Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

[Cato]

James Brawn, in that case, would have to be the Godfather of Saul.

Now that is one scary thought!

Amen!   0:)  I like how your mind thinks! 

[Todd]

.
[asin]B00CL1C2ZC[/asin]



I've been waiting to hear Christian Leotta's final volume for a while, so when it became available, I snapped it up.  Unfortunately, there appears to have been some type of problem with the pressing.  I've had to get two different sets, and both display trademarks of data/pressing errors.  On my main CD player (a older Naim), the disc "skips", and on my home theater player (a brand new Oppo), there is crackling reminiscent of bad LP surface noise.  What a bummer.  I've sent an email to Atma, a company whose discs thus far have been fine, to see what, if anything they can do.  If you were planning to buy it, it may pay to wait.

So, I contacted ATMA, and they acknowledged that they are aware of this issue.  They stated the issue had to do with the length of the CDs, with the discs being over 75 minutes each, and that some CD players have difficulty reading the discs.  That may be true, though my Naim and Oppo players handle the 81 and 82 minute UMG discs I have just fine, but in any event it is a known issue and they will not be repressing soon.  In the spirit of good customer service, however, they offered to provide me with FLAC files for free and to notify me if they repress the discs (as part of a box set?) so they can replace the set I have.  That works for me.  The most important thing is that I get my grubby paws on the music.

[PaulSC]

The first installment in Paavali Jumppanen's cycle is finally (almost) here.  Slated for a late February release in Germany.

Thanks for the heads up. It's now available at NML. I predict his handling of exposition repeats in (at least) the early sonatas will be controversial. Lots of free elaboration, the likes of which I've never heard before.

[Holden]

An interesting approach which in the main does not work for me. All his first movements use variable speeds to try and create a sense ebb and flow. Top pianists can do this by simply varying dynamics and tonal colour and lesser pianists have to resort to some form of legerdemain to try and achieve that effect. On top of that, he adds notes to the music that Beethoven never wrote, along with overly elaborate ornamentation. Where a simple three note mordant is indicated this might become five or even seven notes. That said I did like his handling of the slow movements of Op 2.

[Cosi bel do]

Some may have notice that I'm a maniac about comparing versions. A few months back I've listened to all my Beethoven piano sonatas CDs and compared all of them. So now I know what my favourite versions are in each of the sonatas.

I sometimes like several versions, I haven't re-compared them already. I wait to get to a higher level of my comparison sickness.

I still have to listen again to Schnabel, and also to Frank. And probably a few isolated versions (at least a few Richter and Gilels I know I recently bought, or forgot during my comparison).

1 Schnabel 1934 / Grinberg 1966 / Richter 6/1976
2 Schnabel 1934 / Heidsieck / Annie Fischer 1977-78 / Guilels 1984
3 Richter 12/1/1975 / Annie Fischer 1977-78
4 Schnabel 1935 / Richter 12/1/1975 / Sokolov 3/1991
5 Schnabel 1935 / Backhaus 1963
6 Grinberg 1964
7 Richter 6/1976 / Guilels 21/9/1980 / Guilels 10/1980
8 Serkin 1962 / Annie Fischer 1977-78
9 Heidsieck
10 Arrau 4/1966 / Heidsieck / Annie Fischer 1977-78
11 Grinberg 1964 / Richter 20/10/68 / Annie Fischer 1977-78 / Michelangeli 7/4/1988
12 Serkin 8/12/1970 / Michelangeli 13/4/1982
13 Grinberg 1964 / Guilels 9/1980
14 Backhaus 10/1958 / Annie Fischer 2/11/1958 / Grinberg 1959 / Arrau 6/1962 / Guilels 9/1980
15 Edwin Fischer 28/7/1954 / Backhaus 11/1961
16 Schnabel 1935 / Backhaus 4/1969 / Serkin 1970
17 Schnabel 1934 / Richter 2/6/1965 /
18 Nat 1955 / Richter 2/6/1965 / Grinberg 1966 / Fischer 1977-78
19 Richter 17/1/65 / Backhaus 3/68 / Annie Fischer 1977-78 / Lupu 12/1977
20 Nat 1954 / Grinberg 1965 / Lupu 12/1977
21 Serkin 1975
22 Grinberg 65 / Arrau 10/65
23 Gieseking 23/6/1951 / Levy 1956 / Richter 1/11/1959 / Gilels 14/1/61 / Serkin 62
24 Schnabel 32 / Heidsieck
25 Backhaus 10/63 / Annie Fischer 1977-78
26 Gilels 12/74 / Gilels 10/80
27 Gilels 22/4/57
28 Yudina 1958 / Grinberg 1966 / Heidsieck / Sokolov 3/1991
29 Richter 2/6/75
30 Gieseking 1955 / Serkin 1976
31 Schnabel 32 / Edwin Fischer 38 / Serkin 71 / Guller 73 / Richter 10/91
32 Edwin Fischer 1954 / Serkin 67 / Michelangeli 1988 (Bregenz)

