Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[Brian]

I am listening to the Pastoral at the moment. It is one of my favourite LvB PS from both a performance and listening perspective. I prefer a more leisurely approach to this work than Guy gives it.

Agreed; Gilels DG is my soft spot there, but I do love FFG's wit in the scherzo.

Appassionata - is Gilels '61 the Brilliant recording? I remember that being volcanic.

[George]

Agreed; Gilels DG is my soft spot there, but I do love FFG's wit in the scherzo.

Very few pianists get the Pastoral sonata right, IMO. Less than any other sonata, in my experience. Out of about 20 pianists, only 4 impress me in this work:

Kovacevich on EMI is the best I have heard, then comes Gulda, Kempff(st) and Schnabel.

Appassionata - is Gilels '61 the Brilliant recording? I remember that being volcanic.

Indeed it is.

[Lilas Pastia]

Not sonatas, but still among Beethoven's interesting smaller works: the Bagatelles. A couple are very well-known,  but they are recorded less often than the Variations, let alone the Sonatas. The EMI box I currently investigate has them all (as well as the Diabelli and Eroica variations) played by Georges Solchany. I'm no piano expert, and not knowledgeable enough on these works to pass an opinion, and furthermore have never heard of Solchany before, but I thoroughly enjoyed that disc.

[DavidRoss]

speaking of this thread's favorite performer,  this just came across my email transom.

"Her chart topping debut is finally available as an 8-CD boxset!"

Your description of her as this thread's favorite performer (tongue drilling through your cheek, no doubt) finally persuaded me to sample some of the best loved sonatas from her set--Hammerklavier, Moonlight, and Waldstein.  Her skill at playing certain passages very quickly is admirable, no doubt, but it does not make her a musician and the bizarre and erratic rhythmic instability displayed in what I heard suggest that she lacks a musician's soul.

Are there really people who like this sort of thing? And shy do such things still surprise me? Slow learner, I guess. [insert shrug emoticon]

[Brian]

[insert shrug emoticon]

Here ya go!

By the way, I encourage you to try FFGuy's "Moonlight" to compare. Tempos in the last two mvts are more or less identical -

Lim-------Guy
4:27       5:45
2:12       2:11
7:15       7:02
=13:54  =14:58

which makes it VERY easy to compare someone with a musical soul, with someone who does not have it. And, of course, proves that tempo isn't everything!


EDIT: Unrelated: looking through listings of new releases, I saw that Leif Ove Andsnes is planning to spend the next 4 years recording Beethoven for Sony. His first-ever Beethoven CD (PCs 1 and 3) comes out next month, but four years of effort suggests more than just the concertos. He apparently started playing Beethoven in recitals last year.

[Mandryka]

Very few pianists get the Pastoral sonata right, IMO. Less than any other sonata, in my experience. Out of about 20 pianists, only 4 impress me in this work:

Kovacevich on EMI is the best I have heard, then comes Gulda, Kempff(st) and Schnabel.

What do you want from a performance of it?

There are so many different recordings of this, including from people like Sofronitsky and Sokolov and Bashkirov and Edwin Fischer and Moravec and Mustonen and Levy, who didn't record much Beethoven. It would be an interesting project to understand the different approaches etc.

[DavidRoss]

Here ya go!

Thanks, Bri!

By the way, I encourage you to try FFGuy's "Moonlight" to compare. Timings in the last two mvts are more or less identical -
which makes it VERY easy to compare someone with a musical soul, with someone who does not have it.

Amen. And Guy really is good enough that I foresee another complete sonata cycle in my future. Though Ms Lim's costs 1/3 as much, excepting cover pictures it offers less than 1/10 the value. (And I can easily imagine that women and gays find Guy's cover photos at least as stimulating as Ms Lim's.)

[xochitl]

he is kinda dreamy 

[Coopmv]

speaking of this thread's favorite performer,  this just came across my email transom.

"Her chart topping debut is finally available as an 8-CD boxset!"


There's also a little clip of her talking about the sonatas, if you care to listen (I didn't). And of course also a link to click if you want to buy (I didn't).
http://m.news.emihosting.com/nl/jsp/m.jsp?c=fdd33545e302e26538

Not sure if you have read this article.  I haven't since I generally do not bother with NYT ...

