The New Most Important LvB Sonata Cycle Comparison in the History of the World

[Todd]

This is being rebooted here and will be locked after each post. 


The time has finally arrived.  It is time to reassess the top fourteen complete or meant to be complete Beethoven piano sonata cycles as already determined using my patented tiering system* in a process that will result in two world historical outcomes.  First, a new, scientifically determined, wholly unassailable, and incontrovertibly definitive Top Ten cycle list will be compiled.**  Second, The One will be identified.  The Muhammed Ali of LvB piano sonata cycles will be determined.  The Big Kahuna will be unveiled.  Etc.  These are supremely important developments in human history.  I take this responsibility very seriously. 

There is only one way to perform this most crucial task.  Every sonata will be listened to one at a time, with each recording receiving an airing in a short period.  (The Op 49 sonatas will be assessed together.)  Each recording will then receive the One True Numeric Rank®.  After all sonatas have been listened to and appropriately ranked, the score for each pianist/sonata combination will be averaged and the proper ultimate rank calculated.  Like golf, the lower the score, the more gooder the outcome.  Since Emil Gilels did not record all sonatas in his meant to be complete cycle, the sonatas he did not record will not be assigned a rank.

With no further ado, it's go-time!



* It must be noted that I am prodigiously litigious in defense of my proprietary tiering system.

** Robert Riefling's Valois cycle so far has evaded me, but after this critically important comparative listening exercise is complete, if ever I do come into possession of the Great White Whale of LvB piano sonata cycles, it can be listened to and immediately and properly and objectively ranked. 


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Op 2/1

Andrea Lucchesini – Swift, with ample boogie in fast music, and sweet dynamics.  Tonally gorgeous everywhere, especially in the Adagio and the middle section of the third movement.

Annie Fischer – Tense, quick but not rushed, biting due to the instrument, with enough of a pullback in the slow movement and Menuetto, the overall feel is just right.  The Prestissimo still smites all comers. 

Arthur Schnabel – Fluid, quick almost to the point of sounding rushed, with some old-time rubato and striking dynamic contrasts, and some close to wobbly playing in the fast sections.  The Adagio is gorgeous as all get out and stretched out.   

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Unrushed but not at all slow, the accenting and rubato highlight different aspects of the score, and the at times jittery left hand playing adds tension.  While Pienaar typically plays with ample staccato, he rides the sustain in places in an effective Adagio. 

Emil Gilels – No recording. 

Eric Heidsieck – Melody-centric, the faster movements breathe, while Heidsieck takes the slow movement just a smidge quicker in relative terms.  The same basic framework is followed until the middle section of the Prestissimo which sounds almost gentle and definitely playful.  (I compared the Heidsieck complete edition mastering to the older EMI box, and the EMI box sounds marginally preferable, so it will be used for all listening.) 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Clean, clear, zippy but not too zippy, with nice and perfectly boxed in dynamic range, Gulda more or less offers the best extant example of straight-ahead, no real or at least excess interpretation playing. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Slow opening bars gradually segue to a slower than heretofore approach in the Allegro, with dramatic pauses peppered in there, but too, some flexibility and flow.  The dynamic contrasts and undulating feel work splendidly.  Like Schnabel, Mejoueva goes slow and gorgeous in the Adagio, a measured Menuetto, and then a full-length, repeat included Prestissimo that comes close to matching St Annie. 

Minsoo Sohn – Sohn likewise opts for a more measured approach in tempo to start, but there is a sense of urgency, and the dynamic range of his contemporary grand adds more oomph.  His tempo and dynamic shifts can be swift and wide, but always flawless.  The forte blasts sound spot-on.  And the Adagio sounds more gorgeouser than either Schnabel or Mejoueva.  The Menuetto sounds just about flawless, and the broad but intense Prestissimo roars.  Great stuff. 

Russell Sherman – At one time, Sherman was the most eccentric LvB interpreter I knew of, but that time has passed.  He still sounds distinctive, though.  The distant recorded perspective allows the dynamic swells space to breathe, and then in every  movement Sherman slathers on the rubato, here, there, in this nook, and oh yeah, in that cranny.  And it works.  Sherman delivers one of the most beautiful Adagios, and the Menuetto maintains that, and the Prestissimo offers sort of a moderate swirl of musical aggression.   

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – The first of the three consecutive Bill recordings, and one where I have two remasterings to choose from.  Here, the 2019 one gets the nod.  Backhaus knew his Beethoven, and it shows here.  Everything sounds so right that even the lack of repeats doesn't matter.  At least much.  Tempo relationships are perfect, dynamic contrasts superb if not modern recording good, and the feel is just right.  It's still among the very best. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Slow, deliberate, borderline stodgy, that's how Kempff opens the mono set.  In most hands, that's no bueno.  Not here.  To be sure, his 78 era recording is freewheeling as heck and smoother, but somehow, and this is part of the Kempff magic, none of the short-comings matter.  It's basically impossible to describe why or how.  Like Backhaus, but also different, it just sounds right.  This is how the sonata is supposed to sound.  One secret weapon, and one of Kempff's most potent, is how he handles the pp to mp range. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Like the mono, but a little less stodgy to start, and thinner sounding, and also a little more tense.   

Yu Kosuge – Quickly dispatched, with both force and an appealing touch, the Allegro sounds more or less sunny, while the Adagio is the most beautiful of this lot, with her gentle touch on full display, augmented by kick-ass recorded sound.  The Menuetto sounds lovely, with the middle section displaying a cascading sheet of upper register brilliance.  The never ugly Prestissimo nonetheless has force and drive aplenty and closes out a strong recording. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Annie Fischer - 1
Minsoo Sohn - 2
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 3
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 4
Andrea Lucchesini - 5
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 6
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 7
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 8
Artur Schnabel - 9
Yu Kosuge - 10
Russell Sherman - 11
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 12
Eric Heidsieck - 13
Emil Gilels - N/A


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Op 2/2

Andrea Lucchesini – More of the same style as in the opener, with some especially attractive right hand playing popping out.  The Largo sound muy lovely, as do the outer sections in the Scherzo, where that right hand playing positively beguiles.  The playfulness, independence of hands, and lyricism, along with the punchy dynamics in the second section in the final movement just get ya. 

Annie Fischer –  Harder, brighter, edgier than Lucchesini, St Annie ends up a perfect foil for the Italian.  The opening has pep and playfulness, while the Largo sounds taut and tense.  The Scherzo has some pep and fun, and the final movement sounds light for the pianist but harder edged compared to the Italian. 

Arthur Schnabel –  Like Lucchesini, Schnabel's version has that frisson that comes with live performances, and he plays the fast music with fun friskiness and sometimes near recklessness.  As is his wont, he goes slow and lovely in the Largo.  That friskiness reappears in the last two movements. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar starts off on the broad side, taking his time, but he brings the boogie and the dynamics when needed.  His penchant for neat diminuendos and both subtle and unsubtle rubato pay dividends.  The very slow Largo exudes more tonal beauty than I remembered, and the last two movements have both pep enough and, especially in the Rondo, some delicious pianissimo playing. 

Emil Gilels – Emil finally appears, with that big sonority and relaxed tempo that contains essentially perfect tempo relationships and a masterclass in how to decelerate notably while keeping that momentum going.  The Largo maintains acceptable tension throughout its long duration.  The most material quibbles come in the too slow trio in the Scherzo and the too slow overall final movement. 

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck's clean articulation, tiny fluctuations in tempo, and nifty dynamic contrasts in the Allegro catch the ear.  The extremely slow Largo purposely lacks flow to start, and while it improves, it ends up being all about the minutest of details and not musical flow.  Flow more than returns, and that fine detail focus remains, in the last two movements. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Gulda's relentlessly no-nonsense, straightforward style works a little bit better here.  The piece is lighter overall, so no depth – faux or real – goes missing.  Fun, fun, fun outside the serious, hard-hitting Largo. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – All the repeats, mostly straight-ahead though with unique touches obvious and effective, with something approaching the liveness of Schnabel and Lucchesini, this covers the bases.  The only demerit, if a demerit it be, is lack of Heidsieckesque clarity.  The Largo sounds tense but dynamically hemmed in for the most part, for a nice classical feel. 

Minsoo Sohn – Measured and controlled in the Allegro vivace, with perhaps the most perfectly controlled dynamic shifts to this point, the cool precision shifts all focus to the music and none to the tricks used to get there.  The Largo hints at middle or even late period LvB.  A basically studio-flawless Menuetto and Rondo close out a humdinger of a recording. 

Russell Sherman – Sherman comes off as nearly straightforward here, with nothing notably different until nearly a minute in, where he wields rubato in an obvious ploy.  A recurring trick in the opener is to sort of let the left hand trail as he rushes ahead with the right.  The Largo remains pretty direct, as do both the Menuetto and Rondo, with his best/worst instincts more contained than normal. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus is swift and direct but also a bit rough in the Allegro vivace, and the Largo is very swift, barely slower than the Allegro, and both dynamically and expressively constricted.  The Menuetto and Rondo are scarcely less tense.  It's fairly grim as far as this sonata goes. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Deliberate and restrained in the Allegro vivace, yet light and fun, Kempff appears to pull off the magic trick of making the studied sound spontaneous.  The Largo sounds gentle and dreamy, almost like a proto-Schumannesque Eusebian fantasy, even in the satisfyingly loud passages.  The Menuetto and Rondo both have that basically poetic feel that Kempff's best recordings tend to have. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Kempff compares with Kempff here, with the stereo version sounding thinner and more distant and feeling a bit swifter overall, with a bit more tension. 

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge blends energy and punch with tonal lustre in the Allegro vivace.  This and a wide dynamic range carry over into the Largo, and both the Menuetto and Rondo mixing beauty and energy – the middle section of the Rondo especially, which boxes the listener's ears.


Official Scientific Ranking:
Andrea Lucchesini – 1
Minsoo Sohn – 2
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 3
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 4
Annie Fischer – 5
Daniel-Ben Pienaar – 6
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – 7
Artur Schnabel – 8
Russell Sherman – 9
Yu Kosuge – 10
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 11
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 12
Eric Heidsieck – 13
Emil Gilels – 14


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Op 2/3

Andrea Lucchesini – The smooth, graceful, peppy 'n' potent Allegro con brio has a warmth and lyricism that is well-nigh impossible to resist.  Exquisite beauty and thunderous forte characterize the Adagio, while the Scherzo sounds playful in the outer sections and like liquid energy in the middle.  The Allegro assai has an almost celebratory feel to it.  A great performance. 

Annie Fischer – Less smooth and suave than Lucchesini, a bit gruff and up in the listener's grill, the metal and grit work very nice, thank you.  While not entirely unyielding in style, it comes close, and boy, does it work. 

Arthur Schnabel – The basically live recording reveals the older Schnabel to lack the younger Lucchesini digital mastery, but his playing definitely retains energy and snap in all the faster movements.  The taut Adagio adds nice drama. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Here's Pienaar's penchant for tinkering becomes more pronounced, but intriguingly, it's micro, not macro.  By that I mean he happily injects a nutso and unneeded but satisfying accelerando here, and shortens a phrase there, but the overall arc of the movement and the work is not disturbed.  The architecture remains undisturbed, but the paint color palette is diverse, as it were.  So, the Allegro con brio is often jittery fun, the Adagio sounds gorgeous in places, with purposely limited left hand tolling chords and a subdued nature, the Scherzo is punchy and swirling in turns, and the Allegro assai glides along.  Good stuff. 

Emil Gilels – When virtuosity is needed, Gilels takes off the gloves.  The dynamic swells in the Allegro con brio are phenomenal, the articulation scarcely less so.  Gilels plays as fast as he wants, as powerfully, whatever, and the listener knows more is there if needed.  It's not effortless playing, but it sounds super easy.  The slow Adagio is characterized mostly by very quiet pianissimo playing contrasted with potent forte wallops.  The Scherzo and Allegro assai both get the unlimited technique treatment, too, with the quieter playing in the latter the most ear-catching thing. 

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck takes his own sweet time in the Allegro con brio, partly by slowing down quite a bit in the slower passages because the fast passages zip by.  Ample energy and little tweaks pervade, but clarity falls short of the first two sonatas.  A generally becalmed Adagio, sharp and punchy Scherzo, and zippy, sleek Allegro assai close it out. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Gulda keeps things tight, swift but not rushed, and expressively contained in the epitome of straight-ahead playing. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva starts with full repeats in a very long Allegro con brio, but the energy level stays high, and the way she weights the broken octaves is a teeny-tiny detail that sounds nice.  The weighty but not thundering lower registers of the instrument add another neat little dimension to the recording.  Mejoueva's slow, at times expressionless Adagio maintains tension throughout and is followed by a fast, cutting Scherzo that gets faster and heavier in the middle section.  The Allegro assai has a nice boogie factor to it, and a sense of fun. 

Minsoo Sohn – Sohn starts hesitatingly, but then he cranks up speed a lot and the volume a whole lot and pushes through the all-repeats Allegro con vivace in beyond museum quality playing, as it contains sublimated fire, too.  Is a near-late LvB desolation in the slowest portions of the Adagio too much?  No, no it ain't, and when paired with near Alessio Bax Rach depth charge bass notes, man, I mean, come on.  A playful and thundering Scherzo and an Allegro assai almost as happy and flowing as Lucchesini close out a corker. 

Russell Sherman – Heavily interventionist playing is on full display, with much rubato.  It still appeals, as there are cases where Sherman will slow way down just to highlight literally one or two notes, then get back to it.  Some of the exaggerated broken chords pop out, and the dynamics work well.  The overall effect is similar to Pienaar, though the idiosyncrasies are more, well, idiosyncratic. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – In the Allegro con brio, Backhaus starts off conventionally, but then tips over to playing so rushed and sometimes congested that the effect is sort of lost.  The too pressed and tense and very Andante-like Adagio continues the same feel until the coda.  The Scherzo makes even Annie Fischer sound timid in the outer sections.  Only the Allegro assai seems to really fit. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Here's where the Kempff magic fully appears.  In this overtly virtuosic sonata, Kempff's playing should not work.  But he has tricks up his sleeve.  As with his better-than-they-should be Liszt concertos, Kempff compresses dynamics a bit in the fastest passages, and it matters not at all.  He brings out details in ways others don't – like the repeated right hand chords in the Allegro con brio – and delivers ample verve in the Scherzo and Allegro assai, even though quiet, and that Adagio, oh yeah. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – The stereo version sounds thinner, brighter, and occasionally more congested and less clear, otherwise is striking similar.  Which means it is strikingly good. 

Yu Kosuge – With the longest Allegro con brio here, clocking in at just one second under eleven minutes, Kosuge shows how to make the playing sound rockin' and energetic in the fast passages and perfectly flowing in the slow passages, and how to punch things up.  Kosuge then delivers a very slow Adagio, and it mixes tonal beauty and somberness splendidly.  The outer sections of the Scherzo sound contained but energetic, but the middle sections just rips.  The Allegro assai finishes things off in a lightish and fun manner.  A version that competes with the heavy hitters. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Andrea Lucchesini – 1
Minsoo Sohn – 2
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 3
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 4
Daniel-Ben Pienaar – 5
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 6
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – 7
Yu Kosuge – 8
Artur Schnabel – 9
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 10
Eric Heidsieck – 11
Emil Gilels – 12
Russell Sherman – 13
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 14


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Op 7

Andrea Lucchesini – The tone, the dynamics, the blended sound, the forward motion, and the vitality conspire to create a kick-ass Allegro molto e con brio.  The Largo, all slow and gorgeous and weighty and both serious and dreamy, offers wonderful contrast.  The alternately fast and dark and rumbly Scherzo, with dramatic little hesitations, elicits no little listening pleasure, and the Rondo, gracious then stormy then gracious, caps off another ultra-high-end performance. 

Annie Fischer –  St Annie rushes headlong through the Allegro, sacrificing maximum dynamic contrasts, but that does not matter.  The Largo is moderately slow, has comparatively limited dynamics, but ample tension and just feels right as rain.  The Allegro sounds lighter and more attractive than one might expect, with Annie coaxing the upper register keys of her Boesendorfer.  The Rondo has oodles of drive in the middle and approximates grazioso enough in the out sections to satisfy.  Still high end. 

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel goes swiftly, pushing some playing to the point of near recklessness, really spicing things up in the Allegro.  The Largo is of course extra slow and expressive and romantic in the best late 19th Century German tradition.  The Allegro has ample zip, while the Rondo sounds adequately gracious, and peppy to the point of near recklessness.  Good stuff.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar's playing sounds brisk and light and buoyant, and the comparatively limited lower registers adds to the light feel.  The jittery sound that the pianist creates permeates the repeated notes and it has unsurpassed rhythmic snap.  The very slow, sometimes austere Largo, with some space between notes, retains a comparative lightness, along with some gentleness in the quietest passages.  While my memories of Pienaar's playing don't emphasize beauty, the Allegro really is exceptionally lovely and very slow all the way through.  The Rondo is mostly about grazioso playing, the middle section excepted.  This exemplifies the art of interpretation. 

Emil Gilels – A not at all rushed Allegro starts off all pastorale-y, and then, kablam, Gilels pumps out unhard but thundering forte blasts unsurpassed by anyone.  Scale is so vast and sonority so grand, that this exemplifies quasi-orchestral piano playing.  The slow Largo basically stands out for the unyielding slowness and the massive climaxes.  In the third movement, the unyielding slowness starts to detract, and that continues in the Rondo. 

Eric Heidsieck – The opening bars sound deceptively slow and subdued, but then Heidsieck switches over to one of the fastest takes on the opening Allegro, all energy and fun, and some right hand flights of fancy.  The Largo is slow and has some great left hand playing that peeks out, while keeping the rhythm just a smidge off kilter, while the third movement Allegro has ample pep, personal but not overbearing rubato, and  fine clarity to go with the pushed middle.  The Rondo is one of the bounciest around. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Close to interpretationless other than being played quickly and cleanly, the entire sonata has ample energy in the faster sections and the Largo, slower but not especially slow, approximates expressivity.  Gulda's subtle vocalizing is more frequent than remembered.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Unflagging energy and controlled dynamics permeate the opening Allegro, while the Largo sounds weighty, and almost funeral march like in places, though with a double-time feel.  The third movement is about energy and (near-) edge start to finish, while not being weighed down.  The Rondo has the same energy and edge, and caps off a fine, feisty version.   

Minsoo Sohn – Quick and energetic to start, with fierce but not harsh forte whacks, and flawless transitions to more relaxed playing, Sohn rocks right out of the gate.  Then comes the slow, somber, lovely Largo, with some chords stretched out perfectly, in a literal use of that word.  The way tension is maintained, and the sheer force of the forte playing creates an almost physical interpretation.  (Full disclosure, volume was cranked.)  Beauty and force greet the listener in the Scherzo, and the Rondo, it alternates gorgeous and gracious playing and industrial strength key thwacking.  Staggeringly great, one for the ages. 

Russell Sherman –  Sherman's wide dynamic range and striking contrasts permeate the Allegro, and the rubato renders the pulse unsteady in a not unappealing way.  In the context of comparing to so many superb versions, the relative drawbacks become more obvious.  The halting flow of the Largo is also obvious, but the forte blasts come close to matching Gilels.  The third movement is close to standard, and to the extent Sherman's tinkering results in notable outcomes in the Rondo, it's mostly to make some of the playing sound, well, playful. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – A somewhat leisurely and repeatless Allegro kicks things off nicely, and Backhaus sort of knocks the Largo out fairly quickly and coldly.  The third movement does have a nice flow to it, and the Rondo is knocked out at high speed.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – More of that Kempff magic on display.  Here, the 78s recording definitely flows even better, but this one seems to serve as a stricter, more formal rendition that served as a basis of interpretation for Pienaar.  Light, lovely, fleet enough, dynamic enough, hell, everything enough.  The very slow Largo has some passages that seem to hint at Kempff's training as an organist as well. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) –  Again, there's not a huge difference with the mono cycle.  The sound is thinner and brighter, and though the opening movement flows better, it loses a little magic.  Somehow.  All three remaining movements basically follow the same pattern as before, but the earlier version is more than just slightly better overall.

Yu Kosuge – Generally warm, with some nicely tart upper registers, the closely recorded piano allows one to hear the flow of the music nicely and slightly exaggerated forte weight  (not a complaint).  The Largo is very slow and just slightly and purposely unsteady rhythmically.  The forte passages have nice weight, the miniscule right hand figurations have delicacy.   Both the Scherzo and especially Rondo benefit from tonal beauty and excellent but also very slightly tweaked rhythmic component. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Minsoo Sohn – 1
Daniel-Ben Pienaar – 2
Andrea Lucchesini – 3
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) – 4
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 5
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – 6
Eric Heidsieck – 7
Yu Kosuge – 8
Artur Schnabel – 9
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 10
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – 11
Russell Sherman – 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – 13
Emil Gilels – 14


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Op 10/1

Andrea Lucchesini – Lucchesini plays the ascending arpeggios of the Allegro fairly broadly and with a singing quality, and he does the same for the entire opening movement.  One might question if it's possible to play the Adagio too beautifully here, but since that is not possible, one sort of wallows in the beauty and mirthfully listens to the unhard forte playing.  The drive and pep and force come in the Prestissimo.  Nice.

Annie Fischer – Possibly the polar opposite of Lucchesini, the opening ascending arpeggios and movement are not super-fast, but they hit hard, with more staccato stabbing and a sharper sound.  The Adagio maintains tension missing from most other recording, yet it sounds lovely enough and more than expressive enough to satisfy.  The Prestissimo is gruff, hard-hitting, biting, and kicks ass. 

