Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[Scion7]

Robert Riefling was a student of Kempff.  He won the 1938 Queen Elizabeth Competition.  His career spanned over 6 decades.
He was one of the best Norwegian pianists ever.  He recorded the complete Beethoven cycle on Valois in the Sixties.
MHS licensed it - you could buy the box of 11 LP's or go for them individually.  I bought two of them, but one of them had a chip in it, so I sent it back.
Kept this one - great performance, great piano sound, but there is some tape hiss that is noticeable ... on CD (Simax) they probably dealt with this in some way?

           click image


Interestingly, the Nazi occupation forces in Norway arrested him twice in '42 and '43, but haven't read why.

[Todd]

on CD (Simax) they probably dealt with this in some way?

The Simax LvB CD is the only disc Riefling completed of a projected second cycle.  It was his last recording.  It is quite good.  As far as I can tell, the Valois cycle has never been partly or wholly reissued on CD.

[Scion7]

[Que]

BEETHOVEN. Piano Sonatas: No. 30 in E major, Op. 109; No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110. Maurizio PoIBM. DG 2530 645 (3.25).

As a youngster I thought I'd try the famous late Beethoven sonatas in that performance everybody was raving about, by Pollini. I hated it, and still do.

I only made my peace with this music many years later, when encountering the recordings by Solomon, and later others, like Fischer, Schnabel and Komen.

Q

[George]

As a youngster I thought I'd try the famous late Beethoven sonatas in that performance everybody was raving about, by Pollini. I hated it, and still do.

I only made my peace with this music many years later, when encountering the recordings by Solomon, and later others, like Fischer, Schnabel and Komen.

Q

Imagine how hard someone would have to try to muck up Op. 110. In my view it is the greatest of all the Beethoven sonatas. Serkin's 1960 is my current favorite.

[Que]

Imagine how hard someone would have to try to muck up Op. 110. In my view it is the greatest of all the Beethoven sonatas. Serkin's 1960 is my current favorite.

I really should look into Serkin - you have been favouring them for years now.  I love his collaborations with the Busch Quartet. Oh, and let's not forget his LvB concertos with Kubelik (Orfeo) - epic stuff... Are those early Beethoven sonata recordings still availble?

Q

[Scion7]

As a youngster I thought I'd try the famous late Beethoven sonatas in that performance everybody was raving about, by Pollini. I hated it, and still do.

Q

good Lord, WHY???  Those are MARVELOUS records!!

[Que]

good Lord, WHY???  Those are MARVELOUS records!!

That's actually very hard to explain...

It seems perfect, but I fail to connect to it emotionally - it seems complety artifical. I want to hear more than just the notes... Is Pollini an obsessive compulsive perfectionist? It sure sounds like it. It also seem that his menal frame of mind might be lightyears away from Beethoven's, as least that is how I perceive it. Where is the life, the passion?

Q

[mc ukrneal]

That's actually very hard to explain...

It seems perfect, but I fail to connect to it emotionally - it seems complety artifical. I want to hear more than just the notes... Is Pollini an obsessive compulsive perfectionist? It sure sounds like it. It also seem that his menal frame of mind might be lightyears away from Beethoven's, as least that is how I perceive it. Where is the life, the passion?

Q

I can understand this. Pollini doesn't do all of the bombast that some do and he does not overdo the angst (perhaps even underdoes it). He tends to take things a bit faster and with less stres on romantic aspects (which is what gives it a 'colder' feeling). At least, this is what I feel he does in no 30 (op 109). I think this what you are reacting to (at least in part). Have you heard Kovacevich? He goes the other way in terms of making a statement.

[Que]

I can understand this. Pollini doesn't do all of the bombast that some do and he does not overdo the angst (perhaps even underdoes it). He tends to take things a bit faster and with less stres on romantic aspects (which is what gives it a 'colder' feeling). At least, this is what I feel he does in no 30 (op 109). I think this what you are reacting to (at least in part). Have you heard Kovacevich? He goes the other way in terms of making a statement.

I'm not looking for bombast, I assure you! None of the pianists I mentioned do bombast (Solomon being a good example).

Kovacevich.... I did admire his early LvB recordings and eagerly anticipated his complete cycle. When it finally arived, it dissapointed. I still could hear elements or moments of the old Kovacevich I admired, but it often seemed as if it didn't come naturally to him anymore, sounding forced.  I guess that's what you are referring to.

Q

[Henk]

I don't have anything by Pollini. I avoided his performance of the Chopin's Nocturnes. The guy is too slick.

Henk

[mc ukrneal]

I'm not looking for bombast, I assure you! None of the pianists I mentioned do bombast (Solomon being a good example).
Q

Solomon uses more rubato than Pollini and is more flexible with tempo (it seems to me anyway). But perhaps bombast is not the best word. Solomon makes great contrasts in dynamics, more so than Pollini I think. So when the climax comes, it is in some ways more effective. This is how I meant bombast in this context.