[Todd]

Unrelated: looking through listings of new releases, I saw that Leif Ove Andsnes is planning to spend the next 4 years recording Beethoven for Sony

This is most excellent news.  Andsnes and Endres are the two pianists I'd most like to hear in Beethoven.  (Schuch and Volodos are not far behind.)  Four years sure seems to imply either a sonata cycle, or at least a good chunk of the sonatas.

[Mandryka]

I listened to George's favourite Pastorale. .  I can't explain this but what I'm aware of most when I listen is his force. The strength of his body on the piano. I don't like it.

I was impressed very much by Annie Fischer's and by Gould's -- but most of all by Lucchesini, which isn't at all turbulent, it's simple and peaceful, yet to me it's very meaningful -- I can't say why, and certainly doesn't trivialise the music. 

[Todd]

Not sure if you have read this article.  I haven't since I generally do not bother with NYT ...

Certainly one can surmise that Lim knows more about Beethoven than Serkin.  I mean, she recorded more sonatas than that old man.  Sheesh.

My takeaway from the article is to look into David Greilsammer.

[George]

I listened to George's favourite Pastorale. .  I can't explain this but what I'm aware of most when I listen is his force. The strength of his body on the piano. I don't like it.

It's funny, that was my criticism of his entire EMI set. However, in the Pastorale, he uses it as a contrast with the more gentle passages. I also like his tempo choices.

I should listen again to Moravec, Levy, Sofronitsky and Edwin Fischer (if I have it.)

[Mandryka]

It's funny, that was my criticism of his entire EMI set. However, in the Pastorale, he uses it as a contrast with the more gentle passages. I also like his tempo choices.

I should listen again to Moravec, Levy, Sofronitsky and Edwin Fischer (if I have it.)

Of that bunch I thought Moravec's live one from Brussels and Sofronitsky's were particularly impressive.

[George]

Of that bunch I thought Moravec's live one from Brussels and Sofronitsky's were particularly impressive.

Ok, will check them out.

[Holden]

George, two that you might like to hear are Sokolov from the Paris Concert DVD and also Gilels. Barenboim from his EMI set is also very good IMO. Like Mandryka, i prefer a more sedate approach within which you can certainly use contrast to highlight the phrasing.

BTW, where can I hear the Levy?

[George]

George, two that you might like to hear are Sokolov from the Paris Concert DVD and also Gilels. Barenboim from his EMI set is also very good IMO. Like Mandryka, i prefer a more sedate approach within which you can certainly use contrast to highlight the phrasing.

BTW, where can I hear the Levy?

Don't have the Sokolov or Barenboim, the Gilels I find too slow.

The Levy was released on Marston Records. All of the Levy volumes in that series are excellent. If you want to try before you buy, PM me.

[Holden]

Don't have the Sokolov or Barenboim, the Gilels I find too slow.

The Levy was released on Marston Records. All of the Levy volumes in that series are excellent. If you want to try before you buy, PM me.

...whereas I really like the pace of the Gilels.

Sokolov gives a very intense performance and the whole concert is now on Youtube. The two Sonatas Op 14 are also very well played.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7qUMHm3LOI&feature=related

I have Levy I and II but don't have III so if I could have a sample it would be great. Spotify don't have this and neither does NML.

[George]

...whereas I really like the pace of the Gilels.

I'll try it again, as it's been awhile.

Sokolov gives a very intense performance and the whole concert is now on Youtube. The two Sonatas Op 14 are also very well played.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7qUMHm3LOI&feature=related

I have Levy I and II but don't have III so if I could have a sample it would be great. Spotify don't have this and neither does NML.

Thanks!

Sure, give me a day or two. If I forget, please remind me.

[Mandryka]

the Gilels I find too slow.

I can imagine what you're gonna say about Sokolov then.

It's the sort of recording which works well in its own terms but if you listen to it when you've got more conventional interpretations still ringing in your head, it's impossible. I suppose in a concert you get swept along by the event inevitably. There are quite a few records like that -- some of those Richter concertos are like that I would say. Well worth having just to hear what can be done with the music. It's very nuanced, very polished and refined, great piano tone, and you know, he's musical, so there's a story told and there are magic moments and all that kind of  stuff.