Arthur Schnabel – Famously faster that fast, though not exactly clear, ascending arpeggios kick things off, and the entire opening movement sounds zippy.  Per usual, Schnabel takes the Adagio very slowly and play quite beautifully, while the Prestissimo is played faster than the speed of sound.  Here's a zippy-slow-zany recording.  Nice.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Almost as fast as Schnabel to open, but slightly tighter in execution, Pienaar also display greater flexibility in tempo and overall flow.  Pienaar then one ups Schabel by playing the Adagio glacially slow and with hypnotic beauty and closes out with faster than fast Prestissimo in a new and improved zippy-slow-zany recording.

Emil Gilels – The entire opening Allegro molto e con brio comes off as an Andante, albeit one with massive forte blasts.  At 11'45", the Adagio drags on, sapping the music of any vitality.  The Prestissimo sounds too slow and enervated, though the obvious skill in being able to stretch out some of the runs so evenly over a slow-ish tempo cannot be denied.  Overall, this is not a good recording.  It ranks fourteenth here because that's the review population, but there are scores of better versions. 

Eric Heidsieck –  Heidsieck starts off rather moderately in the Allegro, and gradually builds up tension until the coda.  The Adagio is contained and slow, but the dearth of legato kind of keeps it from taking flight.  The Prestissimo does benefit from high speed, clear playing infused with fun.

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Super-quick, super-accurate ascending arpeggios kick off a high energy opening Allegro, with an attractive, contained Adagio to follow, and one that mixes slow and zippy perfectly.  The Prestissimo is turbocharged and fun.  High end.   

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Growling left hand playing underpins the quick but not rushed ascending arpeggios, offering a slap in the face opening.  Then things get real good, with energy, drama, and boogie.  The Adagio is perfectly paced, tense but not too much, expressive, and attractive.  The Prestissimo has drive and drama in perfect proportion.  Phenomenal. 

Minsoo Sohn – In the Allegro, Sohn does not rush in the ascending arpeggio, but he mercilessly pleases the listener with cutting sforzandi and perfectly contained forte playing.  Oh, and perfect pulse.  After a slow, crystal clear, yet extremely lovely Adagio, Sohn wraps up with a Prestissimo where zip and punch marry perfectly.  Another knock-out performance.

Russell Sherman – Sherman can't even bring himself to play the ascending arpeggios in a straight-forward manner, and the listener is rewarded because the pianist's impertinence and fiddling throughout the opening movement pay dividends every bar.  The right hand led Adagio sounds attractive and light overall, and the Prestissimo starts slowish, but speeds up and exhibits a sort of musical prankishness.   

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – A moderately paced Allegro gives way to a pretty swift Adagio, and then a decently paced Prestissimo.  It's nice enough, overall, but too restricted.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff's magic can't make the opening to the Allegro compelling, and the rest of the movement sacrifices energy and oomph.  Predictably, the Adagio fares better, sounding all lovely and dreamy at times.  The Prestissimo sounds decently energetic, but it can't offset the opening movement. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – A slightly brighter, thinner remake, though the Prestissimo has a bit more energy.

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge is all about speed in the ascending arpeggios in the Allegro, and she moves fluidly between faster and slower sections.  Kosuge's no ugly notes approach pays bounteous musical dividends in the beautiful slow movement, but unlike some other takes on the Adagio, she dashes off some passages with lovely tautness as well.  Swift, bright, colorful playing ends the work in refined yet boisterous fashion.


Official Scientific Ranking:
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 1
Minsoo Sohn - 2
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 3
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 4
Andrea Lucchesini - 5
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 6
Yu Kosuge - 7
Russell Sherman - 8
Artur Schnabel - 9
Eric Heidsieck - 10
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 11
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 13
Emil Gilels - 14


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Op 10/2

Andrea Lucchesini – Lyrical, refined, nearly elegant, the Allegro cruises along, with beefy lower registers and some nice ritardandos.  The Menuettos sound rich, singing, but almost lamenting, while the trio sounds lighter but not really light.  The (repeatless – boo!) Presto has ample boogie and drive and fun.  High end stuff.

Annie Fischer – Zippier and rougher in the Allegro than Lucchesini, the playing sounds intensely fun.  In the second movement, Menuetto outer sections have tension and the trio sounds nearly bouncy, rhythmically speaking.  The (repeatless – boo!) Presto retains the bounce and though biting and heavier, is also high end stuff.

Arthur Schnabel – Zippier yet, and lighter and funner, Schnabel revels in Austrian gemütlichkeit here.  Dynamic contrasts hold up well in the nearly century old recording, too.  The Menuetto offsets the good time mood, but then the (repeatless – boo!) Presto bebops along to a satisfying conclusion. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – The non-rushed overall tempo, the playful right hand figurations, and the musical charm make for a nifty opening Allegro.  The Menuetto features some quick but delicate playing and the trio has more verve but remains wonderfully contained.  The (repeatless – boo!) Presto is zany and comically fast and mucho effective.  One of the very best.

Emil Gilels – An all repeats recording finds Gilels playing with smaller scale and some energy in the Allegro, and he brings his formidable sonority to the Menuetto creating a rich sound, though one interrupted by a clunkyish trio.  The Presto has a goodly degree of boogie to close things out. 

Eric Heidsieck -  Brisk, crisp, and fun in the Allegro, with some clouds o' bass, while the Menuetto and trio maintain a tense feel.  The constrained Presto could do with more verve. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – The almost interpretationless, quick, dynamically contained Allegro sounds nifty, the Menuetto sounds taut, and the Presto sounds fast 'n' fun.  It's a press play and enjoy type of recording.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Another all-repeats take, Mejouva opens conventionally, but adds just a touch o' mischief in the right hand playing before launching into a beefy, blended Allegro.  Some beautiful upper register playing about midway through is followed by growly bass that really sounds nifty.  In the Menuetto, the tonal beauty the pianist ekes out of her premium 1920s piano makes the listener think (or maybe even utter aloud?) "oooohh", while the trio sounds plucky but also serious and subdued.  The Presto has just the right speed and rhythm, and that beautiful instrument beguiles when Mejoueva plays some of them chords.  Mmm hmm. 

Minsoo Sohn – Sohn's an all-repeats guy (yay!), and his Allegro sounds just right tempo-wise, and the dynamic contrasts sound ideally calibrated.  The Menuettos sound both serious and slightly fantastical, and have sweet dynamic gradations, while the trio lightens things up a tiny bit.  The Presto bounces and bops, in a flawlessly crafted sort of way.  As monumental a recording of this sonata as is humanly possible.  (AI will supercede it, though, amiright?)

Russell Sherman – The spacious recording lets Sherman allow some of the chords to  breathe, and then when he revs up in the Allegro, his purposely unstable rhythm and jabby sforzandi and pedal use sort of turn it into a blurry goof.  The Menuetto sounds both lovely and subtly pressed, the trio serious and fun.  Then the Presto is quick, acoustically blurred, weighty, and fun. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus has the pep down, but the playing often sounds serious to point of being dour.  The Menuetto and trio, too, sound extra serious, while the Presto finally shakes the excess seriousness.  It turns out that sometimes Beethoven can be played too seriously.  (Well, in the context of identifying the best of the best, that is.)

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Light and fun and surprisingly nimble, Kempff kind of bubbles out the playing.  He manages to make it sound youthful and timeless, too.  The menuettos manages to sound light and tense at the same time while the trio has a bit of spunk.  The Presto, slower than ideal for many pianists, nonetheless bubbles along quite nicely.  Of course it's good.

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – In a first to this point, the stereo recording sounds more satisfying than the mono recording.  Very similar overall, the thinner, brighter sound makes the stereo recording sound lighter and more buoyant overall. 

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge goes slightly slower than some other versions in the Allegro, and the way she delivers the right hand playing sounds unique.  The Menuetto sounds lovely and gets tenser near the coda, and the Presto has boogie aplenty. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Minsoo Sohn - 1
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 2
Andrea Lucchesini - 3
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 4
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 5
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 6
Artur Schnabel - 7
Russell Sherman - 8
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 9
Yu Kosuge - 10
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 11
Eric Heidsieck - 12
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 13
Emil Gilels - 14


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Op 10/3

Andrea Lucchesini – Groovy, beefy where appropriate, smooth, and fun, the Presto cruises along, a great good time to open.  The lengthy Largo is slow, serious, and extremely lovely for most of the duration, Lucchesini's lyricism working magic.  He also works some potent left hand magic, bumping up volume while keeping things slow and steady.  The build up to the climax is slow, steady, and constant, with the never rushed playing adding to the overall impact and mood.  The Menuetto is relaxed and lovely in the outer sections, and playful in the middle section, while the Rondo alternates between some quite fast but perfectly controlled playing and some more relaxed playing, and it just jells. 

Annie Fischer – Annie starts off using the pianistic equivalent of clomping around, making the Presto sound rustic and kind of meandering.  That's good, by the way.  There's ample energy and drive.  In the Largo, she starts off almost too heavy – almost – though that obviously sets the table for mucho drama.  Which Annie delivers, over and over, while keeping the tempo nice and slow.  The climax is up in the listener's grill, which causes much satisfaction.  The Menuetto and Rondo are both kinda heavy, definitely hard hitting, and again deliver much satisfaction.

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel rips right out of the gate in the Presto, and while he backs off a bit, he's all about the pep and youthful vigor here.   Schnabel then plunges off the deep end in the Largo, taking 11'38" to deliver the whole thing, and playing the opening material slow to the point where the musical line nearly collapses.  But it don't, no sir, no way.  Indeed, the drama and romanticism keeps the listener spellbound.  And as one listens, one remembers that this is live music making, making the effective slowness all the more impressive.  78s cannot capture or deliver maximum dynamic satisfaction, so the listener's mind fills in the gaps, not that there's too much to fill in during the climax, so good is the recording in relative terms.  The Menuetto has proper rhythmic buoyancy and lightness in the outer sections and more zip in the middle, and the Rondo has a quick yet leisurely overall feel.  A recording of no little awesomeness. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar plays briskly in the Presto, with a scaled up sound in the opening, and colorful playing much the rest of the time.  The dynamic range fully satisfies, and Pienaar can't help but toss in some nifty tempo shifts, just because, and some of the playing has a delight-filled scampering feel.  The Largo is slow and urgent, but held back a bit early on for good measure, and the climax has a bit of sting, what with the emphasis on right hand playing.  The Menuetto is unusually slow and calm and loverly in the outer sections, and lilted and heavily accented in the middle section.  The Rondo has a smooth, groovy style, but once again Pienaar refrains from ripping through the music and instead takes a more leisurely approach, to the listener's delight.

Emil Gilels – Gilels launches the Presto in unabashedly virtuosic style, playing fast and with unsurpassed assurance, and he plays with a dynamic range that few rival.  He also mixes up tempi quite a bit, flawlessly moving back and forth.  In stark contrast, the Largo is very slow, comparatively lean sounding, and of course quite dramatic.  Gilels again displays a wider than average (as recorded) dynamic range, which accentuates the drama nicely.  The climax is among the most intense out there.  The Menuetto sounds relaxed in the outer sections and a bit more tense in middle, but not too much, while the Rondo is mostly just a breezy, virtuosic delight.  This is one of the best recordings in the Gilels set.

Eric Heidsieck – The Presto glides along nicely, displaying superb clarity and sounding faster than its timing.  A quicker than normal Largo follows, though it sounds slower than it really is, pulling off that neat trick.  Drama and poise appear in equal measure, and importantly, in the proper places.  The Menuetto outer sections sound lyrical and relaxed, the middle section quicker and terser, and the Rondo sort of fluctuates between quick and fluid and slower and hushed for effect. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Gulda goes for the quick, clean straight shot, all sparkling energy and next to no interpretation in the Presto.  Interpretation comes more to the fore in the faster than normal Largo (that seems like an Adagio at the slowest) where basically tension and hard-hitting forte are the main devices used, and the build up to the climax is the fastest in this group.  Both the Menuetto and Rondo are dashed off with lightness and energy. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Quick, perhaps just a smidge gruff (in a most welcome way), an impression accentuated by the piano's lower registers, Mejoueva delivers a superb opening Presto.  Mejoueva shows how to play a quick Largo, which starts tense and never lets up.  It has a feel similar to the funeral march of Op 26, and the climax really delivers.  The Menuetto is quick and light, but far from lightweight, and the Rondo, after a measured start, is speedy and energetic and fun.   

Minsoo Sohn – Cool, quick, occasionally cutting, with mammoth dynamic swings, and perfectly realized and regulated tempo changes, Sohn delivers a humdinger of an opening Presto.  The Largo is slow, serious as atherosclerosis, dramatic, with more of those big ol' dynamic swings, and tension aplenty.  Yes, indeed, the climax is hard-hitting and powerful.  The outer sections of the Menuetto offer both delicacy and firmness in perfect measure and the trio is quick, pokey 'n' punchy, and fun, or something approaching it.  The Rondo starts with some seriously colorful playing and then moves into quick but perfectly controlled playing, with nary a note length nor dynamic level even one iota out of place.  A monster recording.

Russell Sherman – Rich in tone and slightly heavy-handed (and purposely so) to open the Presto, Sherman adds some more pep and plays with pep, keeping the feel very youthful overall, but also quite burnished in terms of execution.  Brooding and dark to open, the Largo then switches over to a blend of beautiful urgency and restrained hesitance right up to the dramatic but not especially forceful climax.  The Menuetto sounds slow and downright gorgeous in the outer sections, and the middle section amply energetic, with the Rondo closing things out in a mostly bright, mostly light and flowing manner, with some personal rubato and accenting thrown in for good measure.

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus omits the repeat in the Presto, but he plays with ample boogie throughout, mostly mitigating the oversight.  The Largo certainly contains much tension, and it just as certainly is not a Largo, sounding more like a pressed Andante most of the time.  The outer sections of the Menuetto come off light and fun, but the middle section sound somewhat like an undifferentiated mass of notes, though the energy remains high.  The Rondo starts slow but then morphs into quicker, more buoyant playing. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff drops the repeat in the Presto, which almost always hurts.  He plays with a fully satisfactory level of speed and fun, though, and that always helps.  The clarity of voices is at times startling, especially given that this is a mono recording.  The Largo is fairly quick as far as Largos go, and it's fairly tense, and filled with a proper level of drama.  As one would expect, the outer sections of the Menuetto sort of just exude a lightness, a Kempffian rightness, while the middle section offers a bit more energy, and the Rondo is light and fun. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Kempff plays the Presto repeat here, but there's a bit of stiffness to the delivery.  Too, the clarity displayed in the earlier recording is gone, and some playing sounds comparatively muddy.  The Largo is slower than before, remains a bit muddy, and has a decent amount of drama, especially during the climax.  The Menuetto and Rondo are similar to the earlier recording, just brighter and leaner. 

Yu Kosuge – Quick, light, and bright at the open, Kosuge keeps things moving, sounding light, doing the mp to p thing with panache, and generally just does good things in the Presto.  The Largo sounds dramatic and nuanced, but also somewhat smaller than most others.  (It's like the polar opposite of Sohn or Gilels.)  It works well, though, even without maximum oomph in absolute terms.  The Menuetto displays a lightness of touch in the upper registers mixed with weighty lower registers that really hits the spot, while the Rondo nearly sparkles in the upper registers. 


Official Scientific Ranking
Minsoo Sohn - 1
Artur Schnabel - 2
Andrea Lucchesini - 3
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 4
Emil Gilels - 5
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 6
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 7
Yu Kosuge - 8
Eric Heidsieck - 9
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 10
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 11
Russell Sherman - 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 13
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 14

[Todd]

Op 13

Andrea Lucchesini – Dark, rich, but not thundering chords characterize the Grave, but man, the way he stretches out the playing and the pauses, and the tonal luster, woo, it done work good.  The Allegro section has verve and weight, and then when he brings back the opening material, the dramatically stretched out playing works.  The Adagio cantabile, well, yeah, here Lucchesini's piano sings more beautifully than almost any other.  The Rondo glides along with energy and both beauty and fierceness where needed. 

Annie Fischer – See, so, St Annie, she knew her Pathétique.  Decades of performances and recordings show.   A slow but tense and pulverizing Grave starts things off, and a while some Allegro sections may be faster, few if any have more vigor.  The Adagio can't hold a candle to Lucchesini's in terms of beauty (few can), but it does sound subdued and offers a lyrical bridge until the dramatic Rondo caps off a great recording.

Arthur Schnabel –  Schnabel reaches back to the 19th Century here, with a dramatic Grave with dramatic tempo fluctuations and dynamic contrasts, using sustained chords and pauses, setting the stage for a swift and nearly reckless Allegro.  The romantic good times continue with a gorgeous Adagio, which one can reasonably surmise influence Lucchesini.  The Rondo has that slightly rushed, very free and flexible sound that Schnabel generates like no one else. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – The Grave sounds dynamically constrained, but otherwise seems to meld certain traits of Schnabel and Lucchesini with Pienaar's own penchant for rubato and speed, the latter of which appears in jittery playing throughout the Allegro.  The Adagio sounds more lovely overall than I remembered, and the Presto sounds less punchy and weighty, and alternately more wiry and attractive, in an unusual mix. 

Emil Gilels – Gilels goes for the slow, potent Grave, and then brings the heat in the opening portion of the Allegro, with articulation to die for.  He then eases up, winding up for the next run.  Gilels' penchant for slowness works well in the Adagio as he brings the cantabile playing and makes the slow tempo jell into a big ol' whole.  Only in the Rondo does one want for a bit more zip on occasion.

Eric Heidsieck – An only slowish Grave (which is fine) stands out mostly for its clipped chords (which is very fine), and then the movement switches to an only reasonably swift Allegro (which is fine) with a pulsating bass line (which is muy bueno).  The prancing right hand playing also frequently calls attention to itself.  Lovely playing in the Adagio becomes almost hypnotic, and the Rondo, with ample dashes of rubato, kind of moves along with a sense of surface drama only, but that's all that's needed here.

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – A slow Grave with loud forte playing is followed by a swift Allegro, which in turn is followed by a lovelier than one would typically expect Adagio, which is followed by a quick and comparatively light Rondo.  Unfailing classical in mien, it remains close to interpretationless. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Thunder announces the start of the Grave, and Mejoueva doesn't really let up, pummeling out the loudest passages, and speeding up slightly as she does, before kicking off a full force Allegro, which rumbles down low, and cuts up top.  Yet, Mejoueva makes her piano sing, and that instrument adds little dashes of unique tone in the upper registers.  The Rondo sounds bright thanks to those upper registers, with big punches to the ears courtesy of the pianist's generous forte playing.  Add in some nice energy, and, well, this here's a blockbuster recording.

Minsoo Sohn – The Grave is slow and dynamically constrained to start, though at around a minute in, the thunder arrives.  While the Allegro is not especially fast, it grinds forward, with big ol' forte blasts and musical inevitability.  Sohn plays with immense beauty in the Adagio, approaching Lucchesinian beauty, and then he knocks out a vibrant, punchy Rondo.  But there's more.  The clarity of voices, and some tiny details, like the way he punches out a chord and then precisely times the decay before moving on really just, yeah.  And the rolling bass line in places.  Another high end recording from the esteemed Mr Sohn. 

Russell Sherman – Clipped thunder opens the Grave, which then turns slow and poetic with chaos interrupting.  Sherman leads with the left hand in the Allegro, and the pulse is ever so slightly uneven, for effect.  Sherman brings the gorgeousness to the Adagio.  Sherman then mixes and matches devices throughout the Rondo and adds more than a little vocalizing.  It ought not to jell, though it do.

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Like St Annie, Bill knew his Pathétique.  The Grave sounds tightly wound and tense and comparatively swift, and the Allegro tense and not fast but sort of unyielding.  The Adagio, not particularly slow, does have a nice cantabile sound, and the Rondo has enough drive and drama to sate. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff does well in the Grave, creating a sense of drama, but the Allegro sounds too stiff and lacks sufficient drive.  The Adagio fares much better, of course, with Kempff floating beautiful but not saccharine playing.  The Rondo possesses enough energy and drive, though sacrificed scale, that one misses what could have been in the opening movement.

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Another case where the stereo recording is slightly better than the mono, and it's all down to the slightly more flowing and energetic Allegro.  Otherwise, thinner and brighter sound is the only notable difference.  Still, these two recordings do not show Kempff at his best in this sonata.  Fortunately, he recorded the work 217 other times.  The earlier the recording, the better.

Yu Kosuge –  One can almost envision Kosuge leaning in to get that big ol' chord that launches the work, but even better, the way she backs off with the subsequent big chords before starting all over again sets the table for a serious Grave and then a spunky Allegro with bell like right hand playing.  Kosuge's playing in the Adagio is defined by cool restraint and unsurpassed beauty.  The playing in the Rondo sounds more reticent than most others, but the clarity and tonal beauty essentially offset quibbles about intensity.


Official Scientific Ranking:
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 1
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 2
Minsoo Sohn - 3
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 4
Andrea Lucchesini - 5
Artur Schnabel - 6
Eric Heidsieck - 7
Russell Sherman - 8
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 9
Yu Kosuge - 10
Emil Gilels - 11
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 13
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 14


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Op 14/1

Andrea Lucchesini – The Allegro is swift, smooth, and as lyrical as one may want, with hints of drama in the second theme.  The Allegretto ups the lyrical ante, and the Rondo adds dashes of playfulness. 

Annie Fischer – Annie goes for pep and constrained intensity in the Allegro, playing with more edge than most, but not walloping away like she can.  Hints of tension permeate the Allegretto, and the Rondo has more of that light edge.  Annie keeps the same overall style more or less through her cycle, and she knows how to dial the intensity up and down as needed. 

Arthur Schnabel – Slow at the outset, the Allegro quickly becomes swift, but Schnabel has more tricks up his sleeve.  This is the most overtly romantic take in this group, without tipping into idiosyncratic playing.  That romanticism permeates the slow-ish, rich Allegretto, while the Rondo is quick and really rather intense in the middle of the movement. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – The boxy, mid-range centric sound aside, one might not even know it's Pienaar.  Sure, some of the runs display his sometimes jittery style, but he plays with more dynamic and tonal nuance than normal, sort of elevating the music.  More than he should?  Nah.  The Allegro remains light, the Allegretto sounds lovely and elevated, and the Rondo has energy but it is not rushed.  It's all very high-grade.

