Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[Jo498]

Of the earlier Gelber there are opp.28, 27/1 and 81a on an EMI Rarissimes twofer and op.27/2 and 13 fillers to the Emperor Concerto. The EMI Appassionata apparently never on CD internationally. I don't know if he recorded more than these six for EMI. I highly recommended the Rarissimes and the Denon recordings some time ago but they do not seem to be very well known, maybe because the Denon was never completed and some really important works (like opp.106,109,110) missing.

[George]

I'm a fan of Ivan Moravec too.  But I think of him more for his wonderful Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Janacek, Debussy, Haydn and Mozart.  I'll have to dig out his Beethoven tonight and give it a listen.

Although I was a bit underwhelmed by his Appassionata, I otherwise find his Beethoven to be superb.

[George]

[asin]B000002A8G[/asin](Surprisingly, Serkin rejected these recordings, but his performances of Nos. 30 & 31 here are among my all-time favorites of these sonatas.)

https://www.amazon.com/Rudolf-Beethoven-Sonatas-Variations-Masters/dp/B008CG1HPQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1515097094&sr=1-5&keywords=serkin+beethoven+sony (Serkin's Pathetique Sonata is one of the finest I've heard.)

Yes, that Op. 110 is as good as it gets.

[Josquin13]

Of the earlier Gelber there are opp.28, 27/1 and 81a on an EMI Rarissimes twofer and op.27/1 and 13 fillers to the Emperor Concerto. The EMI Appassionata apparently never on CD internationally. I don't know if he recorded more than these six for EMI. I highly recommended the Rarissimes and the Denon recordings some time ago but they do not seem to be very well known, maybe because the Denon was never completed and some really important works (like opp.106,109,110) missing.

I only know Gelber's EMI LP recordings of Beethoven's "Moonlight" Op. 27/2, "Appassionata" Op. 57, and "Pathetique" Op. 13 (& the two concertos)--so yes, I guess that makes 6 sonatas in total for EMI:



I don't own the EMI Rarissimes issue.  So, onto my wish list it goes.  I think Gelber's technique was more jaw-dropping earlier on, during his EMI years.  Of course it was perfectly fine on his later Denon recordings too.  But, as I recall, the reason Gelber didn't finish his Denon cycle was due to health reasons. A pity.

Gelber also recorded the Eroica Variations & 32 Variations for Orfeo, but here I prefer Emil Gilels' Eroica Variations from his wonderful live 1980 recital on Hanssler, and again Gilels for the 32 Variations on EMI & live from Carnegie Hall in the 1960s:



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emil-Gilels-plays-Beethoven-Historical/dp/B00BW108PI/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_4?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1515105487&sr=1-4-fkmr1&keywords=gilels+hanssler+beethoven

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B013UEX2LQ/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lqvbf8jh-w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZAkCohFDSE

George--I'm pleased someone else out there rates Serkin's 'unreleased' Op. 110 as highly as I do.  Youra Guller's Op. 109 & 110 are in the same class too, IMO.

[Madiel]

Yes to your first paragraph. But there is a vast gulf between "his brother recommended it" and "he opposed it."

Your second paragraph, maybe, but Beethoven did occasionally re-use melodies elsewhere, and the question is whether he supported publication in 1805, not whether he intended publication in 1800.

The performer's specific claims were "published against the composer's wish" which is speculation and "well before the Sonata Op.2 No.1 in F minor" which is flat-out false whether she meant composed or published. Could she have confused op. 49 with WoO 47?

I just hope her claim does not end up being repeated and eventually accepted as historical fact. I'd have expected you to be on board with this.

If that's what she said about the date, then yes it's simply wrong.

But the question of publication of op.49 isn't unique to that pianist, which is why I even bothered talking about it. Either that, or she's already infected Wikipedia...

[Pat B]

If that's what she said about the date, then yes it's simply wrong.

But the question of publication of op.49 isn't unique to that pianist, which is why I even bothered talking about it. Either that, or she's already infected Wikipedia...

As it turns out, the relevant line in the wikipedia article — from an anonymous contributor and lacking a citation — is from April 2007, several years before her recording. I wouldn't be shocked if wikipedia was her source.

IIRC the surviving correspondence does indicate some tension between Beethoven and his brother but does not include anything one way or the other about op. 49. Until that changes, it's a mystery.

