Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[kishnevi]

Call this the career evolution.  When a baroque artist (conductor or instrumentalist) runs out of baroque works to record, they move into classical works.  Angela Hewitt recorded the Bach WTC twice and many other baroque keyboard works.  John Eliot Gardiner ran out of baroque works a long time ago.  Now Marc Minkowski is moving into the classical era.  I wonder if Alan Curtis will start his Beethoven Symphonies cycle soon?

Not quite true as regards Hewitt.  She's recorded several CDs of music by composers who are definitely post classical:

Chopin: Complete Nocturnes and Impromptus
Ravel:  Complete Works for Solo Piano
Schumann: 2 CDs of solo piano works, and the works for piano and orchestra (her next to most recent release)
a CD worth of music by Chabrier
a CD worth of music by Messiaen
a CD worth of music by Debussy (her most recent release)

She's issued a few Beethoven CDs already, including participating in a complete traversal of the works for cello and piano.

Her Schumann is nothing to write home about,   but her Debussy is very good, and her Beethoven solo CDs are worth getting.  (Have not heard the works for cello and piano, nor the Chopin, Ravel, Chabrier, or Messiaen.)  Granted, she's recorded a number of CDs of pre-1800 composers (Rameau, Couperin, a CD devoted jointly to Handel and Haydn), but leave out the Bach and one might argue that French music of whatever era is a major focus of her playing.

[Coopmv]

Not quite true as regards Hewitt.  She's recorded several CDs of music by composers who are definitely post classical:

Chopin: Complete Nocturnes and Impromptus
Ravel:  Complete Works for Solo Piano
Schumann: 2 CDs of solo piano works, and the works for piano and orchestra (her next to most recent release)
a CD worth of music by Chabrier
a CD worth of music by Messiaen
a CD worth of music by Debussy (her most recent release)

She's issued a few Beethoven CDs already, including participating in a complete traversal of the works for cello and piano.

Her Schumann is nothing to write home about,   but her Debussy is very good, and her Beethoven solo CDs are worth getting.  (Have not heard the works for cello and piano, nor the Chopin, Ravel, Chabrier, or Messiaen.)  Granted, she's recorded a number of CDs of pre-1800 composers (Rameau, Couperin, a CD devoted jointly to Handel and Haydn), but leave out the Bach and one might argue that French music of whatever era is a major focus of her playing.

While I have all the Bach keyboard works by Angela Hewitt, I also have her Chopin Nocturnes and her Beethoven Piano Sonatas on SACD.  I would not rank her Chopin Nocturnes that high among the many versions I already have.  Her recordings of Couperin works are kind of interesting because there are few piano versions of those works out there ...

[kishnevi]

I would not rank her Chopin Nocturnes that high among the many versions I already have. 

To be perfectly honest,  after hearing her Schumann, that's about what I would expect of her in Chopin, which is why I've never tried to purchase the recording. 

[Mandryka]

Even if it's wrong, i enjoyed seeing coopmv's comment, just because this move from Baroque and Renaissance to Classical and Romantic is a trend, among conductors if not keyboard people. Harnoncourt, Bruggen, Minkowski. Contrast someone like Leonhardt who seemed to dispise  all music after Mozart.  I once read a comment by Vartolo or Messori, I can't remember who, which was very bitchy about it, saying that these guys do it for just for the money.

Hewitt's always fun live.

[Coopmv]

To be perfectly honest,  after hearing her Schumann, that's about what I would expect of her in Chopin, which is why I've never tried to purchase the recording.

I think Angela Hewitt is still one of the best of her generation when it comes to Bach keyboard works and perhaps other baroque keyboard works.  OTOH, I do not feel she is in her element when she moves into Beethoven or Chopin.  While I like Helene Grimaud, I think her Bach is awful ...

[Coopmv]

Even if it's wrong, i enjoyed seeing coopmv's comment, just because this move from Baroque and Renaissance to Classical and Romantic is a trend, among conductors if not keyboard people. Harnoncourt, Bruggen, Minkowski. Contrast someone like Leonhardt who seemed to dispise  all music after Mozart.  I once read a comment by Vartolo or Messori, I can't remember who, which was very bitchy about it, saying that these guys do it for just for the money.

Hewitt's always fun live.

You can probably add Ton Koopman to the list of Leonhardt, i.e. who has a disdain for moving beyond the baroque.  I think Harnoncourt is by far the most successful in transitioning from early/baroque music making to the classical period.  His Schubert Symphonies with the RCO are some of the best out there.  His Beethoven Symphonies are quite good as well ...