Overall, Richter is the pianist I prefer in Beethoven, followed by Serkin, Annie Fischer and Maria Grinberg (I really love also a pianist like Edwin Fischer but he only recorded a few sonatas).

[Madiel]

They stated the issue had to do with the length of the CDs, with the discs being over 75 minutes each, and that some CD players have difficulty reading the discs.

Sounds like a bit of a fudge to me, in that I'd say it's a combination of length plus bad pressing technique. A quick bit of research showed that most pressings these days can happily handle up to about 79 minutes without concern.

[TheGSMoeller]

I have somewhat rummaged through the 130+ pages of this very informative thread. I'm in search of purchasing a few discs that cover some of the highlights of Beethoven's sonatas. I have a few MP3s of LvB sonatas from library discs I checked out, but I currently do not own any. I've heard many of them on the radio throughout the years, I enjoy a few named ones, Moonlight and Tempest mostly.
I see names on online stores that are inexpensive, Ashkenazy (London), Pollini (DG) and Brendel to name a few. I have a feeling that those might be considered "the usual suspects" and I'm sure I could benefit from traveling past the top sellers, but I'm just looking for a start up. I'm not looking for complete sets, unless they run around $25-30.
Any recommendations?

Thank you in advance! 

[Brian]

I have somewhat rummaged through the 130+ pages of this very informative thread. I'm in search of purchasing a few discs that cover some of the highlights of Beethoven's sonatas. I have a few MP3s of LvB sonatas from library discs I checked out, but I currently do not own any. I've heard many of them on the radio throughout the years, I enjoy a few named ones, Moonlight and Tempest mostly.
I see names on online stores that are inexpensive, Ashkenazy (London), Pollini (DG) and Brendel to name a few. I have a feeling that those might be considered "the usual suspects" and I'm sure I could benefit from traveling past the top sellers, but I'm just looking for a start up. I'm not looking for complete sets, unless they run around $25-30.
Any recommendations?

Thank you in advance! 

A couple of my favorite sonatas are missing from this, and it has no booklet, but it's still consistently outstanding:

[asin]B008CG1HPQ[/asin]

$28 shipped on Marketplace.

One of the best HIP Beethoven discs ever recorded is now under $10:

[asin]B004GV76PQ[/asin]

And this here is a classic.

[asin]B000001G79[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

One of the best HIP Beethoven discs ever recorded is now under $10:

[asin]B004GV76PQ[/asin]

Oh, here's another dangerous place for me . . . .

[TheGSMoeller]

Thanks, Brian, for the great recs!  The Serkin looks like a steal.

Speaking of PI recordings, there's of course the Brautigam.  But of the newer cycles, which can be bought as individual discs there's FF Guy (a bit outside your price range), Stewart Goodyear and Jonathan Biss.  All well done and not household names, at least not yet.

