Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[Mandryka]

Another extremely great, orgiginal and  beautiful record of the Hammerklavier is Hans Richter Haaser's.

Gould's Beethoven is IMO his most successful work on record, apart from 20th century music. He is particularly good in the bagatelles and big sets of variations, but also in many of the early sonatas.

I also like his Appassionata.

[Beale]

I couldn't help myself, I just had to go and listen to Gould's Hammerklavier (Youtube) and despite the perversity of approach (or maybe because of it) I enjoyed much of what I heard. Now before you knock the speed Gould adopts in the first movement, have a listen to Richter in both Prague and London and maybe you can see where Gould is coming from.
Maybe I should spring for the complete cycle (or maybe not)

Me too, I found myself liking Gould's playing (on Youtube). But somehow it reminds me of a younger Beethoven.

EDIT: BTW I don't believe there is a complete cycle as such. The Hammerklavier is found on a CD partnered with no.24

[Sergeant Rock]

EDIT: BTW I don't believe there is a complete cycle as such. The Hammerklavier is found on a CD partnered with no.24

You're right, of course. The Beethoven he recorded for Columbia (22 of 32):


PIANO SONATA #1 F MINOR OP.2/1
PIANO SONATA #2 A MAJOR OP.2/2
PIANO SONATA #3 C MAJOR OP.2/3
PIANO SONATA #5 C MINOR OP.10/1
PIANO SONATA #6 F MAJOR OP.10/2
PIANO SONATA #7 D MAJOR OP.10/3
PIANO SONATA #8 C MINOR OP.13 "PATHETIQUE"
PIANO SONATA #9 E MINOR OP.14/1
PIANO SONATA #10 G MAJOR OP.14/2
PIANO SONATA #12 A FLAT OP.26 "MARCIA FUNEBRE"
PIANO SONATA #13 E FLAT OP.27/1
PIANO SONATA #14 C SHARP MINOR OP. 27/2 "MOONLIGHT"
PIANO SONATA #15 D MAJOR OP.28 "PASTORALE"
PIANO SONATA #16 F G MAJOR OP.31/1
PIANO SONATA #17 D MINOR OP.31/2 "TEMPEST"
PIANO SONATA #18 E FLAT OP.31/3
PIANO SONATA #23 F MINOR OP.57 "APPASSIONATA"
PIANO SONATA #24 F SHARP OP.78 "À THÉRÈSE"
PIANO SONATA #29 B MAJOR OP.106 "HAMMERKLAVIER"
PIANO SONATA #30 E MAJOR OP.109
PIANO SONATA #31 A FLAT OP.110
PIANO SONATA #32 C MINOR OP.111


Sarge

[kishnevi]

I couldn't help myself, I just had to go and listen to Gould's Hammerklavier (Youtube) and despite the perversity of approach (or maybe because of it) I enjoyed much of what I heard. Now before you knock the speed Gould adopts in the first movement, have a listen to Richter in both Prague and London and maybe you can see where Gould is coming from.

What appeals to me about a lot of the Gould LvB (not much so far) that I've heard is the way he brings out elements that are actually there in the music yet don't appear in other pianists versions.

That said, I'm not going to stick Gould up there as one of the great Beethoven pianists but he certainly has a lot of interesting and to my mind, relevant things to say.

Maybe I should spring for the complete cycle (or maybe not)

Two things to be forewarned about:
--Gould's habit of vocalizing over the music is especially noticeable in some of these recordings, especially in the Op. 10 works--enough to ruin it for me.

--the Sony budget box titled "Glenn Gould plays Beethoven" does not contain the full set of recordings.  It does contain the concertos and therefore is probably the most economical choice if you want to hear him in the concertos, but you'll still be missing ten sonatas.  The Sonatas included in the set are No. 5-10, 12-14, and 30-32.

Additional thread duty:  my copy of Bavouzet's first volume of the sonatas landed today.

[Todd]

Additional thread duty:  my copy of Bavouzet's first volume of the sonatas landed today.

Mine did, too.  I have some listening to do.