Emil Gilels – No recording.

Eric Heidsieck – Light, lithe, and eminently of the French style, the Allegro glides along, whereas the Allegretto, still lithe, sounds richer and somewhat somber.  The Rondo is stylistically in line with the opener, and the whole thing has a sleek, refined feel.

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Quick, clean, dynamically bounded, with a pleasing tone, Gulda delivers a pleasant take rather than too fast, too clinical, etc. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva goes for a pretty much straight-ahead reading.  Her tempo choices in all sonatas is conventional and well-executed.  Her dynamic contrasts sound nice, but not outsized.  The Rondo sounds quite vigorous and makes for a fine closer.

Minsoo Sohn – Quick and bright to open, Sohn wastes no time adding in his fine dynamic control and bracing forte playing.  The Allegro is mostly right hand led, and sometimes Sohn delivers aural x-ray clarity without sounding forensic and cold.  The Allegretto lightens up a bit, but more or less keeps the same high-grade vibe, while the Rondo manages to sound studied but also free-wheeling. 

Russell Sherman – Rushed and purposely rhythmically unsteady to start, Sherman plays the Allegro like a Scherzo, complete with some outsize dynamic outbursts.  The Allegretto then comes off as lumbering and lurching, like drunken playing, though expertly delivered, except for the trio, which just lumbers on wonderfully.  (Yes, lumbering playing can work.)  The Rondo has the quicker, not always perfectly even delivery, with some random accents and pauses thrown because why not.  The sheer heavy-handedness of Sherman's interventionism here would no doubt dissatisfy many listeners, but to me it's musical Snickers.     

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus starts slow, but he has a trick up his sleeve, because he switches to fast and urgent playing after only a few bars and sticks with it through the rest of the Allegretto.  He keeps the tense approach in the Allegretto, while the Rondo is more or less conventional but modestly tense, and certainly not especially lyrical in delivery. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Light serious is the best brief way to describe Kempff's mono cycle recording.  A relaxed but not slow tempo and comfortable dynamics characterize the Allegro.  The Allegretto, too.  The same general vibe pervades the Rondo, but here the tempo choice is a smidge too relaxed. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Similar to the earlier recording, but the opening Allegro sounds too slurred to open and it never really recovers, though the relative dynamic range surpasses the earlier recording.  The Allegretto, by contrast, is more tense, in Kempffian terms, while the Rondo ends up close to stodgy in places.

Yu Kosuge – Alternating between some chunky chords and smoother fast playing with satisfying crescendos, and ear tickling high notes in the coda, the Allegro sounds quite nice.  The Allegretto has whiffs of tension to go with the lyricism, and the Rondo has zip and pep and an unburdened, youthful vigor. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Minsoo Sohn - 1
Russell Sherman - 2
Andrea Lucchesini - 3
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 4
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 5
Yu Kosuge - 6
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 7
Eric Heidsieck - 8
Artur Schnabel - 9
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 10
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 11
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 13
Emil Gilels - N/A


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Op 14/2

Andrea Lucchesini – Lucchesini could just as well be a singer in the Allegro, given how he makes his instrument sings.  And the runs are glorious.  The second movement sounds lackadaisically punchy and gently comic, with the main differentiation in the variations being the dynamic contrasts.  The Scherzo is dispatched quickly, with no haste, no little wit, and a pronouncedly Haydnesque sound.  A delight within a delight. 

Annie Fischer – Annie plays the opening Allegro with no tension and some biting playing, making it a bit harder edged that perhaps is ideal.  The theme and variations are direct and less comparatively hard hitting, while the Scherzo has nice pep. 

Arthur Schnabel – Quick 'n' plinky in the Allegro, the latter due to the recording, Schnabel delivers more musical gemütlichkeit along with some good time reckless speed.  Schnabel then plays the Andante theme and variations as very much an Adagio or even Largo.  The playing is perfectly measured, with no other idiosyncrasies aside from the extreme slowness – so, it's idiosyncratic.  The Scherzo closes things out with proper vigor.  Nice.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Quick and bright, and more tonally attractive than a goodly number of other sonatas in the cycle, Pienaar keeps the Allegro light, tuneful, and fun, with a hefty amount of energy in the middle section.  The theme and variations bounce along and have some bold, nearly-but-not-quite exaggerated dynamic contrasts, and the Scherzo is fast and prankish, almost looking forward to Op 31.  Good stuff.

Emil Gilels – Gilels starts the Allegro slow and keeps it slow.  It sounds lovely but enervates the listener.  All-consuming slowness pervades the second movement, and the Scherzo, while having a few passages with verve, more or less keeps with the all things slow approach. 

Eric Heidsieck – Sleek, subdued, fluid, broad, and lovely in the Allegro; playful, vibrant, and march-y in the theme and variations; puckish and with dollops of fun rubato in the Scherzo, Heidsieck delivers a fine version. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Gulda backs off in terms of speed and plays with more legato, delivering a light, smooth Allegro.  The theme and variations chug along pleasantly, and only in the Scherzo does Gulda let loose clean, clear, and fast playing to rival anyone's, though his clarity and precision is unsurpassed. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – The piano's upper registers pour forth color in the fast passages of the Allegro.  Mejoueva's playing is very direct otherwise, with no idiosyncrasies to write about.   The theme and variations are well done and definitely sound quite serious and proper, while things lighten up a bit in the Scherzo.  Those upper registers sound fantastic, as well.

Minsoo Sohn – Ever so hesitant at the open, Sohn takes the Allegro at a comfortable pace, plays with no little bite, and with even more clarity.  How can one maximally enjoy the piece without hearing every note?  Well, when Sohn's playing transforms into a wash of colorful upper register steel, one doesn't care about each note so much as the effect.  The Andante theme and variations sounds steady, with fantastic dynamic variation, and in the clarity of the left hand playing in one extended passage of the third variation, with each and every note basically underlined, underscored, and italicized really sounds neat.  The Scherzo is how a deadly serious pianist approximates fun so well that it sounds fun.

Russell Sherman – Sherman brings more of that slightly and purposely unsteady rhythm to the Allegro, but he also brings Lucchesinian tonal luster, and a sense of mystery.  Mystery!  Yes, mystery, in early LvB.  Oh yeah, and some pungent accenting.  The theme and variations give Sherman a reason to use micropauses, slight note length distortions, and subtle and unsubtle accenting to superb effect.  The Scherzo even more so.  The sense of mischievousness delights throughout.

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Among the quickest Allegros in this group, it is also the most intense, verging on the severe in places, though the energy level cannot be denied.  The theme and variations are taut and uncompromisingly direct.  The Scherzo has energy and pep.  Overall, perhaps the most serious version here.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Relaxed and dreamy in the Allegretto, with compressed dynamics in the fastest passages to eke them out, the playing nonetheless has the Kempff magic.  The theme and variations are slow-ish yet sort of just float along, and then in the Scherzo Kempff plays with ample zip and dynamic contrasts.  Very nice. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – The overall vibe is more relaxed, most notably in the Scherzo, and the sonata comes off as a light entertainment.  Nice, but it lacks the impact of the mono version. 

Yu Kosuge – Very beautiful, very clear, with admirable left hand clarity, in particular, the Allegro is just a bit too slow and lacking in energy to rate among the best here.  Both the theme and variations and Scherzo have ample pluck, clarity, and energy. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Andrea Lucchesini – 1
Minsoo Sohn – 2
Russell Sherman – 3
Daniel-Ben Pienaar – 4
Artur Schnabel – 5
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 6
Eric Heidsieck – 7
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) – 8
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – 9
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 10
Yu Kosuge – 11
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 13
Emil Gilels – 14


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Op 22

Andrea Lucchesini – Left hand led, clarity cedes primacy to smooth forward motion, sustained but not excessive brio, and Lucchisini lyricism in the Allegro con brio.  The Adagio, oh my goodness, it's all calm beauty and singing tone.  A potent but smooth and dark and rich trio is surrounded by more gorgeous and sprightly playing in the Menuetto sections.  The Rondo has more left hand led forward motion, though smoothness is joined by smooth bumpiness in some figurations (rough edges are strictly verboten) and little globs of lyrical gorgeousness.  Very, very fine.

Annie Fischer – The Allegro con brio cuts and growls and cruises along at a perfect tempo.  Owing to the deep Boesendorfer bass and harder hitting style, the Adagio comes across as somber, and a bit tense, but that's more than okay.  As is the Menuetto, tenser than the norm in the outer sections and hard hitting in the trio.  The Rondo nearly sounds relentless in its forward drive.  That's a good thing here.   

Arthur Schnabel – As per usual, Schabel is all gung ho in the opening Allegro, pushing things to extremes in terms of speed and energy and engagement.  Also predictably, he plays the slow movement slow (though not, thankfully, Gilels slow), bringing that romantic feel.  Lovely menuettos flank a super-pressed trio, and Schnabel again opts for zippiness in the Rondo to close.  Plumb the deepest depths this version does not, but sound fun it most certainly does.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar goes for a fast overall Allegro con brio, but he introduces some micro-pauses, some showy accelerandos, and generally tinkers with things a bit, but he never impedes forward motion.  For maximum contrast, Pienaar goes slow and very beautiful to start the Adagio.  No matter how slow his playing, he never breaks the musical line, approaching the same levels of mastery as Pogorelich in that style.  The movement achieves the whole suspension of time thing.  The Menuetto blends beauty and rubato and the trio is quickly dispatched with a sense of tension.  The Rondo again blends beauty and rubato, and then in the fastest sections it has bite, hammering intensity, and jitteriness.  The piece jells architecturally but has interpretive variability throughout, in a sort of best of both worlds approach.  One of the great recordings of the work.

Emil Gilels – Gilels offers exemplary clarity and superb steadiness but also hints of stodginess in the Allegro.  The Adagio is slow, slow, slow, drifting into soporific Lento territory, though Gilels maintains a lovely tone.  Slowness pervades the entire Menuetto and Rondo.  Not a favorite. 

Eric Heidsieck – While French pianists are rare among the elitist of elite cycles, all French pianists who have recorded this work deliver superb Op 22 recordings.  This is no exception.  The furthest thing from it, actually.  There's swiftness and lightness in the Allegro, with subtle and unsubtle rubato and an artiste's pointed extension of some phrases just 'cuz.  The Adagio starts just a smidge quick, but has a hypnotic feel, and the tempo imperceptibly and gradually slows down, all while Heidsieck keeps the playing subdued and lovely, except when he doesn't, all while eschewing gooey legato.  The Menuetto is all clipped, boisterous fun in the outer sections and the trio is faster, bordering on the rushed, but perfectly controlled.  The unabashedly melody-centric Rondo is all lightness, prancing prestidigitation, and Gallic musical goodness, like Beethoven infused with the soul of French court music.

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – A fast Allegro is followed by a super-fast Adagio is followed by a really fast Menuetto is followed by a remarkably fast Rondo.  See, it's fast.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – The spaciousness of the recording and the lower registers  give the opening of the Allegro industrial strength oomph, and then Mejoueva just pushes forward with a high-energy, medium-hard-hitting take with catchy rhythm right through to the end.  The Adagio sounds just a bit tense, and deadly serious due to delivery, but it is otherwise almost expressionless, just letting the notes through.  Mejoueva opts for quick, cutting playing in the outer sections of the Menuetto, with an even more amped up trio, and the Rondo is all forward motion and drive, with strong hints of Op 5x style music, with only brief respites. 

Minsoo Sohn – So clean, so clear, so steady, yet with small personal touches, the Allegro con brio ends up like a sort of juiced up Steven Osborne style performance, meaning beyond museum quality.  The Adagio sounds steady, lovely, hypnotic.  The Menuetto is lovely, fast, and lovely, by section, and the Rondo sounds unfailingly bright and charming.  A great recording. 

Russell Sherman – Sherman doesn't play one bar of the Allegro straight.  He must and does fiddle with something all throughout, yet his clarity is exemplary, the energy level remains high, and the dynamic contrasts always catch the ear.  This is a too-much interventionism approach though, so many will disapprove.  I heartily approve.  Sherman brings the beauty and taste and restraint and vocalizing and the most ridiculously long, dramatic pause in the Adagio.  Blurred 'n' slurred, the Menuetto outer sections sound nifty, the swifter trio, too.  In the Rondo, Sherman brings the right hand beauty and the fun.  The second appearance of the second theme and the final appearance of the first theme sound so playful, so bright, so devoid of heaviness that smiling while listening is literally impossible.

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus plays swiftly more or less throughout the sonata, stripping repeats, playing with little or no emphasis on tonal attractiveness.  It's a very serious take overall.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff plays sprightly and energetically enough in the Allegro, sort of generating a quasi-quasi una fantasia feel.  This impression is amplified in the Adagio.  The Menuetto sounds Kempffian in the outer sections while the trio has some real oomph to it.  The Rondo returns to the fantastical feel a bit in places to close out. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Thinner and brighter again, Kempff's playing also sounds less clear than in the mono recording, though one gets a sense of greater energy, partly due to the harried, less clear playing.  The Adagio sounds quicker and tetchier.  The Menuetto is quicker and more vibrant with a fast, gruff trio.  The Rondo sounds rather gentle, but playful.  Though obviously still Kempff, the take is more noticeably different than in some other sonatas when compared to the mono cycle.  During the comparisons here, I prefer the mono, but which one to grab going forward would be more of a mood thing.

Yu Kosuge – Slight emphasis on melody persists throughout the opening Allegro, but the left hand playing not only sounds clear, its insistence sets the stage for a playfully forceful feel.  Kosuge brings the beauty in the Adagio, and plays with calming insistence most of the movement, but with slight urgency in the middle section.  She also knows how to subtly ride the sustain and then swap it out for a perceptible but plays like imperceptible shift as well.  A nice touch.  Bright, playful Menuettos surround a tense Trio, and the Rondo has energy and boogie aplenty.


Official Scientific Ranking:
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 1
Eric Heidsieck - 2
Minsoo Sohn - 3
Andrea Lucchesini - 4
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 5
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 6
Artur Schnabel - 7
Yu Kosuge - 8
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 9
Russell Sherman - 10
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 11
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 13
Emil Gilels – 14


-----


Op 26

Andrea Lucchesini – A predictably beautiful Andante theme opens the theme and variations, and each variation is distinctly characterized.  The second is quick, with effortless left hand accenting, and the third does its duty presaging the march.  The Scherzo is all refined fire and sumptuous drive.  The funeral march is just a smidge quick, especially in the thundering forte playing, with bass weight aplenty, and has real gravity, while the Allegro has superb drive and not one harsh edge, no matter how loud the playing. 

Annie Fischer – St Annie's cycle, at least in its original, nine one-disc volume iteration, starts with this sonata, and it is evident from the Andante theme that she had the work dialed in.  Attractive, serious, but not heavy, it flows, gives way to a couple distinct, less rarified variations, and arrives at a heavy-hitting, miniature funeral march third variation, and then carries on to the finish just so.  The Scherzo has Annie's customary fire, and the funeral march is serious, solemn, not heavy but certainly not light, and it is perfectly paced.  It does not surprise that the Allegro is spot on in every regard.  A corker.

Arthur Schnabel –  Schabel brings the romantic slowness to the opening Andante theme, which works well.  Of course, he foreshadows the funeral march in the third variation, but it's the second that pops, with its measured speed and nifty dynamic contrasts.  Schnabel scampers around the keyboard with a sense of delicious recklessness.  The funeral march, suffering from some wobbliness in the transfer I listened to (the Dante), is slow, somber, maximally funereal, and hits the spot.  That spot on recklessness returns in the Allegro.  This could be the best here, but for the fact that Annie done does smite Schnabel, and she smites him good.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar delivers a nicely attractive Andante theme, in better than average recorded sound for the cycle.  He also keeps personal touches fairly restrained, with beefy left hand sforzandi and slight changes to the pulse the main items of note.  The third variation just sounds slow rather than foreshadowing, but that's fine.  The Scherzo is quick and punchy in the outer sections, with the middle slowed way, way down nicely.  The funeral march is slow, but it lacks heft and instead is about pianistic effects, especially in the middle section, but they work nicely enough, as does the punchy, good time, if purposely slow-ish Allegro.

Emil Gilels – The opening Andante theme is fairly attractive and slow, and while he does play fast briefly, slowness pervades the entire first movement.  The Scherzo alternates between quick and slow decently, but it doesn't really have great forward drive.  The funeral march is slow, but lacks power relative to what Gilels can deliver.  Sort of out of nowhere, Gilels then steps on the gas in the Allegro, zipping through with lightness and brio.

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck starts with a flowing but not particularly beautiful Andante theme, and throughout that and the first couple variations, it's the accenting and rubato that stand out, and it's all eminently tasteful.  The third variation sounds more serious and looks forward to the funeral march.  The Scherzo sounds growly in the outer sections, but gentle in the middle section, keeping the overall feel light and playful.  The funeral march is somber and very formal, to the point of eschewing outsize gestures.  Heidsieck's fingers work clean, clear magic in the light Allegro closer.

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Comparatively quick in the Andante theme, Gulda keeps things light and brisk throughout the opening movement, and the Scherzo is faster yet, with great clarity and precision.  The funeral march has an appropriate rhythm and some wide dynamics, but it sounds comparatively perfunctory.  The Allegro is all vibrant energy. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Equal parts attractive and serious to open, with the middle register sonority and decay adding just a touch of somethin', something', the first movement has enough gravitas and little touches – the briefly distended open to the first variation before it revs up – to satisfy, though the third variation does not foreshadow with the best of them, though it has nifty sforzandi.  The Scherzo is nicely paced and fun and ends with a big, beefy coda.  Mejoueva keeps the funeral march quick and taut, with the right degree of musical dourness.  The Allegro is quick, punchy, and up in the listener's grill.  Nice. 

Minsoo Sohn – Attractive and serious as all get out in the Andante theme, Sohn sets the first movement up for nicely varied variations, with the third doing a nice job of foreshadowing the funeral march.  The Scherzo, perfectly realized and nicely weighty, sounds almost too serious.  The funeral march is serious as the plague, but Sohn plays it on the swift and small-scaled side much of the time – those massive forte blasts notwithstanding.  The Allegro retains the super-seriousness, though it also has hints of (academic) boogie. 

Russell Sherman – Well behaved in the lovely opening Andante theme, Sherman acts more mischievously with the arpeggio announcing the first variation, though even that doesn't deviate too much from the norm.  The second variation is punchy, and the third variation slow, but not hinting at funereal playing.  Sherman digs deep with the left hand to underpin a perpetual motion but not especially fast Scherzo.  The funeral march has wide dynamic swings and ample power, but the rhythm isn't especially marchy, and the mien not particularly funereal.  The Allegro flitters into being and cruises along, when the lower registers are not being played thick and heavy. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – The opening Andante theme is quick and comes close to sounding too serious.  Each variation is distinctive, and the overall presentation is on the quick side.  The Scherzo is quick and almost growly in demeanor.  The funeral march is fast and stern, with no sense of a hero's funeral, but rather one of an impatient old man wanting to hurry the proceedings along. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempffian magic permeates the Andante theme, and then the magic more or less continues on through the movement, though in a contained way.  The Scherzo bops along nicely, in a similarly contained way.  The funeral march has a just right tempo selection, and though restrained most of the time, Kempff hits the keys hard in the middle section.  The Allegro is a bit too slow, but somehow, by highlighting certain notes just so, Kempff makes it sound inevitable.

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – The thinner sound detracts more than normal here, though the tradeoff is that the tempi and overall feel are a bit more groovy.  The Scherzo is a bit swifter, as is the funeral march, or at least it feels like it, because it also sounds more tense than funereal.  The Allegro is a bit too slow, but is faster than the mono version, but it lacks the same musical inevitability, 

Yu Kosuge – In the first movement, Kosuge delivers a slow and beautiful opening theme and first variation, a quick and pointed in the second variation, and the third variation sounds slow, but not funereal.  The true distinction comes in the nearly late period sounding fourth variation, with some nearly static and gorgeous playing.  The Scherzo is fast, punchy, with rolling bass and a soaring melody.  The funeral march is very slow, very somber, lovely in the quiet playing, powerful and un-hard-edged in the loud playing, and generally most satisfying.  The Allegro boogies right on to the end, capping off a fine reading.


Official Scientific Ranking:
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 1
Artur Schnabel - 2
Andrea Lucchesini - 3
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 4
Minsoo Sohn - 5
Eric Heidsieck - 6
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 7
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 8
Yu Kosuge - 9
Russell Sherman - 10
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 11
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 13
Emil Gilels - 14

[Todd]

Op 27/1

Andrea Lucchesini – Quickish, gentle, and beautiful in the opening Andante, slightly heavier and even more beautiful in the second subject, Lucchesini then swells the playing in scale, using pedaling and the acoustic to create a big ol' wall of sound in the Allegro section.  The return of the opening material sounds a bit tighter.  Lucchesini adds more rhythmic oomph to the Allegro molto e vivace, and some beefy forte playing, with zero harsh edges and an innately lyrical style.  Even more lyrical, and maybe almost too beautiful (jk) is the Adagio, which slows things down and nearly evokes the Elysian fields one expects in Op 111.  The final movement then rips and zips through to the end, packing a punch through the most gloriously appointed thirty-four ounce gloves, except for the gloriously beautiful original theme.  Top of the heap.

Annie Fischer – Annie softens her tone to start and plays with the just the right tempi throughout the movement, and of course when the Allegro section arrives, she amps things up a bit.  She ratchets things up even more in the Allegro molto e vivace, hammering and cutting the music, but she doesn't rush things.  The Adagio sounds slightly edgier than the opening Andante but sounds attractive enough, and the final movement has that bright, cutting sound, oodles of energy, and rhythmic drive.  It's also here where what makes St Annie's cycle so special comes to the fore.  While she famously recorded only short sections to get the overall feel right, somehow she and the editors and producers managed to mix and match in such a way that each moment sounds right while also delivering a whole that seems just right, too. 

