Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[Amore di Viola]

Ulysses spent ten years on his Odyssey. I spent ten months deep-diving into the 32. Ten months of almost daily listening, to the exclusion of everything else, reading the scores, dipping into Tovey's analyses, listening to Schiffs youtube commentaries - and, above all of course, listening to the recordings. I took an almost fully Hungarian approach, limiting myself to Schiff and Fischer's cycles (with Solomon joining for the late ones). I can kinda get my head around the early and middle sonatas, but the late ones are so dense, so textured and so varied that I think I will never tire of them.
Having Fischer's more romantic/dionysian approach juxtaposed to Schiff's more cerebral/Apollonian style was a huge advantage. Still I guess there is so much more to be found in other interpretations, so I would like to invite some comments, if possible:
1:Would you point to any interpretations of any specific sonatas that add something unique?
2: Or to any fortepiano recordings of the late sonatas where the interpretation is truly outstanding?
3: Anybody want to recommend recordings of the Diabelli variations? And the bagatelles?
4: And if I should ever find my way out of this vast landscape, where should I go? The string quartets? Brahms? More rhetorically, what can possibly follow op. 111??

[Brian]

2: Or to any fortepiano recordings of the late sonatas where the interpretation is truly outstanding?
3: Anybody want to recommend recordings of the Diabelli variations? And the bagatelles?

Penelope Crawford!! Her fortepiano recordings of Opp. 109-111 are favorites of many GMGers, including me. Truly outstanding, with an intelligence that never bends toward eccentricity. I had the pleasure of interviewing her two years ago. There is an outstanding Diabelli on fortepiano as well, Andreas Staier's (which very much adds something unique you won't hear on any other recording - I think I'll let you discover his trick for yourself), and Jed Distler at classicstoday.com just called Ronald Brautigam's new Diabelli, also on period instrument, his "crowning achievement."

[kishnevi]

For Diabelli on fortepiano, try Schiff.

[Jo498]

I would not recommend Staier's Diabellis as a first or only recording. It is not without interest but for me overall disappointing (and gimmicky with the stupid sound effects).
A "safe" choice for both Diabellis and Bagatelles would be Kovacevich's recordings from the 1970s. Or, if you tolerate historical sound, Schnabel. Schnabel also did most (all?) of the "lesser variations. Otherwise Richter for op.34 and 35, Gilels for op.35 and WoO 80, Gould for all three. (These three are by far the most relevant of the other variations although some of the rest are quite enjoyable.)

Nothing really follows after late Beethoven (except more late Beethoven). Late Schubert is more an independent branch starting from some aspects of early/middle Beethoven.

[kishnevi]

On modern piano, try Brendel for the Bagatelles and Variations.

And shame on me for not remembering about Serkin for the last three sonatas and the Diabellis.

[Todd]

1:Would you point to any interpretations of any specific sonatas that add something unique?

I've posted on dozens of complete cycles, including unique traits of individual sonatas.  You can search "plays Beethoven" to find them.  You may or may not find the posts useful.

2: Or to any fortepiano recordings of the late sonatas where the interpretation is truly outstanding?

I second the Crawford recommendation and add Paul Badura-Skoda on Astree.

3: Anybody want to recommend recordings of the Diabelli variations? And the bagatelles?

Diabellis
HIP - Schiff
Standard - Serkin ('57 Marlboro), Brendel (digital), Goodyear for more or less straight-forward versions; Pludermacher, Mustonen, Anderszewski for more personalized versions.

Bagatelles
Brendel (digital), Sanchez (sub-prime sound), Osborne

what can possibly follow op. 111??

Lots. 

[Holden]

Bagatelles, I agree with the Kovacevich recommendation.

The Diabellis have more of a choice.

Schnabel did the first great set and to many is still the gold standard.

Kovacevich (in his first recording) takes a similar approach to Schnabel and does just as good a job but in far better sound.

Claudio Arrau's recording stands out for giving an organic view of the work.

Agree that the Serkin 1957 recording is excellent. I also have an earlier recording (on Music&Arts) that is just as good though in lesser sound.

