Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[Gurn Blanston]

Super! When you mean uploaded, you are talking about the cover, right. Could you do me a great favor and give me the recording dates, too? I've got 89 to 93, but am not sure about either.
Does he use one fortepiano for all... or different instruments?

I sent you the front and back covers of all 9 disks. They have all the info you could want, including which fortepiano he uses for each disk. Each one is particular to the time of composition, a really nice touch, I must say.



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Listening to:
Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra Winds - FJH Divertimento #3 in Eb for Winds Hob 2:41 3rd mvmt

[Todd]

Ian Hobson's cycle was never high on my list of cycles to hear.  Indeed, I'd largely forgotten about it until I picked up a disc of Michel Block playing some Ravel and Falla works with Mr Hobson conducting.  Alas, that disc for the Zephyr label did not find Mr Block in top form, and I found Hobson's conducting not especially inspired.  But his name popped back on the radar.  So I did the (almost) inevitable and bought the New Testament.  It ain't too bad.  It ain't great, either.

The biggest problem with the set as a whole is that there's what I can only describe as a generic sound to it.  Hobson adopts generally sensible tempi – not too fast, not too slow.  He plays with an attractive sound, though it's a bit soft, blunting some of the attack where needed.  His dynamics are well controlled and wide ranging, but rarely does anything really grab the listener's attention.  (Well, this listener, at any rate.)  There's heft and drive and rhythmic snap, but perhaps not quite enough.  It's largely undistinguished.  

That written, I noticed one positive thing about the cycle.  Hobson gets better as the cycle goes along.  I definitely prefer cycles where the quality improves in the later works, but even so it's hard to think of true standouts.  The critical Op 31 sonatas all fare well, though none really engross like they should.  The Appassionata is a bit broad, and much of the time lacks energy, but in certain portions, especially in the last movement, Hobson plays with real flair and power.  The Hammerklavier is a bit long, but the great Adagio is very good.  Even parts of Op 111, especially the second movement, sound excellent.  

This is a decidedly middle of the road cycle, interpretively and qualitatively.  I can think of literally dozens of cycles I prefer, though I can also think of more than a few that Hobson trumps.  It wouldn't be a bad introduction to the works for a newcomer, but I don't see it satisfying in the long run.  I'll find out.

Sound, though, is quite good.  It appears that the folks at Zephyr went for that audiophile, minimalist set-up, so the piano is a bit distant, but dynamics are excellent and tone on the full side.  And though irrelevant, I must note the poor packaging.  I don't know who thought up the idea of black lettering on a charcoal gray background, but deciphering what's on an individual disc from the cover can be challenging.

[springrite]

I have one Hobson CD playing Beethoven and it is just too boring.

[Coopmv]

Hmm, so if you don't already have the Philips CD set which you illustrated with your first post regarding K's Beethoven, you may want to replicate it on CD as well - if it is for me to say, I think the EMI will complement, not replace, the Philips set.

I have had the Philips CD set I illustrated for some times.

[George]

I sent you the front and back covers of all 9 disks. They have all the info you could want, including which fortepiano he uses for each disk. Each one is particular to the time of composition, a really nice touch, I must say.

Very cool, Gurn. I stumbled upon his Op. 2 in the used bins recently and grabbed it, though I haven't heard it yet.

[FideLeo]

I have had the Philips CD set I illustrated for some times.

That wasn't made clear until now.  Your call to get the EMI set or not.

[jlaurson]

Beethoven Sonatas - A Survey of Complete Cycles
Part 5, 1996 - 1999
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2009/06/beethoven-sonatas-survey-of-complete.html

     

   Michael Houstoun
1994 - 1996 - Morrison Music Trust

   Jean-Bernard Pommier
1991 - 1997 - Erato

   Russell Sherman
1993 - 1997 - GM Recordings

   Robert Taub
1994 - 1997 - Vox

   Georges Pludermacher
1998 - Transart live

   Aldo Ciccolini
1985 - 1999 - Bongiovanni

   Gotthard Kladetzky
19?? - 1998 - Koch Schwann

   André DeGroote
1998 - Naxos (BeNeLux), Solal

   Yukio Yokoyama
1998- 1999 - Sony (Japan)

   Robert Silverman
1999 - Orpheum Masters





Part 1: 1935 - 1969
Part 2: 1967 - 1974
Part 3: 1977 - 1989
Part 4: 1990 - 1996

If you have additional information about recording dates, availability, cover art -- or corrections and additions -- your input is much appreciated.

This survey is meant to list all complete sets of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas and their availability in different markets, not to review them.

