Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

Started by George, July 21, 2007, 07:27:17 PM

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George

"I can't live without music, because music is life." - Yvonne Lefébure

DavidW

Quote from: George on June 29, 2011, 06:17:27 AM
I should have added , for Beethoven.

I haven't heard anything of his outside Beethoven, guess I won't! ;D

Todd

Quote from: (: premont :) on June 28, 2011, 10:44:31 PMOr do you only include strictly complete cycles in your count?


I include incomplete but nearly complete cycles like Gilels, Gieseking (Tahra), and Backhaus.  I don't have the later Arrau.  Yet.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Todd

Quote from: zauberharfe on June 29, 2011, 03:19:35 AM@Todd would you be disposed to share the cycles you own?


Certainly, though to my chagrin I determined that I overcounted my collection.  The Buchbinder will make it 60 cycles, which does count two incomplete but substantially complete cycles, the Gilels and Gieseking.  (For a purist, that means I will have a lowly 58 when then Buchbinder arrives - and that should be this weekend since the set already shipped.)


Annie Fischer
Arrau
Ashkenazy
Backhaus 1 & 2
Badura-Skoda (Gramola)
Barenboim 1, 2 & 3
Brautigam
Brendel 1, 2 & 3
Buchbinder 2 (on its way)
Ciani
Ciccolini
De Groote
El Bacha
Frank
Gieseking (Tahra)
Gilels
Goode
Grinburg
Gulda 1, 2 & 3
Heidsieck
Hobson
Jando
Kempff 1 & 2
Kovacevich
Kuerti
Kun-woo Paik
Levinas
Lewis
Lill
Lipkin
Lortie
Lucchesini
Mejoueva
Nakamichi
Nat
O'Conor
Oland
Perl
Pludermacher
Pommier
Roberts
Sako
Schiff
Schnabel
Sheppard
Sherman
Silverman
Sonoda 1
Wehr
Willems
Yokoyama
Zechlin

The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Todd

Whoops, I forgot the Oppitz cycle.  I was right the first time. 

Perhaps the fact that I can't even remember all the cycles I have means I have a problem - that problem being that I don't have enough cycles, of course.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

mc ukrneal

Quote from: Todd on June 29, 2011, 07:02:49 AM
Whoops, I forgot the Oppitz cycle.  I was right the first time. 

Perhaps the fact that I can't even remember all the cycles I have means I have a problem - that problem being that I don't have enough cycles, of course.
That's a problem!  :o
Be kind to your fellow posters!!

Holden

Quote from: Todd on June 29, 2011, 07:02:49 AM
Whoops, I forgot the Oppitz cycle.  I was right the first time. 

Perhaps the fact that I can't even remember all the cycles I have means I have a problem - that problem being that I don't have enough cycles, of course.



Here's one you don't appear to have which is well worth a listen. This is one of a box of four - very expensive unfortunately.
Cheers

Holden

Todd

Quote from: Holden on June 29, 2011, 12:23:18 PM


Here's one you don't appear to have which is well worth a listen. This is one of a box of four - very expensive unfortunately.


I have the late sonatas as downloads, and sure enough it makes me think I should get the cycle.  The cost is what's keeping me from pulling the trigger.  Last I checked, it would be around $270-$300 for the cycle if I imported it.  I can download the entire cycle, but the sound quality is unacceptable for me.  Eventually I'll get my hands on it.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

George

Quote from: Todd on June 29, 2011, 12:40:45 PM

I have the late sonatas as downloads, and sure enough it makes me think I should get the cycle.  The cost is what's keeping me from pulling the trigger.  Last I checked, it would be around $270-$300 for the cycle if I imported it.  I can download the entire cycle, but the sound quality is unacceptable for me.  Eventually I'll get my hands on it.

I wonder if I can find it in lossless form, as I certainly can't afford that price tag.  :o
"I can't live without music, because music is life." - Yvonne Lefébure

Bogey

#829
Still enjoying this Brendel set.  As far as the sets go, do you folks prefer the Vox, Decca, or the Philips?  Did he actually cycle through three times?
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

George

Quote from: Bogey on June 29, 2011, 03:36:44 PM
Still enjoying this Brendel set.  As far as the sets go, do you folks prefer the Vox, Decca, or the Philips?  Did he actually cycle through three times?

Which Brendel do you mean, Bill? I see no image.
"I can't live without music, because music is life." - Yvonne Lefébure

Bogey

Quote from: George on June 29, 2011, 03:45:47 PM
Which Brendel do you mean, Bill? I see no image.

Sorry about that:

There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

DavidW

I had to google that... the Murray Hill lps are the vox recordings.

Todd

Quote from: Bogey on June 29, 2011, 03:36:44 PMDid he actually cycle through three times?



Yes, he recorded the cycle three times: once for Vox and twice for Philips.  The first Philips cycle, from the 70s for the most part, is the best of the three.  Decca branded recordings are reissues now that the Philips label no longer exists.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

George

Quote from: DavidW on June 29, 2011, 04:42:55 PM
I had to google that... the Murray Hill lps are the vox recordings.

Ah, well Bill, I can't say I am afan of that set. Haven't heard more o Brendel's LvB eiother, nor do I plan to.
"I can't live without music, because music is life." - Yvonne Lefébure

Bogey

Thanks, David and Todd! 