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel evokes a warm, cozy feel in the Andante and second subject, and again at the end of the fairly slow movement.  He plays much faster, with wide dynamics that belie the age of the recording, in the Allegro section.  The Allegro molto e vivace is very fast, and for maximum contrast, Schnabel plays the Adagio slowly and quite beautifully.  The concluding Allegro vivace does not sound as rock solid as some other version, but the extreme pep and energy offset quibbles, and then some.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar's interventionist tendency appears here with tapped out, shortened chords making the opening Andante sound playful rather than particularly beautiful, which is left more for the second subject, though that, too, is played haltingly.  The Allegro section is dashed out in an amped up, more secure take on Schnabelian recklessness.  The Allegro molto e vivace is played with pep and with a halting, exaggerated rhythm in the middle section.  The Adagio sounds more lovely than one might expect, and the rough 'n' ready Allegro vivace brings it all home.

Emil Gilels – Gilels takes his sweet time in the opening Andante, with a barely quicker second subject.  This sets up a maximally contrasting Allegro section, with top of the line virtuosity and dynamic blasts.  After some more slow playing, Gilels ratchets things up even more in the Allegro molto e vivace, with playing so secure that even Gulda might take notes.  The playing then moves between the styles to the end, but it ends up sounding too episodic. 

Eric Heidsieck –  Heidisieck plays with more staccato than most others, not even trying to make the Andante particularly lovely, though he does not play it ugly at all, and of course the faster sections and movements come off comparatively better.  The  close microphone placement does allow the listener to appreciate some of the left hand playing, especially in the closing movement.

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – One might think that great individuality is almost needed for a fine first quasi una fantasia recording, but Gulda's here to show that's not true.  Almost interpretationless, he chooses perfect tempos in the opening movement, contrasts the sections perfectly, delivers a fast and clear and potent Allegro molto e vivace, a lovely but not sentimental Adagio, and a crowd-pleasing, energetic concluding Allegro vivace. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva opts for well-judged tempi, but she does not go for an especially beautiful approach in the Andante in the opener.  That means that the main distinctions in the Allegro section are the dynamic contrasts and the tempo.  The Allegro molto e vivace adds extra punch and bass weight to the mix, the Adagio is slow and somber, while the concluding Allegro vivace has ample boogie and a fiery coda.  Really, it's a no-nonsense take with the instrument adding a very slightly different sonic angle.

Minsoo Sohn – A lovely sonority combined with slight accelerations and decelerations as Sohn moves up and down the keyboard and an elevated second subject complete with delicately differentiated repeated chords set the table for a clear and striking Allegro section with left hand sforzandi standing out.  The cool control in the Allegro molto e vivace and the massive sounding coda in turns set the table for a beautiful, cool, contained Adagio with superexpert dynamic contrasts, with left and right hands playing at subtly different yet clearly different levels in passages.  He concludes with punchy but not rushed playing in the Allegro vivace.  Yet another hit from Mr Sohn.   

Russell Sherman – Shermanesque (ie, lotsa) rubato is on full display right out of the gate, preventing a perfectly smooth open.  That's not to say the approach does not work.  His shifting emphasis of clarity – first the melody, then the accompaniment, then neither, then mixing it up – when combined with his tone works well and sets up the Allegro section where szforzandi and descending cascades flow like a partially iced creek over smoothed rocks.  The Allegro molto e vivace only lets loose in the middle section, otherwise sounding purposely held back.  The Adagio sounds intermittently lovely, with chunky interludes, and the final Allegro vivace has pep, but the balance is unique, with the left hand both drawing attention to itself and sounding inevitable.  High grade interventionism, this. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – The opening of the Andante sounds lovely, but the second part sounds a bit stiff.  The Allegro rips, though, and the return of the Andante theme sounds nice.  The Allegro molto e vivace sounds punchy but kinda stiff in the outer sections.  Basically, the pattern ends up the slower sections sound nice, the moderate sections sound stiff, the fast passages zip by.  Nice, but not great. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – A brisk opening Andante gives way to a becalmed second section gives way to constrained but still effective Allegro gives way to a taut return of the opening theme.  The Allegro molto e vivace is slow and verges on the lumbering, but, and I'm not sure how, Kempff makes it sound right, all the more so in the peppy middle section.  The Adagio takes on a somber, hypnotic sound, and the final Allegro vivace lacks a bit of vivace, it verges on sounding stodgy and maybe it even does, but again, that Kempff magic makes it seem like that is precisely how things should go. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Aside from the thinner, brighter sound, the main difference is that the stereo take is a bit quicker across the board.  It makes the sonata sound more playful, but less fantastical. 

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge goes for slightly quick playing in the opening Andante and subtly breaks some chords in the second section, and then revs up in the Allegro section.  She never deviates from generating attractive sounds, which of course works well.  The Allegro molto e vivace has pep and drive and a rock steady rhythm in the middle section, and a satisfying climax, while the Adagio is all luster and dark hued beauty, and the Allegro vivace scampers along, slyly playful and punchy and potent.  Good stuff.


Official Scientific Ranking:
Andrea Lucchesini - 1
Minsoo Sohn - 2
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 3
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 4
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 5
Artur Schnabel - 6
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 7
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 8
Russell Sherman - 9
Yu Kosuge - 10
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 11
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 12
Eric Heidsieck - 13
Emil Gilels - 14

[Todd]

Op 27/2

Andrea Lucchesini – There's no slack in the opening Adagio, and the playing sounds rich, dark, and lyrical, almost like accompaniment for some Schubert Lied.  Me like.  The Allegretto is vibrant and peppy, and the Presto agitato has ample drive, speed, and power, with fully satisfying left hand playing. 

Annie Fischer – After decades of performances and earlier recordings, Annie new her Moonlight.  The Adagio sostenuto is slow, somber, with a subdued left hand and dominant right, with the slightly cutting sound and proper sustain pedal usage creating just the right mood.  The Allegretto combines a gentle, rocking rhythm and cutting right hand playing with a somewhat laid back overall feel, while the Presto agitato is Schnabel sloppy in the fastest passages and in the listener's face.  It does not relent until the coda.  This is how it's done, folks. 

Arthur Schnabel –  Schnabel takes the Adagio and a pretty brisk tempo, but he establishes a nice mood, and he doesn't muddy things up with excess pedal, either.  The Prestissimo comes off as light and almost playful, especially in contrast to St Annie.  Schnabel then pushes the Presto agitato, and given that this is basically a live recording, there's the thrills, the (threat of the) spills, and energy aplenty.  Seriously, it's like a real deal recital from almost a century ago.  It holds up nicely.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar doesn't even try for ana Adagio tempo, keeping things taut.  The austere clarity and the weighting of notes early in repeated passages creates a uniquely hypnotic feel, but not a mysterious or emotional one.  The Allegretto is snappy and light, making for the perfect musical bridge.  The Presto agitato, actually aided by the constrained, boxy, middle register dominated recorded sound, moves relentlessly forward with some absurdly fast playing in some places. 

Emil Gilels – Gilels keeps the Adagio pretty taut and melody dominates in a somewhat terse movement.  The Allegretto has nicely broad dynamics and a pretty broad tempo that drains some of the energy.  Clean articulation, oodles upon oodles of power when needed, and nice forward drive characterize the Presto agitato. 

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck goes for a moderate tempo and the playing sounds ever so slightly faster than it is, creating a tense feel.  The Allegretto has a spring to its step, with Heidsieck using a sort of dance-like rhythm, while the Presto agitato has nice forward drive, really nice energy, and nice clarity as well. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Gulda plays the Adagio in the most controlled, even, almost expressionless manner among this group, and he does so with more attractive than normal for him playing.  Somewhat uncharacteristically, the Allegretto is among the slowest in this group, and while perfectly executed, it lacks something.  The Presto agitato is fast and filled with energy, but it remains somewhat more expressionless than I prefer.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Quick and hazy in the Adagio sostenuto, Mejoueva creates a sense of urgency in her take.  The Allegretto has a sense of playfulness and lightness, and a nifty, unique coda.  The Presto agitato reminds the listener of St Annie, though it's not quite as intense and is better controlled, with a stern forward drive that does not stop.  Good stuff.

Minsoo Sohn – Somber and metronome steady in the Adagio, Sohn establishes a sort of idealized sense of musical melancholy before moving to a somewhat slow Allegretto that boasts some supersized sforzandi.  The Presto agitato has ample drive, sounds purposely unclear in parts, and boasts more of those big ol' forte thwacks found in the preceding movement. 

Russell Sherman – Sherman almost literally turns the Adagio sostenuto into a Lied as he vocalizes harmoniously almost throughout.  His piano tone is lush and gorgeous, his dynamic range condensed, the feel is forlorn and almost mournful.  The Allegretto is lighter and peppier, but/and it has an at times slightly off-kilter rhythm.  The Presto agitato has a rolling bass line underpinning clipped right hand playing to start, and then sort of just rolls through the movement, with outbursts and retreats contained within an always moving blob of music.  It's more effective that it ought to be.

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus pulls off the trick of making his playing sound ever so slightly slower than it is in the Adagio.  It's definitely restrained, dark, almost glum.  The Allegretto is sounds almost dutiful in delivery, while the Presto agitato has energy and drive, but it kind of lacks impact, even when accounting for the age of the recording.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Subdued, steady, slow, almost like a musical translation of some romantic poem, Kempff plays the Adagio wonderfully.  The Allegretto sounds livelier, lighter, and mostly light, but with potent forte playing where needed.  There's also a seriousness about it.  The Presto agitato lacks the ultimate drive and nimbleness of some other versions, but nonetheless, it jells perfectly with the other two movements here. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Here the sound is brighter, but there's more fullness to it.  The playing is very similar overall.  The same holds true for the Allegretto, and the Presto agitato comes off as more energetic and driven.  That written, taken as a whole, it lacks the feel of the mono take.  It's clear, though, why some people would prefer this one.

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge's Adagio is very slow, very somber, and that recorded sound and her ability to deliver luxurious tone pays big dividends.  The Allegretto bounces along, all frolicking fun and lightness.  The Presto agitato rolls along with a dark bass line and nice, loud right hand playing, but playing possessed of zero sharp edges.  Nice. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 1
Andrea Lucchesini - 2
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 3
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 4
Minsoo Sohn - 5
Artur Schnabel - 6
Russell Sherman - 7
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 8
Yu Kosuge - 9
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 10
Emil Gilels - 11
Eric Heidsieck - 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 13
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 14

[Todd]

Op 28

[In a bid to be ecologically conscious, the summaries used in the previous cycle 11-21 shootout will be recycled here.  All recordings received an additional hearing, though.]

Andrea Lucchesini – If one likes a lyrical Pastorale, then Lucchesini is bound to satisfy.  The opening Allegro smoothly cruises along, songful and beautiful, and even in the amply strong climax in the development section, he maintains his poise without sounding soft.  The lyricism remains in the Andante, which manages to flow and have pointed left hand playing, and a subtle sense of tension.  The second section comes off as a blend of Op 33 and a Mendelssohn Lied ohne Worte.  The Scherzo is swift and punchy and light, with an even quicker trio.  Yep.  The Rondo is a gorgeous, left hand led (mostly) gentle galop with long swaths of joy embedded within.  Oh, and some massive forte playing and a hootenanny of a coda.  Real good stuff.

Annie Fischer – Annie delivers a more tense than normal Allegro, with that repetitive bassline acting like something of a proto-minimalist earworm.  A bit more lyricism would be nice, but she knew better than I.  The Andante remains more tense than normal, except in the (mostly) gentler, lyrical middle section.  The Scherzo is plucky fun, with a neat, little ear-catching sustain on the last chord.  The Rondo cruises along nicely enough, with an especially nice repeating bass line due to that piano. 

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel starts Op 28 with a measured, flowing Allegro.  Dynamic contrasts sound perfect, repeated left hand notes sound insistent, right hand runs zippy.  It sounds right.  Pretty much as right sounding is the Andante, where the primary melody sound measured and lovely, while the second section sounds lighter, funner.  Funner yet is the springy, bouncy Scherzo, and the Rondo, a bit chunky rhythmically, nonetheless just kind of cruises along to the end.  Superb.  [Recycled post]

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar deceives the listener a bit by starting the Allegro is a quick, jittery way, but then he backs off to something way more relaxed in tempo and also plays with no little lyricism.  He also amps up the development climax to something approaching an Op 5x wallop.  The outer sections of the Andante have a nervous energy about them, but the middle sections is positively, well, pastoral.  The Scherzo is slow, and has a halting galop feel in the outer sections, and has exaggerated speed in the trio.  The Rondo cruises along at a nice clip and ends with a revved up but not overcooked coda.  Overall, it's just peachy.

Emil Gilels – It had been so long since I listened to this recording that I had to do a double take at the timing of the opening Allegro, which comes in at 12'11".  The insistent and prominent bass line sounds off comparatively.  Gilels can and does play some of the music beautifully, and his forte playing can shake the walls with the volume control set just so.  The Andante is slow and mostly stands out for Gilels ability to play with a wallop.  The Scherzo is straight-forward, with massive forte playing, while the Rondo starts very slow, speeds up to slow, and displays more powerful playing. 

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck launches with a right hand dominated Allegro that's fairly quick and not especially fluid, though neither is it chunky.  The Andante is quick and clear and clean, with a sense of urgency and not so much lyricism.  The Scherzo is where Heidsieck offers something idiosyncratic to the point of strangeness as he plays the Scherzo very, very slowly.  Very.  So slowly.  It's exaggerated and has no justification.  It doesn't work.  But it also doesn't not work.  Part of that is because I am used to it, but part of it is because there's a sense of purpose, likes it's meant to be this way, as when Kempff gets lost in various live recordings, noodles a bit, then finds his way back in a manner that makes it seem proper.  The Rondo is a bit slow, but it flows nicely enough and has enough dynamic contrasts to satisfy. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Very subdued to open, presumably by riding the una corda, Gulda then fairly quickly gets into a steady, clear style, and in the development climax he adds some real oomph.  The Andante is quick, with mostly soft edged staccato playing, and some of the steadiest rhythm around.  The Scherzo is quick and bouncy, while the trio is as fast as one can go without sounding pushed too much.  The final movement cruises quickly, includes some quite lovely playing, and ends with an extra zippy coda.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva, the only woman to record two complete LvB sonata cycles at the time of this writing, starts with an advantage: she uses a 1922 Steinway D.  For whatever combination of reasons, pianos – or Steinways and Bechsteins, at least – built in the 1920s sound better to my ears than those built before and since.  Combine that with proper playing, and well, good things happen.  Right from the start, Mejoueva opts for a quicker overall tempo, tetchier rubato leading to less seamless flow, and just as many dynamic contrasts.  The thinner, brighter sound of the piano when compared to the closely miked modern grand results in a punchier, grittier feel, but one oozing refinement, too.  Um, yeah.  As good as Kosuge's swelling forte playing sounds, Mejoueva's has a sort of nimble yet smooth increase to peak volume that sounds more satisfying, and the right-hand runs are clean 'n' clear.  Mejoueva takes the Andante at a quick clip and really hits the accents hard.  The movement moves forward in a steady overall manner, it's just ear catching to hear all the different and shifting emphases.  The middle section sounds lighter and more playful to offer contrast.  The Scherzo is dispatched with speed and walloping dynamic contrasts and spicy sforzandi and no little rhythmic crackle.  The quick Rondo has some purposely stilted left hand playing to start and peppered throughout, but the effect enhances and does not detract from the proceedings, and the brisk tempo and punchy coda satisfy, indeed.  As good or even great as Kosuge's take sounds, Mejoueva's sounds better yet, and quite different.  So Mejoueva takes it, but these are both likely top twenty takes, and maybe better than that.  [Recycled post]

Minsoo Sohn – Sohn takes his sweet time in the broadly timed Allegro of Op 28, and he doesn't play in an especially flowing manner, but the subdued approach, the cleanly articulated right hand playing (and left hand when needed), and perfect dynamic terracing all work splendidly.  The broad approach and Sohn's forte prowess yields a maximally satisfying climax in the movement, with deep, rich left hand playing after.  Sohn maintains a slow approach in the Andante, and the clarity and dynamics and control make it work.  The Scherzo remains restrained in the outer section, but zippy in the middle, but those dynamic contrasts remain, fast or slow.  Sohn keeps it slow in the Rondo, too, with only the galloping coda speeding up, but as a display of absolute pianistic control, this recording rocks.  [Recycled post]

Russell Sherman – As tonally alluring as Lucchesini to start, with comparatively few of Sherman's eccentricities.  I did crank the volume more than normal, just 'cuz, and while that did deliver supremely satisfying volume with forte playing, it did emphasize the comparative lack of dynamic range when compared to, say, Sohn, which means the development climax doesn't box the listener's ears.  (Boo!)  Anyhoo, the Andante sounds rich and lovely and quite serious, with a mostly steady left hand underpinning it.  The Scherzo has a pleasant overall tempo, a comical heaviness, comical rubato, and a purposely labored trio.  The Rondo starts off slow and heavy, with the left hand playing maintaining a heaviness throughout, except for the quicksilver coda.  It's really quite fun.

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Very slow repeated bass notes quickly transitions to a moderately speedy, tense, yet lyrical enough Allegro.  Backhaus speeds up appreciably in the development climax, then backs off again.  The Andante has a steady, chunky rhythm and an uncharacteristically playful middle section.  The Scherzo sounds playful and bouncy, and the Rondo is pressed, almost to the point of gentle aggressiveness, or at least musical impatience. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – This recording has both gobs and heaps of that Kempff magic.  Slightly broad in the Allegro, mostly dynamically constrained and gentle to the point of dreaminess in places, but with enough agitation where needed, it just sounds right.  The subdued, steady rhythm and easygoing of the Andante in the outer sections contrast beautifully with the playful and light middle section.  The Scherzo sounds laid-back and almost nonchalant in the outer sections, and slightly revved up in the trio.  The Rondo manages to sound both rigidly structured and like Kempff is playing in a stream-of-consciousness manner, with no pressure, no undue angst (though plenty where needed).  It's just all so zen.

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Kempff delivers more tension, more dynamic range, and less magic in the Allegro in the stereo remake.  The Andante is similarly quicker and has less of that pixie dust.  The Scherzo is playful and light, and the Rondo has an overall lightness to it, too, as well as more dynamic range than the mono recording, but zenness is much diminished. 

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge launches a broad take on the Allegro with perfect pacing.  All tempo relationships are flawless, low level dynamic gradations are superswell, and forte passages display heft.  Lyricism also appears in abundance.  Slow, steady, and calm playing pervades the opening of the Andante, with gently rollicking and pastorale playing the second section.  Kosuge keeps the outer sections of the Scherzo slow-ish and steady, and steams through the middle section.  She then ends with a Rondo of straight forward tempo and with thundering loud playing, though she does speed up notably during such passages.  Overall, this is a corker of a Pastorale. [Recycled post]


Official Scientific Ranking:
Andrea Lucchesini – 1
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 2
Minsoo Sohn – 3
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 4
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 5
Russell Sherman - 6
Artur Schnabel – 7
Yu Kosuge – 8
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 9
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 10
Eric Heidsieck - 11
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 13
Emil Gilels – 14

[Todd]

Op 31/1

Andrea Lucchesini – Fleet to start, Lucchesini brings the punch quick and prances up and down the keyboard.  Energy and fun and the pianist's lyrical playing in melody-centric passages make for a sweet opener.  The sweet, blurred trills and the warm, lyrical style work well in the Adagio grazioso, which manages to sound light and gorgeous in perfect measure.  The Rondo is light pep and drive.  The entire sonata comes off as a beautiful scherzo. 

Annie Fischer – The cutting sound, generally brisk overall tempo and quite brisk sections add a sense of something like fun in a reading that can't be described as light at all, though it is far from heavy, either.  The Adagio grazioso sounds sharp and clean but a bit more intense that is ideal here.  The Rondo has ample energy, but retains the slightly too intense feel.

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel goes for broke in terms of tempo in the opening movement, with a few easily audible moments of imperfection.  That matters less than the zest and zaniness.  The long, slow Adagio grazioso mixes quick trills and a sense of fun with that late 19th Century sensibility that only he brings in the slower, more romantic music, at least among this group of pianists.  The Rondo is all zippy and light and just good fun.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar lets his interventionism loose here as he rips out the gate in a manner so reckless that Schnabel might wince – when not nodding approvingly.  He also klutzes through some of the playing.  The whole opening Prestissimo Allegro vivace is so over the top that one either must surrender to the giddiness or turn it off.  The former is so much more fun.  The overall timing of the Adagio grazioso is normal, but it masks some notable variances.  Basically, the fast stuff is quite fast and the slow stuff is pretty darned slow, and always Pienaar is not content to just play it straight, having to tinker everywhere.  The best way I can think to briefly describe the Rondo is as a musical incarnation of a Charlie Chaplin movie.  A phenomenal recording. 

Emil Gilels – Supremely fine articulation and precise dynamic control, the often dance-like rhythm underpins often gentle playing.  That gentleness is offset by dramatic gestures, which sounds nice.  The second movement is taken at a relaxed overall pace, with mostly contained dynamic contrasts, and it has a slightly playful mien through most of the movement.  The  Rondo certainly can't be faulted for lack of clarity, but it does miss some energy and drive. 