[Opus106]

You can probably add Ton Koopman to the list of Leonhardt, i.e. who has a disdain for moving beyond the baroque.

A disdain which pushed him to conduct and record quite a few discs of Mozart and Haydn.

[Cato]

I am continuing my journey through...



Recently I heard the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Sonatas for the first time ever.  Marvelous works, but nobody has been waiting for my approval.  The Seventh - in spirit - reminded me of the Seventh Symphony.

It has been an interesting personal phenomenon in the past decade: in my collection few CD's were of solo or chamber works: Schoenberg quartets, the Bartok Sixth Quartet, Scriabin piano sonatas, Louis Vierne's Organ Symphonies,and of course the Beethoven Opus 111. 

But now, perhaps because of the solo and chamber works offered here at GMG from Karl Henning and Luke Ottevanger and others, perhaps just because they are new to my aging ears, I find myself listening now to smaller works more often than before.

Thanks to a very generous GMG member, I am also working through the Shostakovich quartets!

[Fred]

I just finished listening to the recently released complete set of Michael Korstick's Beethoven sonatas on Oehms, and enjoyed it very much. Complete command technically, with great rhythmic approach in the fast movements and searching explorations of the slow movements, except for a notable failure in the ridiculously drawn out adagio of the Hammerklavier.  Very clearly recorded, though the volume level needs to be kept a little lower than normal to avoid harshness in the fortissimos.

I also greatly enjoyed Korstick's set. One of the things I enjoyed about Korstick was the sense that, whatever he did with the music, right or wrong, he had it all under his fingers unlike many whose whose interpretive decisions are determined by their limitations.   

[Kontrapunctus]

I also greatly enjoyed Korstick's set. One of the things I enjoyed about Korstick was the sense that, whatever he did with the music, right or wrong, he had it all under his fingers unlike many whose whose interpretive decisions are determined by their limitations.

I agree. His "Hammerklavier" is one of the few that adopts Beethoven's metronome markings...except in the 28 minute Adagio! Somehow, he makes it work: time virtually stands still. He recently released the last three sonatas--oddly enough, they were recorded back in 1997. He said he was satisfied with them and saw no reason to re-record them. The sound is good...maybe a bit more metallic than on the "Hammerklavier" disc.

[Brian]

Was anybody in touch with Todd outside GMG? I sent him a PM a couple weeks ago, but his silence continues.

[George]

Was anybody in touch with Todd outside GMG? I sent him a PM a couple weeks ago, but his silence continues.

He's been away for extended periods of time before, IIRC. I don't see any cause for alarm.

[Todd]

Looks like Claudio Records carries Sequeira Costa's LvB cycle except for volume 9.  I've got two volumes already, but I'm not sure the rest are worth fourteen pounds each. 

[Brian]

Looks like Claudio Records carries Sequeira Costa's LvB cycle except for volume 9.  I've got two volumes already, but I'm not sure the rest are worth fourteen pounds each.

Berkshire Record Outlet has a complete cycle by Abdel Rahman El Bacha for $45. Knowing his Prokofiev discs, I'm sorely tempted.

Francois-Frederic Guy Volume 3 comes out next month, as does a new Angela Hewitt (clip).

I think I enjoyed the new Herbert Schuch album much more for the surprise of the Ullmann than for the Beethoven, where you're right - Schuch's excellence means that he can pull off anything, but the orchestra sounds a bit dead-weight-ish.

[Todd]

Knowing his Prokofiev discs, I'm sorely tempted.

Knowing his Beethoven, I've hesitated to try anything else.  It's BAM Beethoven - Bland And Mechanical.

Francois-Frederic Guy Volume 3 comes out next month

My copy should be here by the end of next week.  I decided to order from France.  Don't want to wait for a month.  I can wait a bit for Hewitt.  Maybe the spring.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Knowing his Beethoven, I've hesitated to try anything else.  It's BAM Beethoven - Bland And Mechanical.

Actually I've found El Bacha to be quite accomplished in both Prokofiev and Saint-Saëns (concertos). That might not spell transcendence in everything he touches but that's nothing new.

[Mandryka]

Lena Jacobson plays op 26.

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

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

[DavidA]

I have just downloaded Kempff's 1950s set from Amazon for just 2-99GBP. Incredible bargain. Represents Kempff's best playing and the (mono) recording is good too.

[Holden]

Is it the DG edition?

[xochitl]

just heard the last sonatas with vladimir feltsman on a 'musical heritage society' album

i gotta say: what a thoroughly satisfying way he has with this music