[zamyrabyrd]

Pat B.--Thanks for the link to the Penelope Crawford interview!  I found her thoughts interesting.  As for her playing, I especially like the way she doesn't pound on the keys mercilessly when playing Beethoven, and hence relentlessly over generalize the emotional content the music.

Clearly Beethoven cared about his piano touch more than that! (i.e., more than many pianists playing modern grands seem to realize today); all those broken pianos only came when he could no longer hear well, and was forced to pound heavily on the keys in order to hear the notes. I think it helps that Crawford spent so many years playing the harpsichord, as her touch on the beautiful sounding 1835 Graf piano is near ideal for late Beethoven.  All pianists interested in playing Beethoven should hear those recordings!; especially Evgeny Kissin, who is one of the worst culprits I've heard for unnecessarily pounding on the keys in Beethoven (etc.).

Thanks for recognizing the problem of pounding the piano keys, which is not a hindrance for those competing in major or lesser competitions - the louder and faster, the better! I have been fighting this battle for years in schools and can't get over how listening has become so coarse so as not to hear brittle and ugly sounds coming from the keyboard. Doing a lot of singing has made me more aware of the importance of tone but even as a kid I had what was called a "soft touch".

Myra Hess was noted for her interpretations of late Beethoven Sonatas, another pianist who thankfully didn't bang. One can only compare her Schumann Concerto with Argerich, which really offends my ears. I have mixed feelings about her Beethoven, though. As much as she is sensitive to nuance, and her "Appassionata" is exciting, I feel there is not enough structural grasp of the material.

Janet (former Philadelphian)

[SurprisedByBeauty]

What's your total count?  Forster and Costa appear to be missing, though I spotted Tamami Honma's forthcoming cycle, so that's a seventeenth complete cycle from a woman, nineteenth all-in.  She boosts Japan's lead, though given that she has been in the US for a while, I guess she could alternatively be counted as an American.

There are several cycles I have some information of, but not yet included. Such as the "Russian Collective Cycle" on Bomba Piter / Audiophile Classics, or self-published efforts like those of Sequeira Costa, Claudio Colombo, and the Sebastián Forster that you unearthed.

Here are some more names that have not finished their cycles or have cycles that I have not included yet or am missing artwork for... it's an ongoing process.


Yusuke   Kikuchi
   
   
Akira   Wakabayashi
   
   
Akihiro   Sakiya
   
Mordecai   Shehori
Daniela   Varinska
Martin   Roscoe
Irina   Mejoueva
   
Christian   Leotta
Yaeko   Yamane
James   Brawn
Per   Tengstrand
   
Rita   Bouboulidi
Elena /  Eugène   Kolesnitschenko / Mursky
   
Yoshihiro   Kondo
Yu   Kasuge
Bruno-Leonard   Gelber
   
Giovanni   Belluci

[Todd]

...Claudio Colombo...

If you mention Colombo, it should be to steer people away.  It's not actual piano playing, it's MIDI.

To the others, below is how I would group them as of today.  Hopefully, Kondo's status changes. 

Complete
Steven Masi (needs to be added to your list; Albany Records)
Irina Mejoueva
Yusuke Kikuchi
Christian Leotta
Yaeko Yamane
Rita Bouboulidi
Yu Kasuge (I assume this is Yu Kosuge)
Daniela Varinska (don't own; no info)


Complete, but not sure if legit
Giancarlo Andretti
Alicja Kot


In-Progress
Akihiro Sakiya
Martin Roscoe
James Brawn


Incomplete/No Cycle
Yoshihiro Kondo - either incomplete, one volume OOP, or final volume to be released in the future
Giovanni Belluci - one three disc volume that has been around for years; may or may not be completed
Bruno-Leonard Gelber - partial, will almost certainly never be a complete cycle
Akira Wakabayashi - no cycle, just famous sonata recordings as far as I know
Mordecai Shehori - no cycle, just famous sonata and concerto recordings as far as I know
Per Tengstrand - appears to be a dead cycle; the same discs have been recycled for years


No info
Elena/Eugène Kolesnitschenko/Mursky

[Brian]

Speaking of ongoing cycles, Brawn Vol. 5 just arrived in October



and, since Brawn is taking his time, Vol. 6 will be recorded this August.

[Todd]

and, since Brawn is taking his time, Vol. 6 will be recorded this August.

I'd be willing to bet on a 2020 completion.

[Brian]

I'd be willing to bet on a 2020 completion.