Eric Heidsieck – The slow-ish opening tempo and exaggerated left hand notes gives way to comically fast playing, the returning music returns, and then the meat of the movement arrives, and Heisdieck's staccato, rhythmic sureness and musical swagger all work splendidly.  The ridiculously long Adagio grazioso (13'57") starts with blurred trills, just kind of cruises along, and the Heidsieck plays the second section in an absurdly slow and subdued manner.  So musically delicious!  Heidsieck keeps with a generally relaxed tempo in the Rondo, but it just rolls forward with charm and fun and near silliness.  A blockbuster recording. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Gulda's take is pretty much all about speed start to finish, with aural x-ray clarity throughout.  There's an almost comedic feel to the playing, which works nicely. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva takes up Annie's approach, but with greater flexibility, finer dynamic gradations, and a fun sense of serious purpose.  It's not a light take, but it's not dour, either.  The instrument and the pianist's playing yield colorful and blurred trills in the Adagio grazioso, and the slightly off-kilter rhythm in places along with those lovely upper registers and jokey bass notes, as well as the big ol' beefy bass notes before the coda, make for a fine movement.  The playing takes on a fleet, effortless, flowing and light feel in the Rondo, cruising right through to the end in near perpetual motion fashion.  High grade stuff.

Minsoo Sohn – Clean fingerwork and massive dynamic contrasts characterize the opening, and then Sohn tosses in the speed and energy.  Sohn never shakes a sense of command and seriousness – it's a deadly serious pianist's attempt to inject humor into the playing.  Fortunately, it works well, in probably the best of its kind recording in that regard.  The same serious/fun blend permeates the Adagio grazioso, and the second section has delightfully merciless left hand playing underpinning the music.  The Rondo grazioso doesn't lighten up as some other versions, but the clarity of voices (that killer accompaniment!) and the forward drive quell quibbles quickly.

Russell Sherman – There's nothing too out of the ordinary to start the Allegro vivace.  As the movement unfolds, though, the accumulation of personal touches – subtle or less so accelerations and decelerations, unnecessarily wide dynamic contrasts, off-beat rhythm, a ridiculously slurred and reckless wall of noise in the middle,  and so forth – pushes it over to blend of seriousness and comedy few other pianists match.  The Adagio grazioso lends itself to some extreme interpretations – though Sherman's is not the most extreme – and Sherman delivers.  Light, lovely trills and the entirely offbeat and unstable accompaniment results in music that lurches around comically.  The second section blends insistent forward drive, wide dynamic with the pianissimo end getting some lavish attention, and the transition to and from the playing sounds nearly improvisatory, in a well-prepared way.  Instability reigns in the Rondo.  When I first listened to the cycle, I remember writing that there's almost a drunken feel to the celebratory playing, and there is, and it's just splendid in every way.  I love heavy-duty intervention in this sonata, and Sherman's got that, oh yes, he does.  His is the best of this group and one of the greatest ever. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus plays with lightness and pep in the opening movement, a sense of actual playfulness in the Adagio grazioso, and verve and fun in the Rondo.  For Backhaus, the whole thing is light and fun. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff keeps the opening Allegro vivace fairly quick, though in gnarliest passages the playing takes on something of a heavy air in an otherwise light movement.  Flattened dynamics and a very light and lyrical touch characterize the Adagio grazioso, while the Rondo sounds fairly breezy. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – The stereo recording sounds much the same, but the improved recorded dynamics and slightly peppier sound give it the edge over the mono recording. 

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge's take is pretty straightforward, but she has the benefit of that recorded sound which yields great clarity and allows the listener to hear subtle dynamic gradations.  And to appreciate the burnished sforzandi.  The Allegro vivace has a sense of polite prankishness about it; the leisurely and lovely Adagio grazioso, very much emphasizing the grazioso, sounds, dare I write it, sweet overall; and the Rondo has speed and highly polished heft, creating a sense of (perhaps too?) elegant fun. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Russell Sherman – 1
Eric Heidsieck – 2
Daniel-Ben Pienaar – 3
Andrea Lucchesini – 4
Minsoo Sohn – 5
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – 6
Yu Kosuge – 7
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – 8
Artur Schnabel – 9
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) – 10
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – 11
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) – 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) – 13
Emil Gilels – 14

[Todd]

Op 31/2

Andrea Lucchesini – A too beautiful (nah) Largo, which delicious, dark hued arpeggios, gives way to Allegro playing of no little potency and lyricism.  Perhaps it sounds too lovely to be maximally dramatic, but it sounds more than dramatic enough.  Beauty becomes more central in the Adagio, to the point of distraction.  (jk)  The Allegretto sounds darker hued, kind of italicized with front-loaded phrases, and one can hear the ample pedaling, but it works nicely.  The playing right before the coda takes on an almost programmatic air, as though the music were some setting of a romantic text.

Annie Fischer – The opening arpeggio is slow enough, but it seems like Annie's just itchin' to get to the Allegro.  Once there, fire and intensity and edginess arrive.  The Adagio slows things down and sounds more attractive, but Annie keeps the playing nice and tense.  This ain't no squishy version.  That is brought home in the relentlessly edgy and biting Allegretto, with those at times cutting upper registers thrusting at the listener's ear.  The subtlest version this is not, the most satisfying version among this lot it is. 

Arthur Schnabel – A slow opening arpeggio and Largo, which returns throughout the movement, Schnabel falls squarely into the fast and furious approach in the Allegro section of the first movement, with the two sections starkly contrasting throughout.  Schnabel does the slow, romantic take on the Adagio and then closes out with a quick but not rushed (overall) Allegretto with a galloping rhythm. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Slow, italicized arpeggios in the Largo sections basically just set up tense, jittery, quick but not at all rushed playing in the Allegro sections.  It's perhaps the most telegraphed musical setup in this group, but that's more than fine.  Pienaar also deploys a guitar-like effect in the middle that pops.  The Adagio sounds slow and somewhat cool, with often terse left hand playing.  The right hand emphasis in the Allegretto adds some bite, and the reined in galop provides the oomph. 

Emil Gilels – A slow opening arpeggio possessed of musical mystery permeates the Largo sections, while the Allegro speeds up considerably, has ample power, and some fluttering accompaniment.  Gilels brings the extreme slowness to the Lento-like Adagio.  While the musical line does not break, it does enervate.  The Allegretto never really seems to get going, either.  No one can gainsay the execution, but more energy is needed.

Eric Heidsieck – Quiet and quick-ish to open the Largo, Heidsieck transitions to loud and quick in the Allegro, and he opts for some potent forte playing to compliment the clear staccato style.  The fairly taut Adagio is surface deep only, but it sounds lovely and tense where it should, and that clarity works very well.  Heidsieck leads with the right hand in the Allegretto, with snappy rhythm underpinning it and nice storminess. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Fast.  The Largo is swiftish, the Allegro fast.  Like, fast.  Precise, clear (though not Heidsieck clear), and fast.  Did I mention it is fast.  Well' it's fast.  The Adagio is much more relaxed, and very pristine, very classical in mien, with no outsize gestures.  The Allegretto goes right back to fast, and it has such beefy bass that either he plays a lower octave or the engineers fiddled with things a bit.  There's no doubting the cleanliness and verve, though. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Long and slow, with drawn out arpeggios and impossibly long sustains in the Largo, Mejoueva then turns up the heat and punches out the lower registers in the Allegro.  She repeats the general approach of the Largo in the slow passages of the Adagio, but in the middle section she plays with a fire and intensity to match or surpass Annie.  The Allegretto has fire and drive aplenty.  Nice.

Minsoo Sohn – A precise, cool opening arpeggio in the Largo sets the table for quick, biting, and intense playing in the Allegro.  Sohn moves back and forth between the styles, and if it sounds somewhat detached, it also sounds swell.  The Adagio is slow, cool, and supremely clear and precise, with each note duration and subtle dynamic gradation on forensic display.  Perfect tempo choices, perfect accenting, supremely fine clarity, and high energy permeate the closing Allegro.  Good stuff, good stuff.

Russell Sherman – Distended arpeggios in the opening Largo ends up ceding to a scampering Allegro where Sherman never lets loose; he must and does employ subtle and unsubtle tempo adjustments, adds dramatic delays, accelerates almost willy-nilly, and it works.  The Adagio sounds uncommonly beautiful, almost gentle, and often very dreamy.  The pianistic effects – shortened note values, odd accents – are audible, but they sort of disappear into the gorgeous mix.  The tonal beauty remains in the start of the Allegretto, but Sherman brings a sense of urgency to the playing as well.  Some of the gestures sound quite distinctive and unorthodox, but they serve to underscore his approach.  Definitely not to all tastes. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus tempos are slightly more or less middle of the road, with a non-dramatic Largo and stern sounding Allegro.  The Adagio is fairly quick and not exactly expressive, though Backhaus deploys the sostenuto pedal on some bass notes in a way no one else does.  The Allegretto has decent energy, but it lacks fire.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Stripped of repeats, coming in at only 6'19" (compared to Mejoueva's 10'20"), Kempff starts with a fairly quick and undramatic Largo and moves to a strangely quick yet heavy, but not heavy sounding, Allegro.  It manages to sound weirdly clunky yet motoric.  Kempff layers on the full Kempffian magic in the transitions between Largo and Allegro sections, though.  The Adagio is a contemplative, almost dreamy or fantastical take, and the Allegro mixes stiff playing that somehow manages to move forward perfectly fine with limited dynamic range non-stormy tempestuousness.  Somehow, he pulls it off.

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – The first movement has more drive than the mono version, and though the recorded dynamics sound wider ranging, they are not particularly wide.  The Adagio sounds plainer, while the Allegro sounds more conventional here.  A nice enough version, but as per usual, it lacks the distinctiveness of the earlier version.

Yu Kosuge – The zero ugly notes approach works well here, where the Largo sections sound drawn out and lovely and the Allegro sections sound peppery and tense but not too much so.  The Adagio is slow-ish and tense, with some lovely passages (though not Sherman lovely) and some fairly expressionless passages as well.  The Allegretto has some pep but also sounds a tad polite, though not enough to detract from enjoyment.


Official Scientific Ranking:
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 1
Minsoo Sohn - 2
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 3
Andrea Lucchesini - 4
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 5
Artur Schnabel - 6
Russell Sherman - 7
Eric Heidsieck - 8
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 9
Yu Kosuge - 10
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 11
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 13
Emil Gilels - 14

[Todd]

Op 31/3

Back in 2019, I did a survey of all versions of 31/3 then in my collection.  Since this is a much smaller population, and since listening is now focused on scientific precision and therefore absolute truth, I figured I might as well relisten and offer fresh assessments. 

Andrea Lucchesini – Gently broad opening chords in the Allegro give way to quick and quite lyrical playing that flows effortlessly.  Perhaps boisterous outbursts are not maximally boisterous, but they work.  The Scherzo lacks a bit of edge compared to other versions, but the Menuetto is so supremely lyrical that one immediately forgets about that.  The Presto con fuoco has oodles of energy, smooth delivery, and beefy bass underpinning the playing.  Good stuff, and slightly better than assessed last time around. 

Annie Fischer – St Annie's EMI recording of this work sets the standard, so it is not at all surprising that her Hungaroton recording fares very well, indeed.  The opening Allegro is quick and energetic, with the cutting edge of her keyboard adding a little something extra.  Annie does not rush the Scherzo, instead making sure to combine energy with a rockin', prominent bass line and nice outbursts.  Near perfect non-gooey lyricism in the outer sections of the Menuetto combined with a more energetic but not overcooked middle section work wonders, and the Presto con fuoco moves forward with an unrushed, but not at all slow, but entirely unstoppable style.  Nice. 

Arthur Schnabel – The Allegro comes off as nearly blithe, and definitely fun, as Schnabel quickly goes through the music.  It sounds organic.  (Should I use such a silly word as "organic"?  Yes, why not, it really means nothing and is meant to convey the fact that Schnabel just seems to have the music down.)  High energy defines the Scherzo, which sometimes sounds a bit wobbly and uneven as a result.  The Menuetto is light and quick, and the Presto con fuoco is boisterous, high energy, and maybe, here and there, just a smidge rough, but the high level of fun cannot be denied. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar's overall tempo is relaxed, and he only sounds fast in short passages rushed out here and there.  In place of unyielding swiftness, there's ample dynamic contrast, nice bright right hand playing, tasteful and humorous rubato.  Things speed up in the Scherzo, and the bouncy rhythm and generally fun mien work well.  The Menuetto has fairly lovely outer sections and a middle section characterized by wide dynamic swings.  The comes the extra-zippy, extra-punchy Presto con fuoco

Emil Gilels – Slow to open the Allegro, and slow thereafter, the appeal in this recording comes from the supreme clarity and superb dynamic range.  The Scherzo gets scaled down somewhat, and it's played at an incredibly steady pace, with sforzandi whacks of no little whackfulness.  The Menuetto is uniformly slow, with beauty in the outer sections and power in the middle.  In the Presto con fuoco, Gilels loosens up a bit and lets fly, with speed, wide dynamics, fine articulation, and just general all around top notch pianism.

Eric Heidsieck – Slow to open the Allegro, Heidsieck then speeds up noticeably.  His playing blends a lightness of touch and a gentle forcefulness in terms of forward drive, and some really hefty yet clean forte playing, allowing one to forgive the cut.  The Scherzo is not rushed, has some delicious left hand playing, and also some extra bright right hand playing in a few spots when things speed up.  A tiny bit of vocalizing emerges with the opening material in the Menuetto, with the middle section having ample punch.  The Presto con fuoco is full bore, full blast, and full o' fun. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Light, almost plinky in the Allegro, with at least one rough edit, Gulda cruises along with a carefree sound and feel, dashing off the music with silly ease and generating as close as possible to a sense of fun for him.  The Scherzo is ridiculously even, light, bubbly, with fun outbursts.  It's almost like a musical typewriter, but here that is meant as praise, in that it's like Beethoven meets Antheil, or something akin to that.  The Menuetto outer sections flow nicely and the middle section slows down and displays nice dynamic contrasts.  The Presto con fuoco rocks starts to finish, in perfectly contained and executed fashion.  This remains one of the best recordings ever of this work and one of Gulda's finest efforts. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Colorful and slurred to open the Allegro, one senses tension from the get go, and Mejoueva adds more, but not too much, as the playing speeds up.  She doesn't go for maximum clarity at all times, instead going for energy and forward motion.  The left-hand led Scherzo has ample weight, energy, and boogie, with Mejoueva sort of slyly sneaking around the keyboard, and with potent sforzandi.  (I of course have no idea how this was recorded, how many takes, etc, but the movement has the energy of a single, live-in-studio take.)  The Menuetto is swift all throughout, with just enough lyricism in the outer sections and punch in the middle.  The Presto con fuoco is all quick, slurred energy to open, with even more energy piled on thereafter.  A fine recording. 

Minsoo Sohn – Sohn most resolutely does not start things off quickly in the Allegro, instead bringing the attention of the listener to the detail.  Some puckish notes transition to the faster playing, which remains controlled, and then come the forte whacks, all precisely controlled, and the playing rocks steady to the end.  Sohn then speeds way up in the Scherzo, pulsing forward with the left hand, and crashing out the sforzandi outbursts.  The Menuetto alternates between lovely playing in the outer sections and potent middle section.  The Presto con fuoco is swift, unnervingly unerring, and just a hoot, in something of a buttoned down kind of way. 

Russell Sherman – Sherman opens the Allegro with exaggerated slowness, in comparative terms, with a notable amount of vocalizing, and then speeds up a bit.  Like Mejoueva, he does not deliver or focus on clarity, and though there is personal rubato that some people would dislike to varying degrees, the whole thing jells.  The Scherzo is very dark, rich, and left-hand dominated, with nifty syncopation.  The Menuetto outer sections are lovely and the middle section fairly swift with some hard hitting playing.  The Presto con fuoco has weight and boogie and nicely deployed rubato.  And vocalizing.  (Really, this sonata has more than normal.)

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – The opening bars of the Allegro are very slow, but the rest is mostly very peppy, though Backhaus cuts out some music like some other old timers.  The Scherzo is quick and punchy and the Menuetto more or less is, too.  The Presto con fuoco is swift, but not too much so, and has a grimacing mien to it, like the pianist is only begrudgingly having fun, but fun he is having. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff omits the repeat in the Allegro, and it's kind of slow, though the general lightness.  The Scherzo more or less follows the same tack.  Entirely predictably, the outer sections of the Menuetto come off supremely well, while the middle section is good but not great.  The Presto con fuoco is nice enough, and quite clear, but it lacks the snap of other versions.

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Kempff omits the repeat again, and the overall feel is the same.  The enhanced dynamics add a bit of spice, but also sound kind of rough.  Basically, everything here is very similar to the mono recording, but it lacks that something that makes the earlier recording marginally better.

Yu Kosuge – Slowish to start, and never among the fastest Allegros, Kosuge nonetheless delivers playing of such fine evenness, such finely variegated touch, such attention to details without sacrificing the big picture, that one sort of just nods along as she plays.  The Scherzo is quite broad in comparative terms, but it moves forward with motoric certainty.  The Menuetto is likewise slower than normal all the way through, with unsurpassed gorgeousness in the outer sections and striking potent playing in the middle section.  Finally, in the Presto con fuoco, Kosuge keeps the playing slow, yet, unlike other slow versions, the tempo relationships, the flow, the forward momentum all work much better.  Part of that is down to superb recorded sound and the pianist's touch, but part is just down to good juju.  Stellar stuff.

Official Scientific Ranking:
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 1
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 2
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – 3
Minsoo Sohn – 4
Andrea Lucchesini – 5
Yu Kosuge – 6
Daniel-Ben Pienaar – 7
Eric Heidsieck – 8
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 9
Russell Sherman – 10
Artur Schnabel – 11
Emil Gilels – 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 13
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 14

[Todd]

Opp 49, 1 & 2

Andrea Lucchesini – Lucchesini's tone and legato make both sonatas glorious, beautiful little gems.  Perhaps too beautiful.  I mean, not really.  Throw in lightness and playfulness, and these work exceedingly well. 

Annie Fischer – Annie tamps down the intensity, plays much lighter than normal, with an almost gentle touch (almost) at times, and a sense of playfulness.  This is most evident in the second movement of 49/2. 

Arthur Schnabel – Brevity suffices here: Gemütlichkeit in musical form.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Serious but light, swift but not rushed, tuneful and cleanly articulated, Pienaar gets 'em right.

Emil Gilels – Lovely but lumbering, either a little or a lot.

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck brings his lightest, Frenchest touch to these sonatas, plinking them out playfully without a hint of excess seriousness. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – 49/1 alternates between a slow, somber Andante and a plucky Rondo, while 49/2 is quick and plucky throughout.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Lighter than her normal playing, youthful and vibrant, and scaled-down, Mejoueva delivers fine takes on both works.

Minsoo Sohn – Serious, slightly swift overall, and moving back and forth between tender beauty and idealized repose and puckish playfulness, Sohn delivers the goods in both works. 

Russell Sherman – Sherman's heavily interventionist style is just a bit too heavy in these works.  His tone is beautiful, his ideas heady, but these sonatas don't really require heady ideas.  It's a bit too much.  That's in the context of finding the best in a survey; taken on their own, they fit the cycle perfectly. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus lightens things up, but his takes remain perhaps the most serious in this group.  The second does sound more energetic than the first, though.  Nice, but too serious.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – 49/1 is properly small in scale, tense-ish in the first movement, more playful in the second.  49/2 sounds light through and through, with a gentle and whimsical second movement. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Again similar to the mono recording, the stereo recording sheds precisely 14.378% of that Kempffian magic.

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge plays with her lovely, gentle touch in some passages, but she and the close recorded sound also emphasize dynamic contrasts more than normal.  In the second movement of 49/1, she tosses in a mini-cadenza of sorts to spice things up.  Both sonatas are imbued with youthful pep and vigor, with 49/2 sounding relatively peppier. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Minsoo Sohn – 1
Andrea Lucchesini – 2
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) – 3
Daniel-Ben Pienaar – 4
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) – 5
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – 6
Artur Schnabel – 7
Yu Kosuge – 8
Eric Heidsieck – 9
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – 10
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) – 11
Russell Sherman – 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – 13
Emil Gilels – 14

[Todd]

Op 53

Andrea Lucchesini – Okay, so the opening of the Allegro con brio does not sound pianissimo, but it's quick and flows into the ascending passages, and when Lucchesini revs up, it sounds quite nifty.  But really, that lovely tone and smooth, quick fingerwork ends up the main draw.  The Introduzione is mostly calm and lyrical, and the end of the movement and start of the Rondo is lovely and delicate and slowly transitions to satisfyingly loud and potent and articulate playing that hits the spot.  The fluidity of Lucchesini's playing throughout really stands out.  There's nary a jagged edge. 

Annie Fischer –  As recorded, Annie does not open pianissimo, nor does she play with great clarity, and while quick and intense, it ends up sounding more subdued in the context of her cycle.  The Introduzione sounds slow and searching and has some nice, tangy left hand playing.  Annie brings the heat in the Rondo, though more in terms of crushing intensity than breakneck speed.  Overall, a fine version, but not a highlight of her cycle. 

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel takes the fast music right up to the verge of recklessness in the Allegro, and that's sort of how it seems it should go.  The Introduzione goes to the opposite extreme, coming in at over five minutes, with Schnabel just letting chords and notes and pauses hang out there in the musical ether.  It's different enough from the other versions, and has enough of a late LvB sound world, that one wonders if Schnabel learned some secret of the music handed down by Czerny to Leschetizky.  The Rondo starts very gently, very beautifully, ethereally, and while he plays with (nearly reckless) speed and power in places, there's something of a fantastical air to the music here.  A timeless recording. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar's penchant for jittery playing is on full display in the opening of the Allegro, which rushes forward nearly recklessly.  He does slow down as needed, but basically, this is a full steam ahead type reading, and one where dynamic contrasts are occasionally sacrificed to achieve the effect.  That's perfectly okay.  Pienaar then stretches the Introduzione way out to offer maximum contrast with the opener, and the Rondo starts in an almost dreamy state, gliding swiftly and lightly along until Pienaar reverts to jittery and nearly reckless, but undoubtedly exciting playing.  Nice.