I tend to gravitate to the Arrau.

I wish Solomon had recorded this piece.

[Bogey]

Bagatelles, I agree with the Kovacevich recommendation.

The Diabellis have more of a choice.

Schnabel did the first great set and to many is still the gold standard.

Kovacevich (in his first recording) takes a similar approach to Schnabel and does just as good a job but in far better sound.

Claudio Arrau's recording stands out for giving an organic view of the work.

Agree that the Serkin 1957 recording is excellent. I also have an earlier recording (on Music&Arts) that is just as good though in lesser sound.

I tend to gravitate to the Arrau.

I wish Solomon had recorded this piece.

Funny you mentioned Schnabel, Holden.  I just listed the first two volumes of my set from Pearl by him on EBay.  Letting them go as I just do not listen to them anymore.

[Mandryka]

1:Would you point to any interpretations of any specific sonatas that add something unique

Richter BBC Beethoven op 14
Maria Yudina Op 106, op 111
Paul Jacobs op 10/3 - playful and powerful
Earl Wild op 106 - Symphonic
Cziffra -- appassionata
Ernst Levy - op 110
Valery Afanassiev - op 109-110 (Tokyo)
Gilels (late sonatas, meditative)
Sofronitsky -- Pastoral, op 111
Schiff -- Moonlight
Arrau -- , op 109-111, op 2/2, op 10/3

Other names to look out for are Michelangeli and Sokolov

Check the CDs by Pletnev and Lupu with the Waldstein for a more introspective approach.

2: Or to any fortepiano recordings of the late sonatas where the interpretation is truly outstanding?

Beghin op 111
Stephan Möller op 106
Demus at Beethovenhaus

Badura Skoda on Astrée is well worth thinking about exploring, and satisfying in the late sonatas.

3: Anybody want to recommend recordings of the Diabelli variations?

Michael Oelbaum
Rosen
Kuerti
Sokolov
Pollini (live preferably)
Horszowski
Daria Rabotkina
Bernard Roberts
S Richter (Prague)
Nikolayeve 1979
Brendel 2001
Leonard Shure (Epic)
Kovacevich (Onyx)
Hans Petermandl

By coincidence I was listening to a live recording of Pollini in Bonn just today and I can confirm my recommendation, he really had a strong grasp of this music. I'm not sure the sound on DG does him justice though -- I'd have to check.

And the bagatelles?
,

Schnabel op 119 especially ; Demus Beethovenhaus op 126
Gould, especially if you can find the recording he made for television, it used to be on youtube. 

Check also the recordings by Pletnev and Ugorski. Richter also good in these.

4: More rhetorically, what can possibly follow op. 111??

Op 131
The Missa Solemnis

[Mandryka]

Bagatelles, I agree with the Kovacevich recommendation.



Kovacevich (in his first recording) takes a similar approach to Schnabel and does just as good a job but in far better sound.

Right, now which one is this? I just listened to Schnabel and my recording of Kov in op 119 and they're not really similar I think, not similar enough anyway. I've ripped the Kov CD so I don't know which one I have - he takes 1:27 for op 119/4 -- is that the one?

[Holden]

Right, now which one is this? I just listened to Schnabel and my recording of Kov in op 119 and they're not really similar I think, not similar enough anyway. I've ripped the Kov CD so I don't know which one I have - he takes 1:27 for op 119/4 -- is that the one?

I was actually referring to the Diabellis. I probably let my thoughts jump, a bad habit of mine.

[Parsifal]

2: Or to any fortepiano recordings of the late sonatas where the interpretation is truly outstanding?

I enjoyed Brautigam a great deal. Badura Skoda on Astrée sounds attractive, but not at $100 for a single out-of-print disc...

4: And if I should ever find my way out of this vast landscape, where should I go? The string quartets? Brahms? More rhetorically, what can possibly follow op. 111??

The Beethoven String Quartets are at least as deep a pool as the Piano Sonatas.