[George]

I really should look into Serkin - you have been favouring them for years now.  I love his collaborations with the Busch Quartet. Oh, and let's not forget his LvB concertos with Kubelik (Orfeo) - epic stuff... Are those early Beethoven sonata recordings still availble?

Q

Some are, yes. I wrote a guide to Serkin's Beethoven awhile back that should be helpful:

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,10878.msg271144.html#msg271144

[UberB]

I am a big fan of Beethoven's piano sonatas and have listened to many recordings of these works. In my opinion no one comes close to the live recordings of Richter and Gilels in these works. Gilels' studio DG set contains some very fine performances (op. 53, op. 101 and many of the early sonatas that he never had a chance to record live) but both pianists were entirely different beasts when playing live. For any fans of the New Testament of piano music, you owe it to yourself to hear these recordings:

Richter in Leipzig for op. 109, 110, 111.

Richter's 1975 Aldeburgh on BBC legends contains my favorite op. 2 no. 3 and op. 106.

Richter's Prague recordings for op. 10 no. 3, op. 26, op. 31 no. 2 and op. 31 no. 3.

Richter's recording of op. 101 on Brilliant Classics

Richter's op. 57 on Melodiya

Gilels' op. 81a and op. 90 on Brilliant Classics

For a complete set I would recommend Annie Fischer. For complete sets in good sound...none. I have the highest demands for this music

[Madiel]

Goodness me, 60 pages worth...

The only complete set I have is Kovacevich.  Very exciting at times, but... is it just me, or is he sometimes just pressing TOO hard?  I like a lot of his work, but in certain places I want him to relax more.

The one I noticed recently was the slow movement of op.7, which I may have biases about because it's something I've played myself.  And Kovacevich just doesn't seem to let the silences hang in the air the way they should.  The other recording of that one I have is Jeno Jando on Naxos, and I like it much better.

No one set is always going to work, but I suppose I'm asking, who else might be a good choice for those occasions when I think Kovacevich has taken his intense approach too far?  I don't want laid-back, it's just that sometimes I don't want totally manic!

[Mandryka]

Goodness me, 60 pages worth...

The only complete set I have is Kovacevich.  Very exciting at times, but... is it just me, or is he sometimes just pressing TOO hard?  I like a lot of his work, but in certain places I want him to relax more.

The one I noticed recently was the slow movement of op.7, which I may have biases about because it's something I've played myself.  And Kovacevich just doesn't seem to let the silences hang in the air the way they should.  The other recording of that one I have is Jeno Jando on Naxos, and I like it much better.

No one set is always going to work, but I suppose I'm asking, who else might be a good choice for those occasions when I think Kovacevich has taken his intense approach too far?  I don't want laid-back, it's just that sometimes I don't want totally manic!

Schnabel

[mc ukrneal]

Goodness me, 60 pages worth...

The only complete set I have is Kovacevich.  Very exciting at times, but... is it just me, or is he sometimes just pressing TOO hard?  I like a lot of his work, but in certain places I want him to relax more.

The one I noticed recently was the slow movement of op.7, which I may have biases about because it's something I've played myself.  And Kovacevich just doesn't seem to let the silences hang in the air the way they should.  The other recording of that one I have is Jeno Jando on Naxos, and I like it much better.

No one set is always going to work, but I suppose I'm asking, who else might be a good choice for those occasions when I think Kovacevich has taken his intense approach too far?  I don't want laid-back, it's just that sometimes I don't want totally manic!

Gilels is the one I have targeted next. Kempff might be a good fit based on what you wrote. I find the newly boxed Arrau an interesting choice too.

[Que]

Goodness me, 60 pages worth...

The only complete set I have is Kovacevich.  Very exciting at times, but... is it just me, or is he sometimes just pressing TOO hard?  I like a lot of his work, but in certain places I want him to relax more.

No, it's not just you!

Q

[prémont]

Goodness me, 60 pages worth...

The only complete set I have is Kovacevich.  Very exciting at times, but... is it just me, or is he sometimes just pressing TOO hard?  I like a lot of his work, but in certain places I want him to relax more.

I think it is just sometimes, not generally. And there are other and well-thought-of pianists, who do similar things, e.g. Schnabel, who sometimes presses beyond his own ability in fast movements.

[Todd]

is it just me, or is he sometimes just pressing TOO hard?

No, it's not just you.  Kovacevich pushes too hard quite a bit, especially in the earlier sonatas.

No one set is always going to work, but I suppose I'm asking, who else might be a good choice for those occasions when I think Kovacevich has taken his intense approach too far?  I don't want laid-back, it's just that sometimes I don't want totally manic!

There are many.  Kempff, Takacs, Heidsieck, Brendel, Lortie, Lucchesini, O'Conor, for instance.