Emil Gilels – Gilels plays the Allegro at a not especially quick tempo.  Thing is, it doesn't matter.  The clarity of his playing, the precisely calibrated dynamics, the perfect tempo relationships, the ability to play the accompaniment slightly heavy and make it sound like that's the way it must be, and of course the swelling forte playing all combine to deliver an extremely fine opening movement.  The slow Introduzione tips right over into late-LvB slow movement territory, sounding lovely and contemplative, with the coda and the opening of the Rondo all about the beauty before Gilels launches into some of the most overtly virtuosic playing of his cycle and in this survey.  But it's not just fast and accurate, it's perfectly controlled, and Gilels ain't even giving it his all.  A great recording. 

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck does a hushed and fast open to the Allegro, and he plays with a degree of flexibility and wide tempo shifts that goes beyond even Sherman and Pienaar, but in less idiosyncratic fashion.  He does play the Introduzione with a highly interventionist touch, but he more or less keeps everything restrained.  But man, who would dislike those blunted chords and distended pauses?  The Rondo starts nearly as lyrically as Lucchesini, stays small in scale and only lets loose in a few passages.  Again, in some ways he's more interventionist than Sherman or Pienaar, but the interventions are about slowing things down, about gently highlighting details, about making the work something less hard-hitting than is the norm.  The entire sonata is among the most restrained in terms of scale and power, yet satisfying in terms of tempi and drive. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Neither Schnabel nor Pienaar have anything on Gulda when it comes to speedy playing in the Allegro.  Gulda tears through the piece at breakneck speed while maintaining a level of control at least equal to Gilels'.  There not much to the interpretation beyond the speed, but it's something to hear.  The Introduzione is slower and sounds fine, but it's more or less surface only, and the Rondo is all about speed and clarity.  In terms of awesome pianistic display, it has no rivals among the fourteen versions under consideration here, but it lacks a few other things. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) –  Mejoueva dispenses with even trying to deliver pianissimo playing to start, instead going for energy and oomph, and she keeps the repeat and the speed throughout, sort of expanding the scope along the way.  The Introduzione is quite tense compared to most other versions, with Mejoueva not really letting up, making this sound closer in style to Op 57, and that's pretty neat, especially when the Rondo is taut and mostly hard hitting, though some right hand figurations get the gentler treatment.  This is not the most nuanced take, but it coheres perfectly. 

Minsoo Sohn – Insistent mp playing starts the Allegro, and Sohn wastes no time in throwing out extra-nifty dynamic contrasts, with essentially flawless transitions and absolutely superb simultaneous contrasted dynamics, with accompaniment sounding more prominent than the the melody in long stretches, and one just thinks good thoughts.  But not as good as when Sohn cranks up the overall volume.  There's a sort of non-emotive, purely technical approach to the playing, but that's more than fine.  The Introduzione is slow and so incredibly clear that one follows every note.  The calm playing at the end and then at the start of the Rondo then yields to pianistic thunder.  While Sohn typically plays the louder passages more swiftly, he keeps the tempo in check even at full blast.  I do like that.  This here's a corker of a recording. 

Russell Sherman – The playing sounds faster than the timing suggests in the Allegro, and Sherman adds in unneeded bass accents almost randomly, yet they don't detract so much as make sure the listener listens attentively.  The growling bass he deploys later, along with the precise but sometimes off-kilter melody amplifies the need to listen closely.  The Introduzione is suitably slow, lovely, and almost searching, and it segues to a Rondo that contains large dynamic swells, clarity and opaque playing in a perfect mix, and some little or big interventions (like the left hand playing from 7'19" through 7'20", what's that?) that make for a supremely fine listening experience. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Quick but unrushed and repeatless in the Allegro con brio, Backhaus starts off nicely, but the slower passages sound kind of stodgy.  The Introduzione is a smidge on the quick side, but has a lived in sound, while the Rondo has ample speed and drive, but also a sort of dourness, just sort of pressing relentlessly forward in an unsmiling way.  It's a very serious Waldstein.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – The repeatless Allegro, which nice in many ways, does show that even by the time of the mono cycle, Kempff's way with more overtly virtuosic music was limited.  It has its moments, never more than when Kempff plays in that p to mf range.  That explains why the Kempff magic is on full display in the wonderful Introduzione.  The opening of the Rondo sounds similarly wonderful, but in the faster music, some of the same limitations from the Allegro reappear, and some passages are notably unclear.  Overall, though, Kempff manages to get the feel completely right while not bangin' out the notes with the best of them.  This sonata offers one of the best examples of what could have been had Kempff finished recording all of the sonatas in the 40s, as that earlier recording has all the Kempff magic as well as more satisfactory nimbleness, to go with the sense of freedom that Kempff always displays in live or live-adjacent recordings. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – The stereo recording sounds much the same, but here the thinner, brighter sound lends an impression of greater clarity, so it ends up marginally preferable in the outer movements, but notably less so in the Introduzione. 

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge perhaps comes closest to scrupulously playing the opening of the Allegro pianissimo, and her overall tempo is slightly broad, but it includes notable shifts in tempo, and the fastest passages, which also happen to be notably louder here – making for the fast-loud, slow-quiet dynamic – and all have nice snap without the slightest hint of edge.  A slow, lovely, contemplative Introduzione gives way to a Rondo that alternates between the slow, quiet and fast, loud playing with hints of edge, or at least nice upper register accenting, where needed.   


Official Scientific Ranking:
Artur Schnabel - 1
Emil Gilels - 2
Minsoo Sohn - 3
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 4
Andrea Lucchesini - 5
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 6
Russell Sherman - 7
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 8
Yu Kosuge - 9
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 10
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 11
Eric Heidsieck - 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 13
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 14

[Todd]

Op 54

Andrea Lucchesini – The first theme of the first movement sounds mesmerizing beautiful, and rich.  The second theme lacks even one hard edge, but Lucchesini cranks up the volume and tempo perfectly.  Things tighten up to the end.  In the second movement, the left hand dominates, and the music is an unstoppable, beautiful, weighty flow, with the full force playing sound quasiorchestral, at least when one pumps the volume up to ~95 dB peaks.  (Why not?)  And then that playing to the gallery super-high-speed wraps it all up.

Annie Fischer – So, like, this sonata is kinda St Annie's thing.  Yes, indeed, the first theme of the first movement cuts and stabs and sounds ass stompin' good.  The second theme is a blistering assault on the senses.  The second movement more or less carries forward the approach of the second theme and rushes forward with unstoppable force and nutso energy.  It's the musical equivalent of two firehoses blasting at the listener's face at once.  Fuck yeah!

Arthur Schnabel –  Old Art doesn't really prettify the first theme in the opener, playing it quickly and pleasantly, and then he plays with real boisterousness and occasional deviations from perfection in the second theme.  Dynamics hold up well given the age, but it can't compare with modern recordings.  The second movement has ample energy and forward drive to satisfy. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar opts to play the first theme slowly, with cutting staccato though not a lot of impact, draining it of any beauty.  The second theme sounds timbrally similar and has less dynamic impact and speed than other versions.  The second movement flows smoothly and effortlessly right on through the end. 

Emil Gilels – No recording.

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck's playing basically yields two different styles of staccato playing, one faster and louder, one slower and softer.  One can't complain even one little bit about the clarity.  The second movement finds the pianist almost seeming to dance up and down the keyboard.  One can envision him using Jerry Lee Lewis style hand gestures while playing.  It certainly entertains.

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – The first theme in the opener sounds pretty nice, but the second theme is where Gulda excels.  The second movement sounds clear and direct and is not particularly fast when compared to other versions. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva plays with what I'll describe as refined gruffness in the opening theme.  Sensibly paced, clear, it basically just sets the table for an in-your-face second theme with kickin' low registers.  It's updated St Annie, smoothed-out and more timbrally differentiated (due to the piano).  So, yeah, it's real good.  The second movement has zip and zing, but sounds within more expected, genteel bounds compared to St Annie.  Still, this here's one of the humdingers. 

Minsoo Sohn – Poised and lovely in the opening theme of the first movement, one gets sucked in by the pristine nature of it all.  Then Sohn blasts the second theme at the listener in a manner that blends the intensity of St Annie and (nearly) the tonal luster of Lucchesini.  Sohn then keeps the second movement going at a high rate of speed with pretty much every note both crystal clear and tonally appealing.  And, oh, those depth charge bass notes and middle register blasts to the face! 

Russell Sherman – Sherman plays the opening theme calmly and in lovely fashion, with only minor tempo fluctuations.  Then comes the second theme, clarity becomes less important than creating a low frequency dominated wall of sound to steamroll the listener.  Not one sharp edge can be heard, though.  Sherman sort of scampers mischievously around the keys in the second movement, keeping things moving forward and slightly off-kilter.  Sherman also delivers depth charge playing that possibly surpasses his acolyte.

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) –  Slow, kind of stern, but also attractive enough in the first theme, Backhaus brings the heat in the second theme of the opening movement, making for a boldly contrasted opening movement.  He follows that with a rapid-fire second movement that fits perfectly. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – One expects Kempff to nail the first theme in the opening movement, and he does, playing it more gently than anyone else.  The second theme has more punch and weight, but it lacks the impact of most other versions.  Yet that doesn't really matter.  Kempff magic works here.  I mean listen to those trills before the final appearance of the original theme, which sounds like late LvB.  The second movement sounds kind of slow and pokey compared to other versions, but Kempff just does his thing, out there, alone, playing something most others will never get to.

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Once again, the most immediate material difference is the brighter, thinner sound of the piano.  Here, though, the dynamic range also seems more compressed, with much closer relative perceived volume between the first and second themes of the opener.  That does detract from overall quality. 

Yu Kosuge –  A most appealing first theme and a swift 'n' punchy second theme define the first movement.  The second movement has the requisite forward motion and energy, and the way Kosuge increases the volume of successive bass notes as the notes go lower works nicely, and the way she accelerates so noticeably in the coda is just dandy.  A nice, punchy, unfettered version.


Official Scientific Ranking:
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) – 1
Minsoo Sohn – 2
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – 3
Andrea Lucchesini – 4
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) – 5
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – 6
Russell Sherman – 7
Daniel-Ben Pienaar – 8
Yu Kosuge – 9
Artur Schnabel – 10
Eric Heidsieck – 11
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) – 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – 13
Emil Gilels - N/A

[Todd]

Op 57

Andrea Lucchesini – Left hand led, with weight and power and speed and drama aplenty, the Allegro assai sounds dark and often feels held back, like the pianist is ready to explode, which he does, kinda, in that he never sounds unrefined.  The Andante con moto sounds generally lovely and restrained, with the third variation a wash of tonal beauty.  The final movement erupts briefly, pulls back, and then erupts again.  He alternates styles, always sounding refined and often very powerful.  It's really quite splendid.

Annie Fischer – St Annie owns this sonata.

Arthur Schnabel – Slow and ominous in the opening bars, Schnabel switches to playing the fast music with gusto bordering on recklessness, as is his wont.  There's a sense of spontaneity there given that it is really a live recording, and it shares that with Lucchesini.  This is real deal music making.  Slower, more romantic playing permeates the Andante, though here that sense of gusto remains, and it dominates the super high energy final movement.  High end stuff.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Suitably slow in the opening bars, Pienaar is all about the fast and furious, the hyper and jittery playing here, unleashing torrents of notes all throughout the opener.  The Andante is slower and more somber, except for the impassioned third variation.  The final movement is all speed and heat and occasional bright, piercing playing.  Good stuff.

Emil Gilels – Slow and restrained to start in the Allegro assai, Gilels turns up the wick when needed, and he often sounds faster than he plays.  The clarity in the loudest parts is quite remarkable.  The quieter passages can sound a bit too slow, though.  The Andante comes off nicely, with a spicy third variation, and then Gilels pounds out the opening of the final movement with a hint of steel.  The entire final movement has ample energy and drive. 

Eric Heidsieck – Suitably slow to start, with very finely calibrated dynamics and incredibly nimble fingerwork throughout, Heidsieck delivers an Allegro assai that borders on sounding too refined, with only the aged recorded sound stopping it from achieving that fate.  The Andante sounds cool and somewhat detached, but fits well in the overall interpretation.  The final movement has energy and speed and a certain slickness.

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Quick and quiet to start, super-quick and fast to follow, Gulda's Allegro assai makes all other here sound slow.  There's so much nervous energy that even Pienaar might blanch.  The Andante, yep, it's quick, too.  And the last movement, well, I mean, how could it not be.  There's certainly energy and speed and insanely impressive digital dexterity, but it lacks a little something.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Ominous to open, fast and weighty in the faster passages, with some twitchy repeated notes, with nifty middle and upper registers, the opening movement sounds just swell.  The Andante maintains a higher than average degree of tension throughout, and the final movement starts off with a slight hesitation, and then rumbles and growls and screeches through to the end.

Minsoo Sohn – Dark and ominous to start, Sohn thunders out the louder passages with force but no harsh edges, and then backs way, way off in an instant that thrills as much as any fortissimo sforzando might.  He then alternates styles, plays some accompaniment with a twitchy intensity and generally just plays swell.  The Andante cruises along with cool perfection, and then the final movement, boasting clarity and speed and power in perfect measure, closes things out with a honkin' big bang.  A humdinger of a recording.

Russell Sherman – Slowish and dramatic to start, and suitably speedier in most of the opening movement, much of the playing has a muffled sound, as though Sherman just rides the una corda much of the time.  The gestures and playing have a romantic sweep, but it's all masked.  Sherman plays with predictable tonal beauty in the Andante, adds enough differentiation to the variations, and knocks the third variation out of the park, while in the final movement he starts with slightly shortened note values belted out nice and fiercely and then moves into a mostly fiery final movement where he interrupts flawless flow to accent notes and emphasize phrases just so.  It's interventionist, but not too much so.

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) –  A tense open gives way to an intense overall first movement, yet Backhaus does not rely on excess speed to generate this feeling.  There's also something of a sense of seriousness bordering on grimness in the playing.  The Andante remains serious and comparatively tense throughout, and the final movement has ample speed and drive, though the old recorded sound lacks heft. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff's penchant for anti-virtuosic playing is unmasked in the Allegro as he starts slow but then revs and amps up considerably.  (Though not as much as in his '61 live cycle.)  The pre-echo actually helps build up excitement, and as the old man wails away, it sounds really, really good.  OK, there are some rough and/or blurred patches, but one happily overlooks them.  Unsurprisingly, the Andante works splendidly, and that uncharacteristic heat returns in the final movement.  Kempff has a unique ability to deliver bigly in sonatas where he one expects a bit less.  Don't misunderestimate Kempff is the message. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Similar to the mono set, Kempff delivers more heat, but it's a bit less tight and a bit more congested, almost compressed sounding, as if the engineers boosted levels to make the playing sound louder.  The Andante fares best, and the final movement comes close to dragging on, that heat having dissipated a bit.

Yu Kosuge – Slow, dark-hued, and dramatic to open, Kosuge brings the (closely miked) heat and thunder.  The Andante is mostly quite beautiful.  The final movement starts off with truncated, extra terse playing, and then moves to extremely fast playing, with supremely fine dexterity and satisfying dynamic range. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 1
Minsoo Sohn - 2
Andrea Lucchesini - 3
Artur Schnabel - 4
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 5
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 6
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 7
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 8
Yu Kosuge - 9
Emil Gilels - 10
Russell Sherman - 11
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 12
Eric Heidsieck - 13
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 14

[Todd]

Op 78

[As with Op 28, for Op 78 the summaries used in the previous cycle 11-21 shootout will be recycled here.  All recordings will receive an additional hearing, though.]

Andrea Lucchesini – Anytime the 'cantabile' designation pops up, Lucchesini shines, and so it is in the gorgeous, singing opening.  Yes, he speeds up and beefs up in the Allegro ma non troppo section, but this is all about beauty and flow.  The Allegro vivace has snap and punch and energy aplenty, and caps off an absolutely masterful version.

Annie Fischer – The Adagio is slow and somber and quite appealing to open, and  the Allegro section is quick, cutting, and unabashedly middle period intense.  More intense is the Allegro vivace, which, with that Boesendorfer upper register, slaps the listener right upside the head with musical goodness.

Arthur Schnabel – Op 78 finds Schnabel playing the opening Adagio cantabile in a very beautiful manner, and then going for a tense take on the Allegro ma non troppo.  He treats the piece very seriously, and some of the playing sounds as weighty as other middle period masterpieces.  The Allegro vivace is all energy and snap and drive.  Nice.  [Recycled post]

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – The cantabile playing in the opening is compromised a bit by the recorded sound, but the seriousness is not.  There are no troubles at all for the serious as all get out Allegro section, which hovers near late-LvB style.  The Allegro vivace scores high on vivace with its punchiness and good time vibe.

Emil Gilels – No recording.

Eric Heidsieck – Lovely in the Adagio cantabile, it's the so very light Allegro section where the Heidsieck goodness come to the fore here.  It manages to sound breezy and elevated.  The Allegro vivace is puckish fun, with nearly over the top sforzandi thrown in for good measure. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – The Adagio cantabile sounds contained and lovely, and then Gulda plays the Allegro sections quite swiftly, bringing the piece in about a minute faster than everyone else.  It's well played, for sure, but it lacks more that accurate note playing in comparison.  The Allegro vivace is clean and quick and punchy. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Right from the opening chord, Mejoueva delivers elevated playing of this sonata.  It is not weighed down, nor does it display late-LvB transcendence, but it seems rather more rarified than Opp 5x works.  More than Kosuge, and owing partly to that magnificent piano, Mejoueva's upper register playing sounds even more like the "little stars" and the bright playing sort of hypnotizes.  The Allegro vivace sounds prankish and punchy, with superb dynamic contrasts, clarity where needed, blurred paying where appropriate.  Again, as fantastic as Kosuge's playing is, Mejoueva's satisfies just that little bit more.  [Recycled post]

Minsoo Sohn – That rich opening chord of Op 78, and the perfectly judged tempo in the entire first movement, married to that pristine control, means that Sohn nails it.  The punchy, vibrant, cutting Allegro vivace caps off a great rendition.  [Recycled post]

Russell Sherman – Sherman's playing to open is so lyrical to open that he vocalizes as accompaniment, and when the Allegro section of the first movement arrives, he deploys subtle but effective rubato so as to not upset the flow.  Some of the right hand playing, while not popping out, instead becomes a bright, gorgeous wash o' notes.  The Allegro vivace is pushed, rushed, closing in on comical, though in a serious way (in an Op 119 kind of way), and those little touches of rubato add some interest.  Superb. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – A nice Adagio cantabile gives way to playing almost s swift as Gulda's, but it also has a bit more intensity and flexibility.  While adding weight, it verges on the too serious.  The Allegro vivace is slower than normal and purposely heavy and clunky-ish. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – A predictably serene and lovely Adagio cantabile opening gives way to a slow-ish Allegro that delights because it maintains a transcendental, nearly late-LvB air, but annoys mightily because it omits the repeat.  The Allegro vivace offers maximum contrast by sounding playful, with superb dynamic contrasts.  Here's a case where Kempff would be top three but for the cut. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Like the mono version, just slightly less excellent.  The disappointing cut remains.

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge starts Op 78 with slow, slightly subdued, and definitely lovely cantabile playing and then amps things up, and her ability to deliver supremely steady playing really works well.  Even better, the all-upper register passage before the coda hints at the "little stars" of Op 111.  The quick and punchy Allegro vivace boasts sweet left hand playing and hints of bite.  This recording presents this piece as music border on late period style.  [Recycled post]


Official Scientific Ranking:
Andrea Lucchesini - 1
Minsoo Sohn - 2
Russell Sherman - 3
Artur Schnabel - 4
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 5
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 6
Yu Kosuge - 7
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 8
Eric Heidsieck - 9
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 10
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 11
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 13
Emil Gilels - N/A

[Todd]

Op 79

Andrea Lucchesini – Lucchesini bursts forth out of the gate, playing all fast, and then in the second theme he reverts to his unmatched lyricism, and then he oscillates back and forth.  The acciaccatura hits the spot, as it must in great renditions.  The mood shifts entirely in the ridiculously gorgeous but somewhat solemn Andante, and then reverts to super-snappy, good time playing in the Vivace.  Supremely good.

Annie Fischer – Stiffer and slower out of the gate, and less flowing in the second theme than Lucchesini, Annie nonetheless cruises along nicely and delivers a fun acciaccatura.  The Andante sounds attractive and the Vivace has nice pep, but even with the cutting sound of the instrument, doesn't match Lucchesini's energy, not that it needs to.

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel rips through the Presto all tedesca at breakneck speed, generating great excitement but little nuance, though the acciaccatura does sound basically comical.  He then goes very slow in the Andante and plays with rather notable beauty, and then he wraps up with a chipper, zippy Vivace.  Sometimes he just seems like he's in too much of a hurry.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar takes his time to let the music breathe and unfold in a sort of pastoral way, and the acciaccatura sounds nice but also subdued.  In contrast, the Andante, while not at all rushed, sounds comparatively tense, though it cools off as the coda approaches.  The Vivace sounds more varied in terms of tempo and dynamics that many others, all while sounding fun.

Emil Gilels – Light and lithe, with some beautiful right hand playing, the comparative lightness almost seems unreal coming from this source, though he can and does thwack the keys when needed.  He also knows how to handle the acciaccatura properly.  The Andante starts off slow and halting, with an almost waltz-like rhythm from the left hand, and then it moves to playing so lovely that it rivals Lucchesini.  The Vivace is all pep and drive.  Very nice. 