I'm familiar with Guy and Biss, but not the other two. And PI performances greatly interest me with Beethoven. Thanks, SA.

[North Star]

Oh, here's another dangerous place for me . . . .

Just get it already, Karl!   (and Greg, too)
If you haven't pulled the trigger yet, read Giordano Bruno's review, and then get it.

And PI performances greatly interest me with Beethoven.

Order Crawford's Op. 109-111 disc now.
The FF Guy set is excellent, too.

[Wanderer]

I have somewhat rummaged through the 130+ pages of this very informative thread. I'm in search of purchasing a few discs that cover some of the highlights of Beethoven's sonatas. I have a few MP3s of LvB sonatas from library discs I checked out, but I currently do not own any. I've heard many of them on the radio throughout the years, I enjoy a few named ones, Moonlight and Tempest mostly.
I see names on online stores that are inexpensive, Ashkenazy (London), Pollini (DG) and Brendel to name a few. I have a feeling that those might be considered "the usual suspects" and I'm sure I could benefit from traveling past the top sellers, but I'm just looking for a start up. I'm not looking for complete sets, unless they run around $25-30.
Any recommendations?

Thank you in advance! 

For a great introductory set, I'd enthusiastically recommend Gulda's Amadeo cycle. Plus, at only £21 at amazon.co.uk, it's a steal.

[Todd]

I see names on online stores that are inexpensive, Ashkenazy (London), Pollini (DG) and Brendel to name a few.

From these three, Pollini is the best choice.  Brian's choices are excellent as well.  Cheap complete sets that meet your price criterion include Kempff, Brendel, and Barenboim, and for a few bucks more, Gulda.  Kempff and Gulda would be the best choices.  You can also get Seymour Lipkin's complete cycle in MP3 with the scores for under $20, and the cycle is excellent.  Also consider Bruce Hungerford and, of course, Sviatoslav Richter. 

[Todd]

Order Crawford's Op. 109-111 disc now.
The FF Guy set is excellent, too.

Yes and yes.

[Wanderer]

Oh, here's another dangerous place for me . . . .

You won't regret it.

[Karl Henning]

Just get it already, Karl!   (and Greg, too)

Done.  (But maybe you knew that . . . .)

[Karl Henning]

You won't regret it.

Cheers, Tasos!

[Cosi bel do]

For those who want exceptional Beethoven recordings on fortepiano, Alexei Lubimov seems a fairly undisputable first choice. (But I'll try Penelope Crawford.)

The FF Guy set is awful. FF Guy is kind of a butcher more than a pianist. Even a cent would be too much to pay for his set.

Ashkenazy and Brendel are to avoid. Pollini is quite interesting in his recent recordings, but not a must have.

Brian's Serkin recommendation is a great start and everyone SHOULD have it anyway.

[prémont]

The FF Guy set is awful. FF Guy is kind of a butcher more than a pianist.
Brian's Serkin recommendation is a great start and everyone SHOULD have it anyway.

Seconded.

I consider Guy an awful mannered guy. And I do not like his manners.

[Pat B]

[asin]B003YI3D4K[/asin]
[asin]B00005UOW0[/asin]
[asin]B00000291P[/asin]

The Richter is a usual suspect, perhaps, and you only get one Beethoven sonata, but it is glorious.

The Moravec is probably my favorite Beethoven piano solo disc.

The Rosen set is long OOP (though it was included in a Beethoven megabox from Sony) and asking prices had been astronomical, but as of this moment there are 3 that are reasonable.

The Gilels iceberg disc and Pollini's late sonata set are fine choices too.

ETA: among full sets, I have Gulda/Amadeo (currently available affordably on Decca Eloquence, though the AMSI processing makes me nervous) and Kempff/DG mono. Of those two I prefer Gulda. Kempff has some sublime moments but overall is not very fiery.