks to boost their sales....?   

Given how much they charge us for those Brautigam recordings, they damn well should!

[Wanderer]

3 in a row for Brautigam?

Understandable. He is very good.

[George]

Understandable. He is very good.

Absolutely.

[Geo Dude]

That and we like the sound of the instruments....

[Gurn Blanston]

since i havent heard the Badura-Skoda on fortepiano i'm also voting for Brautigam

It's the natural choice in your situation. Badura-Skoda plays with tremendous subtlety. He really seems to me to be carrying on the historic Viennese piano tradition which extends back to before Mozart. Not like I dislike Brautigam...

[mn dave]

I wasn't implying he shouldn't be there; I just meant it was weird to see three in a row, like it was PLANNED!!!

[Gurn Blanston]

I wasn't implying he shouldn't be there; I just meant it was weird to see three in a row, like it was PLANNED!!!

Them damn HIP/PI's are taking over!   

[Geo Dude]

It's the natural choice in your situation. Badura-Skoda plays with tremendous subtlety. He really seems to me to be carrying on the historic Viennese piano tradition which extends back to before Mozart. Not like I dislike Brautigam...

That B-S set sounds more and more interesting.  Too bad the material is so hard to acquire.

[Gurn Blanston]

That B-S set sounds more and more interesting.  Too bad the material is so hard to acquire.

Todd bought it over in Japan last year for, like a million dollars or some damn thing. Well, maybe not a million, but many. Arcana is insane to not reissue. Maybe they are waiting for him to die and reissue all his works at the same time. I'd buy them, even buy these a second time.

[amw]

Todd bought it over in Japan last year for, like a million dollars or some damn thing. Well, maybe not a million, but many. Arcana is insane to not reissue. Maybe they are waiting for him to die and reissue all his works at the same time. I'd buy them, even buy these a second time.

The Auvidis group (Astrée, Naïve, Montaigne) doesn't seem very interested in exploiting its back catalogue. I'm not sure why. Lots of good stuff there, more than many bigger labels.

For those who don't mind downloads the file sharing community has stepped in. Probably the best way to get it at this point unless you spend a million dollars in Japan or get lucky with a used copy (or have a library that has it  ) See here: http://meetinginmusic.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/beethoven-piano-sonatas-badura-skoda.html

[Dancing Divertimentian]

The Auvidis group (Astrée, Naïve, Montaigne) doesn't seem very interested in exploiting its back catalogue. I'm not sure why. Lots of good stuff there, more than many bigger labels.

Actually, Auvidis doesn't exist anymore. Naïve bought them out. Auvidis was the old parent company, owing Astrée, Montaigne, and Valois. Now Naïve owns the whole lot.

But, yeah, we've gone round and round on GMG about Naïve's inept reissue policies. Great back catalog but seemingly no vision.

[mc ukrneal]

I could never recommend the Brautigam as a first recording, because the sound is too pingy in the upper registers, but he certainly brings a vision and depth to the music that puts him among the best. I have always wondered what playing on a normal piano would have done to the performances.

[Que]

I could never recommend the Brautigam as a first recording, because the sound is too pingy in the upper registers, but he certainly brings a vision and depth to the music that puts him among the best. I have always wondered what playing on a normal piano would have done to the performances.

Interesting question. In any case I don't think the way Brautigam plays would be possible on a modern piano, which lack the crucial "Viennese action".

Q

[André]

Not to mention that the idea of a 'normal piano'  in that repertoire seems a mite peculiar..

[Geo Dude]

Not to mention that the idea of a 'normal piano'  in that repertoire seems a mite peculiar..

[Todd]

I have always wondered what playing on a normal piano would have done to the performances.

It is possible to hear Brautigam play some Beethoven on a normal piano.  Many of the same traits are on display.  (He also plays normal piano on some DSCH chamber works, which is available and affordable, so you can hear his style there as well, though obviously the music is rather different.)

[prémont]

Not to mention that the idea of a 'normal piano'  in that repertoire seems a mite peculiar..

The very idea of a "normal" piano seems peculiar.

[Holden]

It is possible to hear Brautigam play some Beethoven on a normal piano.  Many of the same traits are on display.  (He also plays normal piano on some DSCH chamber works, which is available and affordable, so you can hear his style there as well, though obviously the music is rather different.)

You beat me to this one Todd. Some great LvB on a standard piano and one of my more treasured recordings.