Eric Heidsieck – A bit slow to open, with incisive playing throughout, and a disproportionately good and exaggerated acciaccatura, the sonata starts off good but mixed.  An at times tense but attractive Andante offers a nice contrast, and the Vivace sounds fun but constrained, though a few gestures are underscored. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – An alert, kind of middle of the road brisk tempo with a fun acciaccatura, the Allegro sounds textbook good.  The Andante sounds similarly direct, and just a smidge on the quick side, which is fine, but the unyielding directness is something of a fault in this group.  The Vivace works better and is just plain fun.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva starts off at a sensible tempo, varies tonal delivery a bit, and keeps the Presto alla tedesca moving forward.  The acciaccatura sounds swell.  The Andante sounds serious and lovely, with the piano delivering a unique sound in the lower registers.  The Vivace has that forward moving vibe, with nifty left hand playing and joyful relentlessness. 

Minsoo Sohn – Sohn starts quick, holds one chord just that smidge longer, and then plays the second theme in a quite attractive manner, always keeping things moving forward.  The acciaccatura sounds less pronounced than some others, but it is delivered flawlessly.  The Andante sounds serious and lovely, and the Vivace sounds just plain fun. 

Russell Sherman – Sherman starts off broadly and quite lovely, and he sort of makes the playing undulate in volume as he moves forward in a fairly steady manner, even including his rubato.  It's certainly unique.  The acciaccatura sounds less pronounced than one might expect, sort of blending into a haze.  Sherman then goes on to rival Lucchesini in delivering an Andante of dark, rich, somber beauty. The Vivace then sounds rushed, almost goofy, and quite satisfying.  This is the last sonata presented in Sherman's cycle, and it has an encore in the form of Rage Over a Lost Penny, which I let spin. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus plays the Presto alla tedesca not so much with a smile but with a resigned grimace, but there's ample energy and drive and some neat little left hand emphases here and there, and a distinct acciaccatura.  The Andante is slow and quite attractive and sounds almost sorrowful.  The Vivace has all the pep and lightness one could wish for. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff plays with nice pep and lightness, and groovy rhythm, to boot in the Presto alla tedesca.  The acciaccatura comes off fairly pronounced as well.  He keeps the Andante fairly tense, but also very tonally attractive.  And the light little Vivace delights.

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Again, the recording sounds thinner and brighter, and also the playing lacks that last little bit of energy and vitality compared to the mono recording.   

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge's Presto alla tedesca sounds bubbly and lightish, with a nice, pronounced cuckoo pattern and some beefy left hand playing and a distinct acciaccatura.   Kosuge brings gorgeous, somber playing to the fore in the Andante and plays the Vivace in a somewhat restrained way tempo-wise, but with ample dynamic contrasts. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Andrea Lucchesini - 1
Minsoo Sohn - 2
Yu Kosuge - 3
Russell Sherman - 4
Emil Gilels - 5
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 6
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 7
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 8
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 9
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 10
Artur Schnabel - 11
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 12
Eric Heidsieck - 13
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 14

[Todd]

Op 81/a

Andrea Lucchesini – The first movement alternates between tense, harder hitting playing that conveys a sense of unease and more lyrical, smooth playing.  Even with wide dynamic contrasts, Lucchesini keeps things attractive.  Introspection, beauty, and beefy bass are in ample supply in the second movement, while the sonata closes out with exuberance in place of introspection. 

Annie Fischer – Annie starts slow, but in the fast passages in the first movement she brings her edge and tautness, and some nicely accented bass notes, in a reading that flows and feels more or less just right.  Greater gentleness than normal appears in the second movement, which also remains just a bit taut and more than a little bit forlorn.  The final movement starts with a bright flurry of notes, then moves on to swift, vital, celebratory playing right through to the end. 

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel offers the archetype for a romantic reading.  Alternately quick and slow-ish, with a sense of anxiousness in the opening movement, a searching second movement, and an extra-ebullient final movement, all tightly conceived if perhaps not as tightly executed, and in excellent sound for the era – and that with the Dante transfer.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar does not start off slow, though he doesn't rush either.  In the faster music, he sounds edgy and sometimes harsh, but not too fast.  There's a fairly intense, middle period vide here, like a condensed Waldstein.  The second movement has slow burn urgency to it, and really stands out.  The third movement is swift, punchy, almost giddy at times, a whirlwind of energy. 

Emil Gilels – Gilels does the slow is profound thing in the first movement, stretching it out a bit too much, and while he plays with wide dynamic range, and so on, the playing basically sounds efficient rather than effective.  The slow, efficient approach, with positively ridiculous pianissimo playing yield a more satisfactory second movement.  In the third movement, Gilels plays unleashed in a few passages, to exhilarating effect, and almost turns the sonata into a journey from slow to fast, from dark to light, but it does not jell all that well. 

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck starts the first movement very slowly, but he then plays with notable speed and ebullient energy after that, is an almost early period style, save for the slow, lovely, and nearly saccharine coda.  The surface deep second movement sounds clear and lovely but not much beyond that, though when it is done properly as here, it does not need to.  The final movement starts with a bright flurry o' notes and then proceeds to be all celebratory energy and lightness, 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Fairly close to interpretationless again, Gulda dispatches all three movements with cool, crisp, classical style and keeps the whole thing very high energy.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – There's no little formality in the playing.  It's slow and expressive where it needs to be, fast and potent where it needs to be, but it's quite proper.  That's not at all to say it's boring or unsatisfying, or that it is devoid of interest.  The way she highlights the left hand playing in the third movement is distinctive but also comparatively subtle.  Nice.

Minsoo Sohn – There's not much in terms of emoting or introspection here.  Rather, the first movement is about pristine, controlled, and subtle quiet shading in the more subdued music, and maximum power forte blasts and perfectly controlled playing in the faster sections.  Toss in superb clarity, and it enchants as an exercise in Beethoven pianism.  The second movement is more about cool clarity than anything else, and the final movement offers aural x-ray clarity with ample energy and massive dynamic swings.  (The last attribute was enhanced by the rather loud listening volume used.)

Russell Sherman – Slow and gorgeous to start, with a continuous, low-level vocal accompaniment, Sherman creates one of the most immediately emotive takes, though in an abstract way.  The bracing dynamics sound swell, the unsubtle rubato, too, though the resultant wavering sound will not please all listeners.  The second movement sticks with beauty and adds a sense of sorrow or longing.  How, I don't know, but it does.  Sherman's constant vocalizing indicates closer than normal attachment to the work.  The final movement is celebratory as heck, and while Sherman uses his standard devices, they remain more subdued than normal.  First rate.

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus delivers a free-flowing first movement possessed of hints of emotion, while the tense second movement sounds terse and morose.  The final movement is vibrant, quick, celebratory. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kind of slow, kind of stodgy, serious and formal, the opening movement has ingredients that usually guarantee a poor performance, but Kempff wields that magic to make it work.  It lacks the passion and energy of others, but it has a certain something.  He plays the second movement relatively quickly, and here a sense of tension and the musical equivalence of impatience pervades, and the final movement is entirely unstodgy, possesses good energy, good dynamic contrasts, and a celebratory sense.

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Marginally less quasi-stodgy and more dynamically varied in the first movement, the second movement is identical interpretatively, and the third movement, a couple too evident edits aside, sounds the same, just brighter. 

Yu Kosuge – Slow, delicate, and gently nuanced to open, Kosuge amps things up as needed, without any hard edges.  The almost bell like sound of some notes works quite nicely.  The second movement doesn't so much convey emotion so much as sound lovely and clear, with superb clarity of voices, allowing one to hear left hand figurations easily.  The third movement is all speed and incredible lightness, with Kosuge fluttering across the keyboard in some sections. 

Official Scientific Ranking:
Russell Sherman - 1
Andrea Lucchesini - 2
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 3
Minsoo Sohn - 4
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 5
Eric Heidsieck - 6
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 7
Artur Schnabel - 8
Yu Kosuge - 9
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 10
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 11
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 13
Emil Gilels - 14

[Todd]

Op 90

Andrea Lucchesini – Lucchesini blends beautiful tone, fluid playing and uses pedaling and the hall to create a soundcloud from which the music emerges, and when he ratchets up the tension, it works.  The whole movement is like a bitter song.  The second movement nearly glows, seducing the listener with beauty.

Annie Fischer – St Annie starts off slow-ish and not hard hitting, but that does not last long.  Indeed, while her playing is not the most potent or dynamically contrasted, if offers ample contrasts, but the faster sections veer close to sounding frantic.  The playing works exceedingly well.  The second movement has a more cutting sound, a less lyrical sound, a more abrasive sound that some others, but it also has a late LvB feel. 

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel offers an intense enough, proper tempo take on the opening movement, and a second movement that blends lyricism and forward motion just so. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Strong opening chords, emphatic sforzandi, fluctuating tempi with special attention lavished on the fastest playing, Pienaar delivers a sharp-edged, sometimes nearly ugly, intense reading of the first movement.  He adds dashes of lyricism, but overall delivers an intense second movement, though one where one can follow different voices easily, because, well, that's fun.

Emil Gilels – Gilels brings scale, cutting upper registers, tetchiness, and both slow and fast playing alternating fluidly in the opener.  The second movement is taken slowly, with clear, steady left hand playing underpinning lovely right hand utterances.  Gilels makes the sonata sound decidedly late period.

Eric Heidsieck – Purposely labored and heavy to open, with digital clarity, the payoff comes in the faster, more intense music that comes later, which in the faster music has a real sense of urgency.  The second movement sounds lovely, but it is the comparatively bouncy rhythm that stands out. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Gulda's first movement is all power and motion, with thundering forte playing and super-zippy fast passages, and while supremely well executed, others display more flexibility. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva wastes no time getting right to it, with potent opening chords and left hand playing.  She intriguingly lets individual right hand notes hang just a bit, and plays with intensity going up to the border of ferocity, but never sounds rough or ugly.  The second movement has lovely moments, but Mejoueva keeps the tension comparatively high for a more tightly conceived overall version. 

Minsoo Sohn – Big, bracing chords open the first movement, and then Sohn moves to some very slow, somber playing, and then he mixes extra-punchy, somber, swift, and lyrical fast playing in a heady mix of rarified music-making.  The second movement comes close to being a rarified, neo-Kempffian exercise in lyricism.

Russell Sherman – Rich and resonant to start, slow and ruminative, Sherman then cranks up the intensity and the speed, and there's a fluidity to his playing that rivals Lucchesini's, and he produces tonally appealing playing but to different ends.  The blended sound, thanks to the recording venue and microphone placement, accentuates the beautiful overall approach.  An extraordinary recording.

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Quick and tense, with an unsmiling or even slightly angry mien, the opening movement snaps the listener to attention.  The second movement certainly sounds more lyrical, but it doesn't really shake a tense feel until about two-thirds of the way through.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff kicks off with some terse playing, quickly reverts to his almost ethereal playing, and he repeats the trick.  It works better than it ought to.  The second movement is a calm and calming outpouring of lyrical beauty. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – The thinner, brighter piano sound works better in the faster passages of the first movement, but the ore ethereal slower playing suffers a bit.  The second movement sounds nearly as good as the mono recording, but it lacks just that little something.

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge starts a very slow opening movement very, very slowly, stretching out arpeggios for effect.  It also means that Kosuge can play the faster passages a bit slower and still achieve ample contrast, and she can play only moderately fast and loud, which I do dig.  There's some angst mixed in here.  The second movement is slow, lyrical, often hushed, and does a decent job evoking a proper late-LvB sound.


Official Scientific Ranking:
Andrea Lucchesini - 1
Russell Sherman - 2
Minsoo Sohn - 3
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 4
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 5
Emil Gilels - 6
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 7
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 8
Yu Kosuge - 9
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 10
Artur Schnabel - 11
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 13
Eric Heidsieck - 14

[Todd]

Op 101

Andrea Lucchesini – In the Etwas lebhaft, und mit der innigsten Empfindung, the playing may or may not have the most innermost sensibility, but it undeniably sounds gorgeous and ethereal, and the gentle, repeated chords are late LvB to the core.  The march has verve and clarity and punchy rhythm and more of that Lucchesini sound, and the way he tapers off the playing before the start of the coda, yeah, it's good.  The Adagio sounds lyrical and lovely and ethereal, while the final movement sounds ebullient, with the pianist dispatching it with clarity and seeming ease (but obvious hard work). 

Annie Fischer – The opening Allegretto immediately creates a transcendent fell as Annie moves at un unrushed pace.  The Boesendorfer edge does not detract at all, and it adds a little extra spice to the march, which sounds clear and has ample rhythmic swagger.  (And one rather noticeable edit that interrupts the goings-on.)  The Adagio sounds taut and like a proper late-LvB slow movement, and the final movement is nicely clear with a bold, almost celebratory feel.  Nice.

Arthur Schnabel – Once again, the age of the recording does not mask the comparatively wide dynamic range Schnabel uses, and the slightly broad overall timing masks some variation there.  Most importantly, Schnabel wastes zero time establishing the late LvB sound in the opening movement.  Like none.  The march has rhythmic snap and it has hints of Schnabelian recklessness, which, to be clear, is no bad thing.  Schnabel's well established ability to deliver fine slow movements is reinforced here, and then the final movement does sound a bit too rushed, and it lacks the supreme clarity of some later versions, but the spirit is right, so, you know, it ain't bad, no, not at all.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar goes for the slow, quite attractive playing in the very serious opening movement.  He doesn't evoke any sense of transcendence per se – meaning something that approximates spiritual playing, or playing that makes one ponder spiritual themes – but it has an elevated feel to it.  Of course, the march comes off well, given Pienaar's style, and the middle section changes tack a bit, but remains swift.  The Adagio shows just beautifully Pienaar can play, even as recorded here.  (One wonders what might happen were he recorded like Kosuge and used hammers like Bozhanov.)  The final movement is swift, clear, energetic, and is somewhat celebratory sounding. 

Emil Gilels – Slow, meticulous in every way, mostly contained but with brief, potent forte playing, Gilels lacks just the most rarified of rarified touches to create the most transcendent sound.  The march is a bit slow, but the dynamic contrasts are so wide and so perfectly realized as to make most others sound second rate.  The tension he maintains in the slow-ish rendition is marvelous, and those Op 111 grade trills, oh my.  The oh so slow Adagio is full on late LvB transcendence start to finish, and the final movement is perfectly controlled in every regard, extraordinarily clear, and if not transcendent, at least serious but not heavy in purpose.  A goodun. 

Eric Heidsieck – The first movement sounds mostly calm, almost serene, slow and about as lovely as Heidsieck's approach can yield, with some discreetly delivered forte passages.  The outer sections of the march have bite and snappy rhythm, but then Heidsieck plays the middle section very slowly, in an almost dreamy manner, and that style reappears in the Adagio.  The final movement is swift and clear, and it has an almost light sound, playful, purposely sounding anti-transcendent. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Clean, mostly quick, and cool playing characterizes the opening movement, and the march is among the most precisely executed recording extant, though it is not particularly fast nor energetic.  The Adagio is predictably well played but lacks in expression compared to many in this group.  Of course, Gulda delivers supremely clear and well executed playing in the final movement, but the relative interpretationlessness of it does not go unnoticed.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva definitely demonstrates some inner sensibility in the opening movement, though whether its innermost is impossible to tell.  It is late LvB, through and through.  The left hand led march has weight and swagger in the outer sections, while the middle section takes on an almost Bachian feel one expects more in the last movement of Op 106.  The Adagio contains big ol' whiffs of the Op 106 Adagio, as well.  The final movement has ample clarity and drive, is nicely weighty, and includes expert use of the dramatic pause. 

Minsoo Sohn – Right from the get-go, Sohn's take on the Allegretto has a transcendent sound and also offers exemplary clarity, each note audibly contributing to the masterful musical goodness.  (OK, Lucchesini's repeated chords are more special yet.)  He introduces some satisfyingly potent forte playing, which reappears in the march, which is fast, pointed, and has a sort of lurching rhythm, and it emphasizes clarity over flow, especially in the middle section.  Observation, not criticism.  Solemnity and austerity characterize the Adagio, while the final movement is all bracing strength and supreme clarity, right on through to the coda.  Yep. 

Russell Sherman – The opening movement is played slowly, with legato and lovely tone, which when paired with the precisely weighted playing, creates a wonderfully transcendent sound.  Too, the listener is invited to listen closely, to ponder the slightest gradation of dynamics in chords, the note duration of left hand notes.  It's a big picture meets all the details approach.  The left hand led march often sounds close to disjointed, but purposely – there's nothing willy-nilly here.  And at times he pulls off the trick of making it sound like two pianists are playing.  In the very slow Adagio, Sherman draws out some note values and plays in a call and response style of no little poignancy in place.  In the final movement, Sherman does not rush, plays with great clarity, and the independence of hands is just fantastic, with some places where he crosses ascending and descending volume between hands and allows the listener to hear everything, all while sounding elevated. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – The quick, somewhat terse opening movement sounds pleasant, but that's as far as it goes.  The march sounds heavy in context, but it does have nice rhythmic snap.  The Adagio has a bit of tension, but really doesn't evoke much feeling.  The final movement is clear enough, and it sounds entirely middle period, which is fine, but it's not one of the best in this lot.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff's magical powers are on full display in the opening movement, which sounds both pianistic in the most basic sense, but also entirely detached from this earthly realm.  It sounds of heavenly simplicity.  The march, not as fast, not as clean, not as potent as some others, sounds like a playful march of angels.  Kempff delivers a slow, kind of austere, and definitely elevated Adagio, and then, in the final movement, Kempff plays with dynamic restraint, which allows him to enhance clarity, and the lightness, the clarity of the bass line, the elevated mien, all combine to deliver Kempffian goodness of the highest order.  Late Beethoven playing need not be monumental to create a recorded monument for the ages. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – The stereo sound makes the playing in the first movement sound more urgent, but less elevated and more plain.  By sounding grander in scale, the march loses some unique impact.  Kempff's magical powers are in full display in the Adagio, but again in the final movement, something is lost in the stereo recording. 

Yu Kosuge –  Kosuge plays the opening movement slowly, going for maximum late-LvB sound, and punctuating the music with beefy sforzandi.  The march is quick and mostly punchy, but Kosuge also makes sure to plays the quietest music super quiet, as in quieter than anyone in this group.  A nice touch.  The Adagio sounds nearly static in places, and is hushed and serene.  (Kosuge really must record Musica Callada.)  The slightly broad final movement offers fine clarity and weightiness. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Minsoo Sohn - 1
Andrea Lucchesini - 2
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 3
Russell Sherman - 4
Emil Gilels - 5
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 6
Artur Schnabel - 7
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 8
Eric Heidsieck - 9
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 10
Yu Kosuge - 11
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 13
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 14

[Todd]

Op 106

Andrea Lucchesini – Lucchesini brings the opening Allegro in at a broad 12'14", playing up the scale and heft and the beauty in the less potent passages.  It holds together very well, but it lacks the impact and drama of faster takes.  The Scherzo has more pep and stays nicely scaled.  The slow, twenty-minute Adagio sounds solemn and desolate and beautiful.  The final movement is slow-ish, but sounds faster than its timing suggests, has nice clarity and weight, and definitely sounds grand in conception. 

Annie Fischer – Annie comes in at around eleven minutes in the Allegro, which allows her some breathing room, and she emphasizes drama and power over more sensitive playing, though she offers some of that, too.  The Scherzo is unsubtle and nearly pulverizing.  Nice.  Annie then takes nearly twenty minutes to deliver the Adagio.  The opening is sorrowful, sad, dramatic – and then things get serious.  It's interesting to listen to this for the mere fact that she stretches out the playing so much, which she almost never does, and she holds it together so well.  In the final movement, Annie does not play with ironclad technique, but she keeps the energy level so high, and the drama so pronounced, that even more than with Schnabel, one just accepts it.

Arthur Schnabel –  Schnabel famously plays fast and loosey goosey in the Allegro, coming in at only 8'55", so he at least makes an attempt to hit the proper metronome mark.  Unlike much later speed demons like Korstick or Goodyear, he can't really pull it off accurately.  In place of accuracy is a sense of great energy, great earnestness, and one can forgive the note imperfection.  The Scherzo is more or less normal in tempo and feel, and the Adagio is middle of the road in terms of tempo and it benefits from Schnabel's ability to deliver superb, dramatic, romantic slow movements.  The final movement is similar to the opener in its speed and loosey goosey style, but the excitement level is through the roof.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar opts for a speedy 10'18" opener, putting him just behind Sohn, but his delivery sounds thinner and brighter and edgier, and actually a bit faster in the fastest passages.  It's like well-controlled Schnabel in some regards.  The cutting sonority keeps scale down, but intensity up, so it works very well.  Pienaar punches through the Scherzo with a halting galop and cutting edge.  He then delivers a slow Adagio, and here he creates a sense of sorrow blended with anger from the outset.  He never really lets up on the hints of anger, or perhaps desperation, and thus never sounds as desolate as some, but that's an acceptable tradeoff.  The final movement is fast, energetic, has some nifty glissandi, and sort of just slaps the listener in the face. 

Emil Gilels – The playing is grand, slow, clear, slow, with dynamic range, and slow in the opener, and the Scherzo is slower than normal, too.  The Adagio is about as slow as Annie's, and while Gilels has more refined control over every aspect of everything, it does not convey the same level of expressiveness.  The final movement is very long, though of course Gilels delivers clarity and power aplenty. 