Brahms piano music is very fine, but is not as central to his music as the Piano Sonatas are to Beethoven. Brahms Chamber music taken as a whole, including the Piano Trios, Quartets, Quintet, the string Quartets, Quintets, Sextets, works with clarinet, would make a great followup to Beethoven's quartets.

[Pat B]

1:Would you point to any interpretations of any specific sonatas that add something unique?

I second Pletnev's Waldstein. I also like Gelber on Denon in that piece. Both unusual interpretations.

For the Hammerklavier: the first recordings by Rosen (1964 on Epic) and Stephan Möller (1996 on a modern piano). Neither is easy to find on CD, but they are on spotify. Rosen recorded it again in 1970 for Columbia and yet again in the '90s. I prefer his 1964 to his 1970; haven't heard the '90s one.

Going past unique and to controversial: Gould's Appassionata and Hammerklavier.

2: Or to any fortepiano recordings of the late sonatas where the interpretation is truly outstanding?

I'll put in a word for Paul Komen. He is excellent in a relatively straight-forward way. Among the late sonatas, he did the last 3 but not op. 101 or 106.

Möller's fortepiano Hammerklavier is very good, but I'm not quite as enthusiastic about it as Mandryka is, or as I am about Möller's earlier modern-piano recording.

[Mandryka]

I was actually referring to the Diabellis. I probably let my thoughts jump, a bad habit of mine.

Ah yes, I like Kovacevich in the DV a lot, for me the later ones are slightly better - the CD and best of all the video.

[Mandryka]

I'll put in a word for Paul Komen.

Coincidentally I listened to his op 109 last month, the first time in years. It's a very good mainstream performance.

[amw]

Hammerklavier: Peter Serkin on a Graf fortepiano (or modern piano), Schnabel if you can handle the mistakes, Yudina 1954 for a more unorthodox but successful take. Stephan Möller is also fairly worthwhile. Among slow recordings, Daniel-Ben Pienaar is good and articulates the feel of the work fairly well. Also Pollini, if he wasn't obvious.

Op. 111 my favourites so far include Lubimov and Pashchenko. For the Diabellis I quite like Staier if one can handle the "humorous" fortepiano effects, and Michael Leslie. I'm actually on the lookout for more of those though. (Rudolf Serkin above is still my reference recording.)

[Turner]

1:Would you point to any interpretations of any specific sonatas that add something unique?

There are sooo many, but besides the originality found in Gould and Korstick generally, for instance,
I´d at least mention

14 /Kuerti
17 /Kuerti
23 /Richter 1960 Carnegie Hall; Gilels 1961 Brilliant Classics
29 /Yudina
30-32 /Gould
30 /Mustonen

If you accept historical sound, there are many original examples besides Schnabel, such as the recordings by Yudina, Feinberg, Friedman, Lamond, Bauer etc. etc.

[Jo498]

op.106: Gulda, Gilels (DG or Brilliant/live)
op.109: Gilels, Edwin Fischer, Richter
op.110: Gilels, Edwin Fischer

[mc ukrneal]

Personally, I found Gilels a disappointment in the sonatas. I'd recommend Firkusny instead. This is a great disc (and sound not as bad as I had feared):

[Jo498]

I also like the Firkusny disc but I had not mentioned it because it seemed difficult to find.

Gilels is in some respects similar to Arrau that he tends to the slow (often considerably slower than Arrau) and "massive" side and overall appears very "controlled", not really "letting it rip" in fast music (even when his tempi are normal/fastish in such movements). I think his almost complete cycle is a mixed bag for such reasons, e.g. I am not too fond of Gilels' DG Waldstein and Appassionata both of which have often been praised (I still prefer the Waldstein to Arrau on Philips, though). But he can also be very powerful with huge contrasts in dynamics and sounds and effective in attention to details, voicing etc.

In some cases the older (often live) recordings on Melodiya or Brilliant are considerably more spontaneous sounding although the overall conception is similar.

Overall, there is an extremely wide spectrum of interpretations for these works (far more than e.g. for the string quartets or trios in my experience) and Gilels is for me certainly interesting enough to make the DG box worth one's while. But of course there are many other options.