Well, granted we don't know what Vol. 6 will contain, but now that 5 is done, he still has to record:

No. 4 / Op. 7
No. 11 / Op. 22
No. 12 / Op. 26
No. 13 / Op. 27/1
No. 16 / Op. 31/1
No. 18 / Op. 31/3
No. 22 / Op. 54
Nos. 28-32 / saving best for last?

I only nerd out over this because I really do like the Brawn cycle-in-progress a lot.

[San Antone]

In-Progress
Akihiro Sakiya
Martin Roscoe
James Brawn

Also Jonathan Biss.  I really like his playing (and commentary).  He's got six CDs done.  I am looking forward to the rest of his cycle.

[Todd]

Also Jonathan Biss.  I really like his playing (and commentary).  He's got six CDs done.  I am looking forward to the rest of his cycle.

I was only including the pianists Jens listed.  In addition to the three he mentioned and Biss, there is also Letizia Michielon, Angela Hewitt, Maurizio Paciariello, Igor Tchetuev, and Kazune Shimizu's second go-round.  I already knew about these.

A quick scan of Amazon US yielded these additional on-going cycles: Llŷr Williams, Shisei Hanai, John Kane, and Maurizio Zaccaria (maybe, I'm not sure, but the sonata selection in his first release smacks of complete cycle).  The only name I know from this group is Williams, and he is supposedly up to volume seven.

I know there are other ongoing cycles I did not list.

[prémont]

I was only including the pianists Jens listed.  In addition to the three he mentioned and Biss, there is also Letizia Michielon, Angela Hewitt, Maurizio Paciariello, Igor Tchetuev, and Kazune Shimizu's second go-round.  I already knew about these.

A quick scan of Amazon US yielded these additional on-going cycles: Llŷr Williams, Shisei Hanai, John Kane, and Maurizio Zaccaria (maybe, I'm not sure, but the sonata selection in his first release smacks of complete cycle).  The only name I know from this group is Williams, and he is supposedly up to volume seven.

I know there are other ongoing cycles I did not list.

What about Steven Masi? Even if you only ranked him to fourth tier, you omitted him from your survey of complete cycles. Or do my bad sight elude me once more?

[Todd]

Also, two more complete cycles apparently dropped last year: Giancarlo Andretti and Alicja Kot.  Andretti is on Spotify.

The problem I have with these two is that I don't know if they are legit.  Both pianists have multiple recordings of core rep.  I don't know if they are real, if it's a Claudio Colombo type thing, or if it's a Joyce Hatto type thing.

[Todd]

What about Steven Masi? Even if you only ranked him to fourth tier, you omitted him from your survey of complete cycles. Or do my bad sight elude me once more?

I believe you are correct.  It's all too easy to forget fourth tier cycles.  At least the really bad cycles are memorable for being really bad.  I'll update my list.  That means Germany and the US are tied for first place.

[prémont]

I believe you are correct.  It's all too easy to forget fourth tier cycles.  At least the really bad cycles are memorable for being really bad.  I'll update my list.  That means Germany and the US are tied for first place.

And what about Kempff's prewar incomplete cycle? When you include Gieseking's EMI incomplete cycle, you may equally well include Kempff's prewar cycle.

Kempff's prewar cycle comprises 24 sonatas.
Gieseking's EMI cycle comprises 27 sonatas.

[Todd]

And what about Kempff's prewar incomplete cycle? When you include Gieseking's EMI incomplete cycle, you may equally well include Kempff's prewar cycle.

Kempff's prewar cycle comprises 24 sonatas.
Gieseking's EMI cycle comprises 27 sonatas.

25 is my cutoff.

Regarding the new four disc set of wartime recordings from Kempff, I face a pseudo-dilemma: I can simply stream the set.  For recordings that old, streaming is entirely acceptable, but there's the risk the set is removed.  I'm only 99.75% sure I will buy it.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

If you mention Colombo, it should be to steer people away.  It's not actual piano playing, it's MIDI.

I thought I had written some warning 'reviews' on Amazon about these semi-fraudulent things... but I couldn't find them now.

To the others, below is how I would group them as of today.  Hopefully, Kondo's status changes. 

Complete
Steven Masi (needs to be added to your list; Albany Records)

Thanks for that!!! Will add. Am also adding the new re-release of Jean Muller's Bella Music / Naxos Luxenbourg cycle on cheapo-Membran)