Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[DavidRoss]

"Entonces Bioy Casares recordó que uno de los heresiarcas de Uqbar había declarado que los espejos y la cópula son abominables, porque multiplican el número de los hombres."
-- Borges, Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius

And our growing human population not only causes some of the ills more noteworthy in recent decades, but exacerbates all of them while simultaneously impeding correction. 

[Wakefield]

And our growing human population not only causes some of the ills more noteworthy in recent decades, but exacerbates all of them while simultaneously impeding correction.

"Then Bioy Casares recalled that one of the heresiarchs of Uqbar had stated that mirrors and copulation are abominable, because both of them increase the number of human beings."

I like this quotation because of the arbitrary assimilation between "copulation" and "mirrors", generously attributed by Borges to his great friend Adolfo Bioy Casares (a married man and a well-known lover of beautiful girls).

[Coopmv]

What date range for the original release(s) of these cd's/lp's?  Buchbinder is new to me, but may be something I could like (if not from the 1920's or '30's).

I was introduced to Buchbinder by the following CD set and the CD single.  I have owned the latter for probably 20 years and always wondered if Buchbinder has ever recorded the entire Beethoven Sonatas works and here it is ...

[AndyD.]

To be honest, I mostly only listen to the late piano sonatas, and my set of Pollini's interpretations more than fulfills me. I do have the Brendel complete Decca set though.

[Mandryka]

Anybody have thoughts on Steven Osborne's two CDs (sonatas, bagatelles)?

I'm sorry for not responding sooner, I had meant to but I forgot.

He's one of the pianists I follow -- you know, if he plays in London I normally go to the concert, I buy the CDs. I think he's the best British pianist of his generation around.

The sonatas CD is something which for me is most valuable for the Op 79, which happens to be a favourite sonata. It's slighly heavier and more serious than many performances of it, wonderful colours in the slow movement, where he plays the music bery tenderly. The final movement is playful and slighly boisterous. I like it very much.

I also like the Waldstein there. That shows that he can be quite muscular and vigorous and full of fire aswell as colouful and rapt.  The end of the Waldstein is so exciting it's dangerous. The other two sonatas I hardly ever play, just because the music has been off my radar for a while.

Osborne is a pianist with a face, there's nothing bland about these interpretations, and nothing eccentric neither. The tone he makes is burnished, he has an enormous dynamic range and he is an expert at shading, colouring, balancing chords, layering voices. This boy can drive a concert grand. The quality of the recording technically is excellent.

When you listen to him, you forget other performances.

I bought the bagatelles CD but I've only had the chance to play it once. I enjoyed what I heard. I have heard him play OP 126 in concert very impressively. He's good in short pieces -- Beethoven, Vingt Regards,  Mikrokosmos.

[jlaurson]

Off-topic: Something really bad happened to the world in the 70s. L... I was a teenager in the second half of the 80s, but still so I'm nostalgic of the 60s. 

Obviously you're not black or gay or female.

[Mandryka]

I listened again  to Osborne's bagatelles. My take on this is now as follows: it's well recorded and consistently well played. Slightly less vigorous and slightly more serious, less playful, than Kovacevich. That may be because  he chooses slower speeds. Osborne tends to be charming, and he has a wonderful touch and nice tone. If you want a single CD with all the music then this will do the job.

He never quite seemed to get to the heights, the imaginative heights, that you hear from time to time from  Pletnev or Sanchez or Richter or Komen or Schnabel or maybe  Kempff and Gould.

[johndoe21ro]

My favourite interpretation of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas is Richard Goode's box from Nonesuch Records (1993). The power of Goode's playing,  the beauty, the subtlety of control, the amazingly wide tonality, the great dynamic range, the freshness, the precission, the sureness, the imagination and the empathy are overwhelming. Don't feel free to pick the winner until you listen to Goode. He is simply too good...




P.S. Alfred Brendel should be tried too (Decca 2011).

[xochitl]

the goode cycle has been sitting in my ipod for a year and i still havent heard it.  [i've sampled op.31 and 57 and was extremely impressed tho]

better get on that

[DavidRoss]

My favourite interpretation of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas is Richard Goode's box from Nonesuch Records (1993). The power of Goode's playing,  the beauty, the subtlety of control, the amazingly wide tonality, the great dynamic range, the freshness, the precission, the sureness, the imagination and the empathy are overwhelming. Don't feel free to pick the winner until you listen to Goode. He is simply too good...

