Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[George]

George,  IIRC, you do not really have a very high opinion on the set by Barenboim ...

I've only heard his second set, the DG one, and I think it's OK. Not great, not terrible.

[Bunny]

An academic background in history and religion is not exactly that out of line with being a music critic IMO ...

Yes, but he doesn't write music criticism or music reviews.  He edits the Catholic Herald (a conservative Roman Catholic paper in England) and writes about religion for the Guardian Telegraph.  I think he just decided to write about his preferences in Beethoven sonata cycles.  As Todd pointed out, the piece doesn't demonstrate any great depth of knowledge.

[Coopmv]

Yes, but he doesn't write music criticism or music reviews.  He edits the Catholic Herald (a conservative Roman Catholic paper in England) and writes about religion for the Guardian Telegraph.  I think he just decided to write about his preferences in Beethoven sonata cycles.  As Todd pointed out, the piece doesn't demonstrate any great depth of knowledge.

I also was surprised I did not see the version by Backhaus mentioned in his column.  I have the set by Backhaus and it is excellent ...

[SonicMan46]

I thought not long ago I saw some posts singing Brautigam praises in a big way.  While I do not own any of his recordings, I was curious.

Stuart - don't discard Ronald Brautigam on just his Beethoven performances (which I've not heard yet) - I own a number of his other performances on the fortepiano and find them wonderful - just one example are his Mozart solo recordings - reviewed on MusicWeb HERE - so keep your ears open on this guy!      Dave

[Coopmv]

I've only heard his second set, the DG one, and I think it's OK. Not great, not terrible.

So Barenboim's EMI set may be the worst in terms of performance?

[Coopmv]

Yes, but he doesn't write music criticism or music reviews.  He edits the Catholic Herald (a conservative Roman Catholic paper in England) and writes about religion for the Guardian Telegraph.  I think he just decided to write about his preferences in Beethoven sonata cycles.  As Todd pointed out, the piece doesn't demonstrate any great depth of knowledge.

Well, Telegraph has a credibility issue here. 

[George]

So Barenboim's EMI set may be the worst in terms of performance?

Without having heard it, I really can't say.

[Coopmv]

Without having heard it, I really can't say.

Maybe I will pick up that EMI big box when MDT runs sale on it again ...

[Bunny]

Well, Telegraph has a credibility issue here.

Not really, blogs reflect only the opinion of the blogger. 

[Coopmv]

Not really, blogs reflect only the opinion of the blogger.

I was under the impression it was a column in the Telegraph.  I rarely pay attention to bloggers.  You know, the type of bloggers I dislike the most are those who try to dispense investment advice.  If you follow their advices, there is no limit as to what kind of money you can lose ...

[Todd]

Maybe I will pick up that EMI big box when MDT runs sale on it again ...

Make that the EMI DVD cycle, and you've got his best one.

[Bunny]

I was under the impression it was a column in the Telegraph.  I rarely pay attention to bloggers.  You know, the type of bloggers I dislike the most are those who try to dispense investment advice.  If you follow their advices, there is no limit as to what kind of money you can lose ...

You really have to be soooo careful nowadays!  Most of the columnists/reporters at a newspaper or tv channel website are allowed to have a blog on the media website.  They appear at the site, but they are still blogs. 

[Sergeant Rock]

So Barenboim's EMI set may be the worst in terms of performance?

No, no...not at all. Some of us quite like it (well, I do anyway).  As a cycle I prefer it (marginally) to George's favorites but I bow to Todd's expertise and his claim that the DVD cycle is Barenboim's best (I haven't heard it). I find most of the EMI performances satisfying but be aware he has a penchant for taking fast movements really fast, slow ones really slow.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

having nothing to add about LvB's 32 (I hardly ever listen to this stuff) I do want to point out this is unfair to the juggling profession. It's jugular.

George and I were discussing a circus performance. What are you talking about?

Sarge

[George]

No, no...not at all. Some of us quite like it (well, I do anyway).  As a cycle I prefer it (marginally) to George's favorites but I bow to Todd's expertise and his claim that the DVD cycle is Barenboim's best (I haven't heard it). I find most of the EMI performances satisfying but be aware he has a penchant for taking fast movements really fast, slow ones really slow.

Sarge

I wasn't aware of that. With the DG I found that the fast movements were often too slow, in fact that was my biggest beef with his Beethoven sonatas. Perhaps I'd like the EMI. OTOH, I'm already up to my ears in Beethoven sonatas, not to mention poor, so I will pass for now.

[Sergeant Rock]

I wasn't aware of that. With the DG I found that the fast movements were often too slow, in fact that was my biggest beef with his Beethoven sonatas. Perhaps I'd like the EMI. OTOH, I'm already up to my ears in Beethoven sonatas, not to mention poor, so I will pass for now.

Barenboim's EMI set might be characterized as a young romantic's Beethoven: impetuous, daring fast movements, heavily romanticized slow movements. He was in his mid-twenties when he recorded the cycle. It's not the only way I want to hear Beethoven but I have plenty of antidotes when I need one (Pollini, for example, or Gould when I want to grin  ).

Sarge

[George]

Barenboim's EMI set might be characterized as a young romantic's Beethoven: impetuous, daring fast movements, heavily romanticized slow movements.

When you get a chance, can you get me the timings for Op. 2 and Op. 10? I cam curious how they compare to Schnabel's. 

[Sergeant Rock]

When you get a chance, can you get me the timings for Op. 2 and Op. 10? I cam curious how they compare to Schnabel's.

             I          II       III       IV
2/1     3:48     5:50   4:10   5:04

2/2     7:18    7:29    3:20   6:34

2/3    10:33    9:00   3:01   5:20

10/1    5:59    9:11   4:44

10/2    6:26    4:24   2:12

10/3    7:09   12:01   2:53  3:55


Sarge

[George]

Thanks Sarge!

Overall, his fast movements are a bit slower there than on his DG set (but pretty close), but the slow movements are also slower on the EMI.

Compared to Schnabel, his fast movements are clearly slower overall, unless Schnabel skips some repeats (I don't think so, though.)

[jlaurson]

Compared to Schnabel, his fast movements are clearly slower overall, unless Schnabel skips some repeats (I don't think so, though.)

I don't have any Schnabel set on hand for checking, but I was rather certain--barring faulty memory--that he did skip a good number of repeats.