Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[Fred]

Stewart Goodyear's 106 is fantastic if you like a blistering seat-of-your pants style at Beethoven's markings (which is the only style I like).  Gilels just puts me to sleep.  I find it unlistenable.  Charles Rosen's second recording (coupled with 101) is also pretty devil-may-care.  Also love Valentina Litsitsa  [sic???] for similar reasons.

[xochitl]

i actually loved Lewis' 106 [and am definitely not a fan of most of his cycle]

Goode's is also really interesting

Brautigam takes the prize probably

and has anybody seen/heard nobuyuki tsujii? this one really moves me and i cant really figure out why!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0oXtOGMsKI

[Todd]

i actually loved Lewis' 106 [and am definitely not a fan of most of his cycle]

Indeed.  If Lewis' entire cycle was as good as 106, it would be one of the great cycles.  It was not to be.

Of recent new (for me) 106s, Eschenbach's DG recording is the most impressive, one of the best committed to disc to my ears.  Goodyear's is also superb.

[Leon]

Re: Op. 106

I echo the praise for Stewart Goodyear's playing of this sonata, arguably Beethoven's most demanding - but his first movement may be a bit too fast for my taste. However, I am not a fan of the "old school" approach to play the first movement with grand nobility, and instead prefer a more period accurate and appropriate faster tempo and lighter touch - but not as fast or light as Goodyear. 

Better to my ears than Goodyear, are Peter Takacs and F. F. Guy, who may be the best of these three.

A recording done about ten years ago by Stephen Kovacevich is also recommended.  He cycle (ten years in the making) is not often mentioned but is very good overall, imo. 

[Beale]

I've just been watching Valentina Lisitsa play 106 on youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TwysjbPmus ). Would that be considered too fast?

[Opus106]

I've just been watching Valentina Lisitsa play 106 on youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TwysjbPmus ). Would that be considered too fast?

I wouldn't. Here's a short sample from Goodyear, whom I haven't heard before but, after the recent posts, my interest is now piqued.

[Sammy]

I've just been watching Valentina Lisitsa play 106 on youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TwysjbPmus ). Would that be considered too fast?

No, definitely within the mainstream of tempos.

[Mandryka]

Hi, newbie question.

The OP posted this in 2007:
29. "Hammerklavier"   Pollini – Gulda, Fischer, Solomon, Serkin, Yudina, Barenboim, Nat, Backhaus, Kempff(m), Gilels

Does this list for op106 still hold today? Are there any newcomers worth considering, e.g. Paul Lewis?

Stephen Beus on youtube and Lucchesini on EMI.

The OP's list leaves out some interesting oldies, most obviously Glenn Gould and  Ernst Levy and Arrau and Annie Fischer but also I think Richter is worth hearing.

[Opus106]

Re: Op. 106

...most obviously Glenn Gould...

Oh my goodness, the pauses are killing me! [As I listen to the piece on YouTube.]

[early grey]

You can hear Louis Kentner's recording of the Hammerklavier Sonata on my site
http://www.cliveheathmusic.co.uk/transcriptions_07.php
      I think he qualifies as "an interesting oldie"!

[Karl Henning]

Re: Op. 106
Oh my goodness, the pauses are killing me! [As I listen to the piece on YouTube.]

Gould in Beethoven . . . it's the musical version of a hostile take-over.

[Leon]

Gould in Beethoven . . . it's the musical version of a hostile take-over.

I will say, though, that Gould's Beethoven is better than his outright abuse of Haydn and Mozart.   

Re: Op. 106, Claude Frank is very good from the older school.

[Mandryka]

Another  one to try is Frederic Rzewski's Hammerklavier recording. How many times has François-Frédéric Guy recorded it?  I too have high expectations from Peter Takacs. I'll play it this weekend. I heard Demidenko play it once very interestingly but I haven't heard the CD.

Another favourite of mine is Brendel's live CD from a Vienna concert.

[Leon]

I went back and listened to a couple of recordings that I like very much but somehow never seem to figure large when I think of offering recommendations:

John O'Conor
Richard Goode


Both of these pianists play the Hammerklavier the way I like it, and the recorded sound of their sets are excellent.

George Pludermacher, OTOH, seems jerky at times and somewhat sloppy, but does convey the right kind of energy.

[snyprrr]

Unless 'you' say NO, I'm going for Pollini's 'Late Sonatas' on the 'Originals' (that's the 'corrected' sound, right?). I have no LvB.

[George]

Unless 'you' say NO, I'm going for Pollini's 'Late Sonatas' on the 'Originals' (that's the 'corrected' sound, right?).

I prefer the sound on the original issue:



http://www.amazon.com/Late-Piano-Sonatas-28-32-Beethoven/dp/B000001G7E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1339079275&sr=8-4

I have no LvB.

I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.

[Karl Henning]

I have no LvB.

What! Not even the . . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . . string quartets!!!!

[Opus106]

What! Not even the . . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . . string quartets!!!!

In snyprrr's defence, they are pre-Berlioz-the-composer.

[Sergeant Rock]

The OP's list leaves out some interesting oldies, most obviously Glenn Gould

Re: Op. 106
Oh my goodness, the pauses are killing me!

You need lots of patience to get through Gould's Hammerklavier...I think the wait is worth it 

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Gould in Beethoven . . . it's the musical version of a hostile take-over.

He actually admired that sonata, and was more than a little intimidated by it. When he was finally persuaded to record it, he gave it much thought, much study and, in my opinion, gave us one of the great Hammerklaviers. Well, one of the most interesting ones anyway.

Sarge