[Leon]

You're right, of course. The Beethoven he recorded for Columbia (22 of 32):


PIANO SONATA #1 F MINOR OP.2/1
PIANO SONATA #2 A MAJOR OP.2/2
PIANO SONATA #3 C MAJOR OP.2/3
PIANO SONATA #5 C MINOR OP.10/1
PIANO SONATA #6 F MAJOR OP.10/2
PIANO SONATA #7 D MAJOR OP.10/3
PIANO SONATA #8 C MINOR OP.13 "PATHETIQUE"
PIANO SONATA #9 E MINOR OP.14/1
PIANO SONATA #10 G MAJOR OP.14/2
PIANO SONATA #12 A FLAT OP.26 "MARCIA FUNEBRE"
PIANO SONATA #13 E FLAT OP.27/1
PIANO SONATA #14 C SHARP MINOR OP. 27/2 "MOONLIGHT"
PIANO SONATA #15 D MAJOR OP.28 "PASTORALE"
PIANO SONATA #16 F G MAJOR OP.31/1
PIANO SONATA #17 D MINOR OP.31/2 "TEMPEST"
PIANO SONATA #18 E FLAT OP.31/3
PIANO SONATA #23 F MINOR OP.57 "APPASSIONATA"
PIANO SONATA #24 F SHARP OP.78 "À THÉRÈSE"
PIANO SONATA #29 B MAJOR OP.106 "HAMMERKLAVIER"
PIANO SONATA #30 E MAJOR OP.109
PIANO SONATA #31 A FLAT OP.110
PIANO SONATA #32 C MINOR OP.111


Sarge

My son had given me the boxset of the Original Jacket Collection, but the recording of Op. 106 does not appear to be included.  It was recorded in 1968, on Columbia, so I am unsure why it is missing.

Hmmm ...  I am not a big Gould fan, but now my curoisity is piqued.

EDIT: I think I figured out why it's not in the big box, this recording was released much later after it was recorded, maybe even after his death, and may have been from a radio broadcast.  I am listening to the Youtube track of the first movement; so far: meh.

[Sergeant Rock]

EDIT: I think I figured out why it's not in the big box, this recording was released much later after it was recorded, maybe even after his death, and may have been from a radio broadcast.  I am listening to the Youtube track of the first movement; so far: meh.

It was originally recorded for the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp) in 1970 and released by Sony on CD for the first time in 1993 as part of The Glenn Gould Edition:



Sarge

[Beale]

EDIT: I think I figured out why it's not in the big box, this recording was released much later after it was recorded, maybe even after his death, and may have been from a radio broadcast.  I am listening to the Youtube track of the first movement; so far: meh.

I believe it was not a studio recording, but like you said a radio broadcast.

Listening to Gould had me thinking just how much Beethoven's deafness had affected his late compositions. He was completely deaf at that stage, and had to rely on the vibrations of his floorbroad to hear his piano.

[Opus106]

Listening to Gould had me thinking just how much Beethoven's deafness had affected his late compositions.

How so? I'm not sure I understand the connection.

Thread duty (sort of):

http://www.youtube.com/v/udgu1cHHa0k

A live performance by Brendel*. While not quite "rowdy" as I would like it to be, the first movement is much preferable to Gould.


*Doesn't he remind one of Eric Morecambe?

[Sergeant Rock]

I believe it was not a studio recording, but like you said a radio broadcast..

No, it is a studio recording made by the CBC. According to a letter by Gould quoted in the liner notes, they finally overcame a series of scheduling problems and finished it "by Dec 1970." I assume the recording was subsequently broadcast.

Sarge

[Leon]

No, it is a studio recording made by the CBC. According to a letter by Gould quoted in the liner notes, they finally overcame a series of scheduling problems and finished it "by Dec 1970." I assume the recording was subsequently broadcast.

Sarge

It no doubt is a studio recording, you have much more information at hand to go on, but the sound, at least judging from the Youtube clip is rather bad, which is why I took one of the comments to be credible that it may have been from a broadcast.  In any event, I did not find his interpretation impressive enough to fill the gap in my Original Jacket Collection, which is really more Gould than I know what to do with.

His Bach + 20th Century recordings make the box worthwhile; the other stuff I hardly listen to.

[Mandryka]

Some random things

John Ogdon recorded the hammerklavier on LP but it's never been on CD as far as I know. I think it's wonderful, fortunately it's on youtube, here's a bit of it:

http://www.youtube.com/v/O6M-8HUGFuY

If anyone knows who I can get a CD or a download of it please let me know.

I like the Gould rhythmically and because of some of the contrapuntal ideas. I like the spirit of it and the tempo.