Well, not sure how they sound on cd, but the vinyl is very nice at this end.  Now playing SIDE 1, Sonatas 1 and 25.  These discs are in super shape, so the noise on them is minimal.  Nice warm sound about them with a touch of hollowness to give them a touch of depth.

As for the performances, I have only one other modern cycle to compare them with (Kempff/Stereo), and I am guessing that is what you do not care for here buddy.  Might be just my luck that I own so little of these that I can enjoy this set. :)
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

kishnevi

Quote from: Bogey on June 29, 2011, 08:25:47 PM
Thanks, David and Todd! 

Well, not sure how they sound on cd, but the vinyl is very nice at this end.  Now playing SIDE 1, Sonatas 1 and 25.  These discs are in super shape, so the noise on them is minimal.  Nice warm sound about them with a touch of hollowness to give them a touch of depth.

As for the performances, I have only one other modern cycle to compare them with (Kempff/Stereo), and I am guessing that is what you do not care for here buddy.  Might be just my luck that I own so little of these that I can enjoy this set. :)

I have some of the Murray Hill/Vox cycle, the last five from the first Philips cycle, and the complete second Philips cycle.   There are, essentially, some good points about each of them.  But like you,  I don't have that much to compare Brendel against--the only other complete cycles I own are Lewis and Schiff, and scatterings of other pianists (for instance,  Uchida's mini cycle of the late sonatas).  Each has its own strengths and flaws,  but I'm fairly satisfied with what I have.   I do have my eye on Kempff as my next purchase in this category.

Mandryka

Quote from: Todd on June 29, 2011, 06:48:44 AM

Certainly, though to my chagrin I determined that I overcounted my collection.  The Buchbinder will make it 60 cycles, which does count two incomplete but substantially complete cycles, the Gilels and Gieseking.  (For a purist, that means I will have a lowly 58 when then Buchbinder arrives - and that should be this weekend since the set already shipped.)


Annie Fischer
Arrau
Ashkenazy
Backhaus 1 & 2
Badura-Skoda (Gramola)
Barenboim 1, 2 & 3
Brautigam
Brendel 1, 2 & 3
Buchbinder 2 (on its way)
Ciani
Ciccolini
De Groote
El Bacha
Frank
Gieseking (Tahra)
Gilels
Goode
Grinburg
Gulda 1, 2 & 3
Heidsieck
Hobson
Jando
Kempff 1 & 2
Kovacevich
Kuerti
Kun-woo Paik
Levinas
Lewis
Lill
Lipkin
Lortie
Lucchesini
Mejoueva
Nakamichi
Nat
O'Conor
Oland
Perl
Pludermacher
Pommier
Roberts
Sako
Schiff
Schnabel
Sheppard
Sherman
Silverman
Sonoda 1
Wehr
Willems
Yokoyama
Zechlin

You forgot Gould -- if you don't know it there are some fantastic things there, especially among the early sonatas. For someone with your taste for interventionist pianism will relish his style, no doubt.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

premont

Quote from: Todd on June 29, 2011, 06:48:44 AM


Annie Fischer
Arrau
Ashkenazy
Backhaus 1 & 2
Badura-Skoda (Gramola)
Barenboim 1, 2 & 3
Brautigam
Brendel 1, 2 & 3
Buchbinder 2 (on its way)
Ciani
Ciccolini
De Groote
El Bacha
Frank
Gieseking (Tahra)
Gilels
Goode
Grinburg
Gulda 1, 2 & 3
Heidsieck
Hobson
Jando
Kempff 1 & 2
Kovacevich
Kuerti
Kun-woo Paik
Levinas
Lewis
Lill
Lipkin
Lortie
Lucchesini
Mejoueva
Nakamichi
Nat
O'Conor
Oland
Oppitz
Perl
Pludermacher
Pommier
Roberts
Sako
Schiff
Schnabel
Sheppard
Sherman
Silverman
Sonoda 1
Wehr
Willems
Yokoyama
Zechlin

Thanks for this list, Todd. We have (of course) a lot of overlapping. But this is my list:

Annie Fischer
Arrau 1 & 2
Ashkenazy
Backhaus 1 & 2
Badura-Skoda 1 & 2
Bilson and pupils
Biret
Barenboim 1, 2 & 3
Brautigam
Brendel 1, 2 & 3
Buchbinder 1 & 2
Ciccolini
Collective of Russian pianists
De Groote
El Bacha
Frank
Gieseking  1 & 2
Gilels
Goode
Grinberg
Gulda 2 & 3
Heidsieck
Hobson
Jando
Kempff 1 & 2
Kovacevich
Kuerti
Levinas
Lewis
Lill
Lortie
Lucchesini
Nat
Nicolajeva
O'Conor
Oland
Oppitz
Perl
Pludermacher
Pommier
Roberts
Schnabel
Sheppard
Willems
Yokoyama
Zechlin

That makes 57 sets

I used to own Ciani, Schiff and the almost complete Gould, and if I had kept them that would make 60, but they "shrunk" to much upon me with each listening.
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premont

Now I think we have supplied Jens with much stuff for the updating of his list.
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