[DavidRoss]

That wasn't made clear until now.  Your call to get the EMI set or not.

'Twas clear in the first post to some of us, but native English speakers obviously have an advantage and I can understand why others raised with more syntax would have a hard time.  There are a few other things I understand, but the number about which I am ignorant doubtless exceeds the number of grains of sand on all the beaches of the world.  Thank goodness I know enough to know when I don't know something (usually at least  )!  It makes learning so much easier! 

[George]

I have one Hobson CD playing Beethoven and it is just too boring.

Thanks for the warnings, guys.

[prémont]

Thanks for the warnings, guys.

Hobsons unmannered style appeals much to me, and it is unfair to say that he is boring. On the other hand I do not think he will do much for you, who prefer more muscular playing (Gilels, Schnabel).

[jlaurson]

Part 6 is ready.

Beethoven Sonatas - A Survey of Complete Cycles Part 6, 2000 - 2005


   Gerard Willems
1997 - 2000? - ABC


   Anne Øland
1995 - 2002? - T.I.M.


   Stephen Kovacevich
1992 - 2003 - EMI


   David Allen Wehr
1998 - 2004 - Connoisseur Society


   Andrea Lucchesini
1999? - 2004 - Stradivarius


   Seymour Lipkin
2002 - 2004 - Newport Classics
   

   Craig Sheppard
2003 - 2004 - Romeo Records

   Daniel Barenboim III
2005 - EMI (DVD)





Part 1: 1935 - 1969
Part 2: 1967 - 1974
Part 3: 1977 - 1989
Part 4: 1990 - 1996
Part 5: 1996 - 1999

If you have additional information about recording dates, availability, cover art -- or corrections and additions -- your input is much appreciated.

This survey is meant to list all complete sets of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas and their availability in different markets, not to review them.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Hobsons unmannered style appeals much to me, and it is unfair to say that he is boring.

I have a single Hobson disc and find it quite satisfactory.

[jlaurson]

This should bring matters up to date.

Beethoven Sonatas - A Survey of Complete Cycles Part 7, 2006/07


Gerhard Oppitz
2004 - 2006 - Hänssler

Garrick Ohlsson
1992 - 2007 - Bridge (Arabesque)

Idil Biret
1994 - 2005 - IBA

András Schiff
2004 - 2007 - ECM

Paul Lewis
2004 - 2007 - Harmonia Mundi

Kun-Woo Paik
2005 - 2007 - Decca (Korea)




This concludes the listing of all Beethoven Sonata Cycles that are currently complete* and finished‡. There are, however, 14 (or more!) cycles under way, of which Ronald Bräutigam's will most likely be the next complete one (and one of the most important, at that). I will list all cycles that are under way--as well as a selection of historically important attempted cycles that were never finished but include >20 sonatas.

* If you count, as I did, Backhaus II and Arrau II as complete, despite one and two (respectively) missing sonatas.

‡ This includes Idil Biret's cycle which has been all recorded but won't have been issued in its entirety until later this year or early 2010.


Part 1: 1935 - 1969
Part 2: 1967 - 1974
Part 3: 1977 - 1989
Part 4: 1990 - 1996
Part 5: 1996 - 1999
Part 6: 1996 - 1999

If you have additional information about recording dates, availability, cover art -- or corrections and additions -- your input is much appreciated.

This survey is meant to list all complete sets of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas and their availability in different markets, not to review them.

[Todd]

It looks like you missed a few cycles, mostly Japanese.

Sequeira Costa - VMF records
Ikuyo Nakamichi - RCA Japan
Akiyoshi Sako - Camerata Tokyo
Takahiro Sonoda - 2 cycles: Denon (Nippon Columbia), 1960s (available in Japan and Canada); Evica, 1990s (not available)
Shoko Sugitani - IDC


Plus there are two others that either were finished or close to being finished.

Kazune Shimizu - Sony, reportedly complete but only eight volumes released
Daniela Varinska - an obscure label, but nine volumes complete


Kun-Woo Paik's cycle is available in individual volumes in the US (Han Books) and France.

[jlaurson]

It looks like you missed a few cycles, mostly Japanese.

Sequeira Costa - VMF records
Ikuyo Nakamichi - RCA Japan
Akiyoshi Sako - Camerata Tokyo
Takahiro Sonoda - 2 cycles: Denon (Nippon Columbia), 1960s (available in Japan and Canada); Evica, 1990s (not available)
Shoko Sugitani - IDC


Plus there are two others that either were finished or close to being finished.