Yay!

He's not too popular on this forum, however. Beats me why. Too much critical AND popular approval? (We do so want our tastes to be distinguished by exclusivity indicating that we are among the very select few with the critical faculties and judgment to appreciate the understated brilliance of Jerry Lee Lewis's Hammerklavier, available only as a bootlegged private recording if you know Guido personally and have the password.)

Even Kovacevich (another of my faves) gets an occasional grudging nod of approval from our resident tastemakers, but Goode?  Never!

[Opus106]

That is an obvisous exaggeration, David. I know for a fact that every member of this board agrees that he is Goode.

[DavidRoss]

 

That is an obvisous exaggeration, David. I know for a fact that every member of this board agrees that he is Goode.

mea culpa (I'm so ashamed  )

[Gurn Blanston]

mea culpa (I'm so ashamed  )

It's OK, David. I am equally enthusiastic about John O'Conor, and you see the shortness of the shrift that HE gets!  Which is surprising in its way, since none other than Todd the Tastesetter is the only other endorser that I can recall. His was my favorite cycle before Badura-Skoda, and still is on a modern piano. I have no opinion of Goode though, not knowing his work as I don't. 

[George]

What I can't understand is why some folk seem to need others to enjoy their favorites. Why isn't enough that you love them?

[DavidRoss]

My current favorites that are in process of completion are Jonathan Biss and FF Guy, and of these two, I lean towards Biss because of his approach which is less flamboyant (imo).

I, too, like what I've heard from them very much.
Are you in San Antonio or nearby? We'll be in the vicinity next month, too soon to give that stretch of 130 a try at a legal 85.  Hmmm, if it's posted 85, does that mean actual speeds will average around 100? Certainly today's cars are nearly all quite capable of travelling safely at such speeds...but all too many of today's drivers are unsafe at any speed!

What I can't understand is why some folk seem to need others to enjoy their favorites. Why isn't enough that you love them?

I doubt there's anyone here more suited to answer that question than yourself, George.

If you re-examine johndoe's post you'll see that he wasn't trying to force anyone to agree with him, but simply expressing his appreciation for Goode's cycle and suggesting that others who love these sonatas should give Goode a try.

[Brian]

Are you in San Antonio or nearby? We'll be in the vicinity next month, too soon to give that stretch of 130 a try at a legal 85.  Hmmm, if it's posted 85, does that mean actual speeds will average around 100? Certainly today's cars are nearly all quite capable of travelling safely at such speeds...but all too many of today's drivers are unsafe at any speed!
I doubt there's anyone here more suited to answer that question than yourself, George.

I've driven the current stretch - a bypass around Austin that's capped at 80 - four or five times now. It's a great way to get around Austin's traffic (the worst in Texas at rush hour), and yes, I set my cruise at 84 and have many cars pass me, even two cops.

[DavidRoss]

I've driven the current stretch - a bypass around Austin that's capped at 80 - four or five times now. It's a great way to get around Austin's traffic (the worst in Texas at rush hour), and yes, I set my cruise at 84 and have many cars pass me, even two cops.

I'll keep that in mind...thanks! Where have you landed these days, Brian?

[George]

What I can't understand is why some folk seem to need others to enjoy their favorites. Why isn't enough that you love them?

I doubt there's anyone here more suited to answer that question than yourself, George.

Answer - Codependency.

Exhibit A:

If you re-examine johndoe's post you'll see that he wasn't trying to force anyone to agree with him, but simply expressing his appreciation for Goode's cycle and suggesting that others who love these sonatas should give Goode a try.

[DavidRoss]

Answer - Codependency.

Exhibit A:

Ohh...you got me, George.


(Is there anyone else on earth as capable of nursing a petty grudge as you?)

[AndyD.]

Sometimes one interpretation just moves us, and the others don't, as least not as much. I've never been moved by LvB's op. 59, 1 or op. 132 as much as by the Borodin String Quartet's interpretation. And Pollini's late piano set just knocks me out every time. I get profoundly moved whenever I hear his interpretation of the Hammerklavier adagio in particular.

But that's just me. Doesn't matter what you like best, you like it! It is always a great idea to keep an open mind though.