I listened to a few again, inluding Lim and Takacs and Richter-Haaser. Neither Lim or Takacs inspired me -- that could be me of course. But Richter-Haaser does, and I recmend it especially of you don't care for big monumental readings

[Holden]

Some random things

John Ogdon recorded the hammerklavier on LP but it's never been on CD as far as I know. I think it's wonderful, fortunately it's on youtube, here's a bit of it:

http://www.youtube.com/v/O6M-8HUGFuY

If anyone knows who I can get a CD or a download of it please let me know.

I like the Gould rhythmically and because of some of the contrapuntal ideas. I like the spirit of it and the tempo.

I listened to a few again, inluding Lim and Takacs and Richter-Haaser. Neither Lim or Takacs inspired me -- that could be me of course. But Richter-Haaser does, and I recmend it especially of you don't care for big monumental readings

According to the Ogdon website, the recording never made it past the LP stage unless anyone can interpret this differently.

RCA Θ LSC-3123 / SB6821    

[Todd]

Over on rmcr there was mention that Stewart Goodyear's cycle is going to be released as a box soon.  I'd bought the first two volumes in anticipation of buying them all one at a time, but no!  It's like the Lim set.  Well, in that one regard only.

Goodyear, Lim, Bavouzet, and FFG all brand-spankin' new, with Jumppanen on the way, and Kikuchi and Nodaira available in the land of the rising sun.  I though I was out of new cycles to buy.  Whew!

[Oldnslow]

If the FFG set continues to be as good as the   3 disc volume number one, it could set the standard for modern Beethoven sonata cycles. Just fantastic playing, and the fact it is live (assuming no edits---admittedly a big assumption) makes it even more impressive. Phenomenal sound from the Arsenal de Metz only adds to its appeal. Could be the best cycle since Fischer and Gulda.

[Fred]

As mentioned above, I've been listening to Kikuchi (had a thing about Japanese pianists recently) and would put him technically in the same league as Yokoyama (which in my book is pretty damn high).  But maybe it's because Yokoyama's set is taped live (I did hear a couple of rustles) he seems to have more juice.  In fact I find Yokoyama really good (if you can track down a set these days). I see he's now about 40.  Would be pretty excited if he decided to do another set.   If you want to dip into Kikuchi, you can get the middle sonatas (2 cds) on 7digital for about $9.99 MP3/MP4320.

Has anyone listened to all three (?) of the Sonoda sets?  Any recommendations on the best.

[Todd]

If the FFG set continues to be as good as the   3 disc volume number one, it could set the standard for modern Beethoven sonata cycles.

Pretty much, though I hasten to add that Lucchesini plays at as exalted a level.  Since Lucchesini has started dabbling in period instruments, perhaps he will record a second cycle. 

Has anyone listened to all three (?) of the Sonoda sets?  Any recommendations on the best.

I think there are only two sets, though clearly I could be wrong.  In any event, I have the Denon set and it's extremely good.  Among Japanese pianists that I've heard, Akiyoshi Sako's is the only one that compares overall.  If ever the yen falls, I plan on going for the Evica set. 

Yokoyama should indeed record another cycle.  His single studio disc was better than the live stuff, which I find a bit uneven.  Then again, Yokoyama is better in romantic repertoire to my ears.  His Chopin and Liszt are extremely fine, and the Franck/Faure violin sonatas disc is amazing, though a good part of that is the amazing sound.

[Fred]

Thanks for that.  I will head off in pursuit of Sonoda and Sako.  Amazing what nimble fingers on the internet can find.   

[Leon]

Some sets I have not heard but have gotten some good comments - the Kuerti and Perl appear to be hard to find; Bernard Roberts can be had for around $25 (probably a good bet) - I've never heard of David Allen Wehr and would welcome some comments.

Alfredo Perl?

Anton Kuerti?

Bernard Roberts?

David Allen Wehr?

[Todd]

Alfredo Perl?

Well played, somewhat leisurely tempos, not so hot sound.  A very good, "middle of the road" set.


Anton Kuerti?

His complete cycle is extremely idiosyncratic, and prone to very slow tempos in slow movements.  Mostly bizarre misses for me, though when he hits, it can be amazing (31/1).  His later recordings are better, and he was magnificent in person.


Bernard Roberts?

Well played, just about perfect tempos, decent sound.  One of the best "middle of the road" sets.


David Allen Wehr?

Very well played, with unusually prominent left hand playing throughout.  Powerful, vigourous, it's no wimpy LvB.  On par with Roberts, or thereabouts. 

None of the cycles really rates as a great, but they're good to hear.