Kazune Shimizu - Sony, reportedly complete but only eight volumes released
Daniela Varinska - an obscure label, but nine volumes complete


Kun-Woo Paik's cycle is available in individual volumes in the US (Han Books) and France.

Holy cow... so much out there that I had no clue about. Thanks much for pointing it out!
If you have any information on these (recording dates of the Denon Sonoda cycle, for example, or
cover pictures),
could you let me know?

So far I've not found at all:

Sequeira Costa - VMF records
Akiyoshi Sako - Camerata Tokyo (found some of them.)
Takahiro Sonoda -  Evica, 1990s (found it. still available, too.)

I've found (individually):

Ikuyo Nakamichi - RCA Japan
and the Denon Sonoda cycle. But not an alleged third that may or may not be out there.

I've found 9 volumes for Varinska, but nothing of Shimizu--except the quote that he did record it and that it's out of print.

Sugitani searches have only revealed the complete concertos to me... and the last volume of her cycle... but nothing else. I ain't finished looking, yet, of course.
Any links welcome!

Did BL Gelber ever get beyond six volumes on Denon?

[DavidRoss]

This survey is meant to list all complete sets of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas and their availability in different markets, not to review them.

For those seeking reviews comparing many (most?) of the extant cycles, but who are not familiar with Todd's Herculean efforts, I strongly recommend looking up his LvB sonata cycle reviews on the old GMG forum--or hunting them down on the two or three other forums where he posted them.  Although I do not agree with all of his judgments, I think his reviews are valuable not only for the great variety of cycles he has examined, but also for his thoroughness and consistency--qualities many professional reviewers could learn something about from him. 

[Todd]

First off, where's Sonoda's Evica cycle available?  That one interests me.

Sequeira Costa: http://www.vdamotta.org/vmfrecords.html  I've tried two volumes, and plan on getting more at some point.

The Sonoda Denon cycle is incorrectly labeled as four discs at HMV Japan.  It's a complete set, and potentially the best by a Japanese pianist. 

Shoko Sugitani is available at HMV Japan: http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/search/index.asp?adv=1&label=Idc+%2Aclassic%2A&category=1.  The search has to be on IDC and then the various LvB volumes; all eleven appear to be available.

Akiyoshi Sako is the same way.  I bought them blind a year or two ago with fingers crossed and was rewarded with a fine cycle.

Kazune Shimizu is apparently still available: http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/745233 .  Last time I looked the only way I could find the discs was searching by sequential catalog numbers.

Ikuyo Nakamichi's cycle is already being reissued piece by piece even though her cycle is from this decade.  It is arguably the best sounding cycle available, up there with the Lewis and on-going Leotta cycles.

For on-going cycles, it looks like Hiroaki Ooi and Irina Mejoueva may need to be added.

Gelber stopped at six volumes as far as I know.

[jlaurson]

First off, where's Sonoda's Evica cycle available?  That one interests me.

Sequeira Costa: http://www.vdamotta.org/vmfrecords.html  I've tried two volumes, and plan on getting more at some point.

The Sonoda Denon cycle is incorrectly labeled as four discs at HMV Japan.  It's a complete set, and potentially the best by a Japanese pianist.  

Shoko Sugitani is available at HMV Japan: http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/search/index.asp?adv=1&label=Idc+%2Aclassic%2A&category=1.  The search has to be on IDC and then the various LvB volumes; all eleven appear to be available.

Akiyoshi Sako is the same way.  I bought them blind a year or two ago with fingers crossed and was rewarded with a fine cycle.

Kazune Shimizu is apparently still available: http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/745233 .  Last time I looked the only way I could find the discs was searching by sequential catalog numbers.

Ikuyo Nakamichi's cycle is already being reissued piece by piece even though her cycle is from this decade.  It is arguably the best sounding cycle available, up there with the Lewis and on-going Leotta cycles.

For on-going cycles, it looks like Hiroaki Ooi and Irina Mejoueva may need to be added.

Gelber stopped at six volumes as far as I know.

Thanks again! Now it's time to credit you in the survey!

The second Sonoda cycle can be found here.

Once I clean up my complete Excel file of all the cycles, I'll send you a copy, if you are interested.

Did you know of a cycle by Pietro Galli on Cassiope?? (Never mind. Who knew that this Cimarosa kid also composed 32 Sonatas. Clearly any cycle titled "The 32 Sonatas" makes me think of LvB, no matter how bold the composer's name is on the cover. 

[Coopmv]

This Backhaus' set has been most delightful and I am glad to have grabbed it at a great bargain price ...

[Opus106]

Re-release of Brendel's Philips cycle at a cheaper price.
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/4781821