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck takes his sweet time in the Allegro, starting very slowly, but he picks up quite a bit in terms of tempo, and he plays it big, with the pianistic equivalent of orchestral sonority.  Too, he tosses in the odd accents here and there, and he knows when and where to play quietly.  The Scherzo is standard in tempo and scampers around a bit, with a delightful buildup followed by a tiny, quiet flourish.  The Adagio is slow overall, and sounds serious and kind of chunky and intermittently more tuneful than normal, but it largely avoids the deepest depths, the most profound desolation.  It is not merely superficial, however.  The final movement is swift-ish and light, with an at times almost playful air.  Heidisieck started his recording career with Op 106 while still a teenager, and this second of three recordings remains quite fine overall. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Gulda delivers the second fastest opening Allegro in this group, but the thing is, it doesn't sound especially fast, and it doesn't sound like he strains.  The ultimate dynamic range is slightly less than the widest here, but that's as much due to recording as playing style.  This is clean, quick, energetic, and classical in mien, without pushing into vast scale and great drama.  The Scherzo is faster yet.  Gulda keeps things taut and quick in the Adagio, too, keeping things tense, austere, desolate later in the movement, and the movement keeps moving.  The final movement is quick, clean, clear, and zips along, in relative terms.  A great recording. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva brings the Allegro in at eleven minutes, and the recording crew appear to have moved the microphones back a bit, and the result is a grandly scaled, forward moving, but not rushed opening movement.  It's a less cutting approach than Annie's, but it has some hints of that style.  The Scherzo continues on a similar manner.  The slow-ish Adagio maintains notable tension and moves forward at all times, even when it cools off and becomes more desolate, it never abandons attractive tension.  The final movement, with a long-ish overall timing, has ample pep and clarity in the faster passages and reserves the slow playing for the opening and the quasi-baroque passages. 

Minsoo Sohn – At 10'14", Sohn delivers one of the fastest opening Allegros in this group, but there's much more to it.  The dynamic range is massive, with thundering fortes along with hushed pianissimos.  Forward momentum never ceases, even in slow passages, and the rhythmic pulse nearly hypnotizes.  The Scherzo is taut, with more extra-wide-ranging dynamic contrasts and more of that kick-ass rhythmic punch.  The Adagio starts off quite punchy and tense as far as Adagios go, but as it progresses, Sohn delivers both desolation and residual fierceness.  The final movement starts slowly, then Sohn lets rip briefly, it slows down again, erupts into thunderous playing, slows down again, and then Sohn is off to the races.  The playing is pristinely clear, perfectly articulated, and has every everything one could want.  The slow, neo-baroque passage is as calm and cool as one could reasonably wish for.  A monster recording, the best of this lot, and one of the best ever.

Russell Sherman – Sherman's Allegro is only a few seconds slower than Sohn's, but it lacks the clarity, with Sherman using the sustain more, and the dynamic range is less apparent, though the more distant recorded sound delivers a more self-contained and quite appealing blob/wall of sound.  Sherman peppers in rubato, though not too much so, since doing so might have hampered pushing forward at speed.  The Scherzo is punchy, with an undulating feel in places.  The Adagio is slowish, and Sherman plays it with enough darkness, but he also plays some of the music in a manner such that it seems like a mournful song in some passages.  The final movement lacks the clarity of Sohn, and it is not particularly fast, but it glides along. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – The Allegro alternates between exaggerated slowness, sans a sense of grandeur, and some faster, rougher playing in a dissatisfying mix.  The Scherzo is conventionally paced and uneventful.  Backhaus comes alive in the taut Adagio, which maintains tension, constrained drama, and desolation.  The final movement is mostly fast and rough, like the fast playing in the first movement. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff takes as much time in the opening movement as Schnabel, he just happens to cut the repeat, which means it's both slow and incomplete.  No bueno.  Scale and energy are mostly AWOL.  The Scherzo is on the slightly slow side of conventional.  The on the swift side Adagio ends up the most satisfactory movement of the work, sounding tense, unsentimental, desolate, a bit cold in places, and expressive while constrained.  The final movement has a reasonable overall tempo, reasonable clarity, and reasonable scale. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – Same cut, same slowness in the opener, though Kempff mixes things up slightly by cutting some note values and slurring some notes.  Here's the broader dynamic range helps things out.  The Scherzo sounds a bit sharper, and the Adagio is more satisfactory than the mono, sounding more expressive.  The final movement sounds slightly clearer, but that's about it.  The big cut and the overall slowness limit Kempff's impact in this work, at least in the magnetic tape era. 

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge brings the Allegro in at 10'38", and keeps things moving forward at all times.  Scale doesn't match the heaviest hitters, and excitement does not match the most thrilling versions, but throw in clarity and refinement, and it's still quite the mix.  The Scherzo is on the slightly broad side of normal and sounds just right.  Kosuge then proceeds to deliver a very long and very slow twenty-one minute Adagio.  Solemn, gently desolate, often very beautifully and even delicately played, it works very well even given its proportions.  And that distended, gentle coda, my goodness.  The final movement is likewise very long and extremely slow to start, and even the faster music is slightly in the broad side, though not too much, and the offset is  combo of clarity and tonal attractiveness.   


Official Scientific Ranking:
Minsoo Sohn - 1
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 2
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 3
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 4
Andrea Lucchesini - 5
Russell Sherman - 6
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 7
Eric Heidsieck - 8
Yu Kosuge - 9
Artur Schnabel - 10
Emil Gilels - 11
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 12
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 13
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 14

[Todd]

Op 109

Andrea Lucchesini – This recording makes one ponder the following question: can late LvB sound too beautiful?  Well, no, at least not here.  Lucchesini's gorgeous tone and liquid delivery beguiles, with ample scale and strength in the mix, too.  The playing sounds so beautiful that it doesn't achieve the same type of transcendent late LvB sound of others, but it is indeed rarified, elevated, special.  The Prestissimo brings greater scale and drive to the musical party.  The Andante theme takes the beauty and transcendence of the opener to new heights, and the slower, more serene first variation goes further still.  The slight pause before the second  variation works to create a sense of anticipation, and when Lucchesini opts to keep the playing deliberate, delicate, gorgeous, the effect is further amplified, and then comes the fast, alert, fluid third variation before switching back to supremely refined late LvB playing.  The fifth variation brings depth charge left hand playing and rounded yet potent upper register playing, with the playing then reverting back to calm and beauty.  Yello had it right.   

Annie Fischer –  While the Boesendorfer still produces a bright sound, Fischer completely forgoes a hard hitting style in the gentle opening bars.  Traces of oomph return shortly, but the overall feel of the Vivace is one of contemplativeness, of late LvB goodness.  The Prestissimo hits hard and reasonably fast, with the not-too-pressed tempo accentuating the interpretation.  The Andante sounds marvelous, to use the best objective description.  The tempo is perfect, the tone is more attractive than one would think given the instrument, and the mood is transcendent as all get out, which carries right over to the first variation.  The second variation combines a pressed version of Op 111 little stars and more intense, searching playing, and the third is straight up middle period speed and tension.  As she works through the remaining variations, the stylistic similarities with Op 111 are more obvious than standard, including glimpses of Elysium itself.  St Annie remains a formidable interpreter in the late sonatas.

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel starts things off at a moderate tone, and that big ol' arpeggio, delivered as if by an Aeolian Harp, sets the transcendent mood, something that does not abate for the duration of the movement.  The Prestissimo is fast and not the most accurate out there, but even as Schabel moves up and down in terms of dynamics and tempo, it retains a rarified feel.  No one starts the Andante in more beautiful, transcendent style – and that's before the even lovelier first variation falls upon the listener's ears.  Literally everything that follows, fast or slow, loud or quiet, clear or clouded, all delivers a perfect encapsulation and presentation of musical thinking about Beethoven from two centuries back.  It has not been surpassed to this day. 

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Superquick in the opening bars, Pienaar backs off, plays quietly and with no little refinement, and then ramps up scale and speed.  His fluctuations all blend perfectly, but no sense of transcendence is to be heard.  The Prestissimo has more extreme contrasts, with wide swings in tempo, and the way that Pienaar plays the left hand somewhere in the p to mp under louder right hand playing is unique.  The Andante calms things down and begins to hint at transcendence, but that's it.  Pienaar keeps things tense, plays the fastest music fast, hints at Op 111 Maestoso quality playing, and keeps more of middle period feel through the movement.  This is one of the very best of those types of approaches.   

Emil Gilels – So, so slow to open, Gilels plays the entire opening movement slowly and with supremely fine clarity, but it evokes nothing beyond admiration for the clear playing.  Then in the slow Prestissimo he doesn't play anywhere near as powerfully as he is capable of, keeping everything comparatively subdued, with a kind of haziness that makes me wonder how much he used the una corda.  Clarity of voices remains top shelf, though.  The very Largo-like opening Andante theme sounds quite lovely and supremely clear and quite lovely, as does the first variation.  (Gotta love the tracking for the variations in the recording.)  The second variation ends up too slow, and Gilels keeps things slow thereafter, but without any associated payoffs in terms of extraordinary beauty or transcendence.  It's just kind of slow. 

Eric Heidsieck – Heidsieck plays the opening Vivace in a somewhat subdued, entirely lyrical manner, as if the movement is the piano part of some lost Lied.  The quick, dynamically variegated Prestissimo offers a hard-ish hitting contrast to the opener.  Using more sustain than normal, Heidsieck creates a serene Andante and first variation, a quicker and more playful second variation, and a quick third with some unique, not to say odd accents.  Somehow, he mixes the earthly and the heavenly in a robust mix that works quite well, thank you.

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Gulda adopts reasonable tempi here, and he keeps things clear in the opening Vivace, but it comes across as more middle period in mien, the Prestissimo more so.  The Andante theme sounds calmer but also cooler.  The quicker variations sound quick, but overall, there's not much beyond the notes when compared to the better versions in this group.

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – A nice blend of beefy and ethereal playing characterizes the Vivace, with the pianist pushing the movement forward with middle period drive, leavened with a few dashes of late period goodness, as in the transition to long descending passage about two thirds in.  The Prestissimo hits hard and goes fast.  The Andante starts off in direct fashion, and only gradually becomes slightly more rarified, and the same applies to the first variation.  The faster variations and sections have real middle period energy, and the slower music tends toward my preferred transcendent feel without achieving the same degree as other versions.  It's sort of a sterner, middle period informed version in a manner like Pienaar's.

Minsoo Sohn – Sohn starts with bright, rarified playing from note one.  This is late LvB, there is and can be no doubt.  He also brings some bite to the right hand playing and the fine recorded sound allows for wide, effortless dynamic swings to be fully appreciated.  Sohn scales up, powers up, and revs up in the pristinely controlled Prestissimo.  The Andante theme sounds transcendent but also very firm and austere.  The first variation softens up a bit, but it retains a firmness.  The second variation tenses up a bit, with fantastic clarity, and then Sohn cranks up the volume and energy for the spitfire third variation.  Mmm-hmmm.  He then moves to playing that alternates between the most rarified and the hard-hitting, for maximum transcendent contrast.  A real corker, this one. 

Russell Sherman – Sherman plays quite beautifully in the Vivace, and the dynamic contrasts work splendidly well, as do the sforzandi.  The unsteady rhythm, though, detracts just a bit.  The same more or less holds true for the Prestissimo, though here, some of the emphases he (seemingly) randomly opts for catch the ear.  In the final movement, he starts with a slow Andante and first variation, and his tonal palette sounds very beautiful.  The out of nowhere accents work pretty nicely, but the still slightly unsteady rhythm detracts just a hair.  Listening to the final movement is somewhat unusual in that the idiosyncrasies that do detract here cannot mask the very real moments of pianistic zen, where Sherman achieves a level of late LvB transcendence, sometimes only a couple chords at a time, that surpass anyone else's here.  It's a strange phenomenon. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus keeps with a Vivace approach, but the open sounds uneven, wobbly, and then he revs up and plays with aggressive speed and tone bordering on the ugly.  He never really plays slowly.  This is less of a problem in the Prestissimo, where Backhaus punches right through to the end.  He then launches the final movement with a remarkably transcendent Andante, interpretively almost the opposite of everything that came before in the work.  The more elevated slower music is offset by rough, intense, and fast playing throughout the variations.  While not among the top handful of versions here, those contrasts work nicely.

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – Kempff certainly keeps with the Vivace designation to open, with crisp, clean playing, and his dynamic contrasts work nicely.  The Prestissimo lacks the punch and speed of other versions, though it's none too shabby, and one gets that indescribable Kempff touch.  The Andante has some of that Kempff magic.  Not the most beautiful, not the clearest, and so on, it immediately establishes late LvB transcendence.  He then goes quick and light in the second, quicker yet in the third, and reverts to the transcendent style in the fourth before playing with some oomph in the fifth and more transcendence in the last one, playing potently but not ideally tightly in the build up to the coda. 

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – The thinner, brighter piano sound establishes a more elevated feel here than in the mono recording in the Vivace, and the Prestissimo has more apparent dynamic range and somehow maintains a more elevated feel.  The Andante on the other hand, is dispatched too quickly to start and sounds just, um, plain, though as gets closer to the first variation it sounds calmer and more elevated, and the first variation has that Kempff goodness.  Overall, though, he keeps the playing of the entire movement a bit too rushed. 

Yu Kosuge – Stylistically close to Mejoueva in the first two movements, the primary differentiation has to do with tone.  Kosuge, using a conventional modern grand, generates a more luxurious, more beautiful tone, but some of the upper register color and lower register growl goes missing.  She also does not attack the Prestissimo quite so fiercely.  In the last movement, the Andante is slower and more serene, if not necessarily more transcendent.  As the movement progresses, it becomes more of a highly polished, more middle period style, with the last fast variation especially strong and refined. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Artur Schnabel – 1
Minsoo Sohn – 2
Andrea Lucchesini - 3
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 4
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 5
Eric Heidsieck – 6
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 7
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 8
Yu Kosuge – 9
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 10
Russell Sherman - 11
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 13
Emil Gilels – 14

[Todd]

Op 110

[As with Opp 28 & 78, the summaries used in the previous cycle 11-21 shootout will be recycled here.  All recordings will receive an additional hearing, though.]

Andrea Lucchesini – That cantabile designation in the first movement gets taken most seriously as Lucchesini delivers unfailingly gorgeous playing.  Is it too beautiful?  It is not.  It is, in fact, splendid in every way, sounding rarified as well, establishing late LvB goodness, with calm beauty pervading the entire first movement.  The Allegro molto is quicker, weightier, but without one harsh sound emerging.  The trio adds more pep and split dynamic levels, with two perfectly executed levels selected.  In the final movement, the first Arioso is ridiculously beautiful, and it seems so focused on that, and it delivers so well, that beauty alone elevates the music.  The fugue is slow and clear and takes on an almost baroque sensibility, and the rich left hand playing lends an almost organ-like feel.  The second arioso is, if anything, lovelier than the first.  The repeated chords gradually increase to a reasonable volume, but they sound like they step up such that two chords are played at the same volume before proceeding.  The inverted fugue starts clearly and slowly, but picks up speed rapidly and Lucchesini ends with a swift, potent coda.  Nice.

Annie Fischer – Somewhat brisk to open, but with quite lovely cantabile playing, Annie also delivers some of the most obvious late LvB transcendence in this group.  She does not rush, she does not dally, she delivers.  The Allegro molto of course has some bite in the loudest playing, but it's not at all rushed.  The final movement finds Annie delivering her formidable magic.  Both Ariosos are slightly tense but unambiguously transcendent, contemplative.  The first fugue is admittedly not the cleanest around, but it's the most impassioned of this lot, the one most imbued with musical juju.  The repeated chords get unapologetically belted out, and the inverted fugue sounds more vigorous but just as elevated as the fugue, and the coda has rarified punch.  A great recording.  When Annie is at her best, she is the best.

Arthur Schnabel – Schnabel starts with a brisk Moderato cantabile molto espressivo, though one where he starts quietly, properly contrasts dynamics, plays with a singing tone, and creates a transcendental sound.  And a remarkably smooth one, at that.  Schnabel then pushes the Allegro molto to an almost reckless degree, though excitement is undeniably high and of-the-moment.  The first arioso sounds elevated and serious and alternately quick and somberly held back.  The fugue is quick, and accurate, and clear enough.  The second arioso sounds similar to the first, ends with nice enough repeated chords, then transitions to a slightly too rushed inverted fugue, but it works quite nicely.

Daniel-Ben Pienaar – Pienaar brings the lyricism in the opening movement, and plays at a moderate overall tempo, but he leaves room for some very fast playing in some passages.  There's a rarified sense to it, but it does not quite elicit the same transcendence as others here.  Pienaar brings the heat in the Allegro molto, though less by playing super fast and more via potent forte playing.  The Ariosos are both fairly quick, the fugue clear and quick, and the repeated chords strong but not markedly impactful.  The opening of the inverted fugue, though, is magical, with ample pedaling and delicate touch combining to create a cloud of gorgeousness.  That lasts briefly before switching to quick playing and the coda is among the fastest.

Emil Gilels – Gilels plays the opening movement very slowly overall, but he manages to hold it together with a combination of beautiful cantabile playing, a transcendent feel, and some little touches – like stretching out a couple arpeggios nearly to the breaking point – that display his ivory mastery.  The Allegro molto certainly is not vey fast, though as one would expect, Gilels brings the power.  The final movement is very, very slow and seems to fall into the "slow is profound" category.  To be sure, Gilels does deliver some glorious passages, with the opening  of the initial fugue surpassing even Pienaar's opening of the inverted fugue for sheer transcendence, but then he more or less plays the entire fugue in the same super-slow manner.  One of course appreciates it when he cranks up the volume at said slow tempo, but the overall effect is somewhat blunted.  The second Arioso has the same feel as the first, while the repeated chords disappoint in that one knows that Gilels can thunder, and thunder slowly, like few others, but he holds back.  The inverted fugue starts ethereal, stays clear, and picks up pace a bit.  Individual moments are brilliant, but overall, it's just not a contender in this field. 

Eric Heidsieck – Broad-ish of tempo to open, and light feeling, Heidsieck also brings hints of transcendence.  He also brings nimble fingerwork to the faster passages, which accentuates that transcendence rather than detracting.  Heidsieck brings the heat, paired with refinement, in the Allegro molto.  The first Arioso, with a tempo just a teeny, tiny bit on the quick side, sounds urgent and elevated, continuing on with that transcendent thing.  This is not middle period sturm or drang; this is late period contemplativeness.  The fugue is slow, right hand dominated, but gently, while the second Arioso sounds similar to the first.  The repeated chords are unlike any other here, with Heidsieck building up in volume, but not too much, and deploying the sostenuto pedal for effect and pulling back on the last chord.  The inverted fugue sounds almost jumbled compared to the fugue, creating an almost classical style proto-Scriabin ecstasy.  The coda is speed with the last chord bluntly delivered.  A unique and uniquely effective reading. 

Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) – Clear, clean, more than moderately quick, and somewhat lacking in cantabile stylings when compared to others here, Gulda's take is some cool in the opening movement, while the Allegro molto is super-fast and quite hard-hitting.  One cannot deny the excitement level is high.  The final movement alternates between swift, austere Ariosos and clear, slow fugal playing, with a zippy, potent coda. 

Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) – Mejoueva starts off slow and with ample cantabile playing, then speeds up considerably, playing with a transcendental pulsing sound, and nifty upper register playing.  The return of slow playing sounds more elevated, and the whole movement maintains tension.  Mejoueva brings the left hand heat in the Allegro molto, playing at a pace that allows some of the heavy-hitting to breathe.  The first arioso is taken daringly slowly, with some uniquely accented right hand playing adding a sense of despondency to the music.  While transcendent, there's also something of a 106 Adagio feel.  The fugue is controlled, somber, and nicely clear.  The second arioso sounds tenser and definitely swifter than the first, and the repeated chords gradually build up, only reaching high levels in the last two.  The inverted fugue starts slow and meticulous, and gradually builds up to a strong coda.  Good stuff.

Minsoo Sohn – Sohn takes the opening movement more broadly, more beautifully, more initially delicately than Schnabel, and evokes a transcendental sound.  Obviously aided by superior modern recorded sound, the minutest dynamic contrasts sound fantastic, and Sohn sort of undulates the volume.  The swift but not rushed Allegro molto thunders and whispers where needed, benefits from superb clarity, and just sounds superb.  The final movement starts with an Arioso that immediately sounds elevated and transcendent, and Sohn shows himself as at home hammering out forte blasts or barely eking out the gentlest pianissimo notes.  The broad overall timing of the movement becomes more apparent in the crystal clear fugue, which also maintains an elevated, serious, at times austere feel.  The second arioso sounds more serious than the first, the repeated chords build up wonderfully, then very slowly transition to a hushed, ethereal start to the inverted fugue, which then speeds up, intensifies, all while remaining clear.  Nice.

Russell Sherman – The opening movement has ample lyricism, but it also displays a light, brisk accompaniment in places that sounds like early period LvB or perhaps even like Haydn.  Sherman then seamlessly transitions to a more ethereal style before introducing heavy-handed lower register playing.  While transitions are seamless, there's something of a disjointed feel, with too many ideas swirling about.  The Allegro molto has some hefty sforzandi and a purposely unsteady rhythm, or at least one not as straight-forward as normal, but it also has unique playing where each note receives distinctive weighting.  As a forensic listening experience, it's quite something, but it sort of starts to distract from the whole.  The opening Arioso is slow, rich, and dramatic, with much more than volume creating that impression.  And does Sherman evoke a harp, and if so, to what end?  The fugue is left-hand led and values clarity and coherence equally, while the second Arioso sounds slightly stilted.  The repeated chords sound too restrained until the very last one, and the inverted fugue starts off even more ethereal than Pienaar's.  The fugue itself is similar to the opening one and the coda is fine.  This sonata sort of sums up Sherman's cycle in one compact work.  Undeniably well played and filled to the brim with unique ideas, sometimes some pruning may have helped.  It's a great rendition, but only if one wants to hear all manner of idiosyncratic nuances.  I do, of course, but I can't rate it a top five contender in this company. 

Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) – Backhaus takes the opening movement at anything but a moderate speed, rushing through the movement, sometimes almost breathlessly.  Of course he nails the notes, but he kind of whiffs on the spirit, at least if one wants more rarified, transcendent playing.  This is middle period style.  The Allegro molto gets hammered out, which of course works much better.  The final movement retains the fairly quick, decidedly middle period style. 

Wilhelm Kempff (mono) – There's cantabile aplenty in the first movement, and Kempff plays it fairly quickly, makes it sound light and ethereal, and generally just works his magic.  The Allegro molto, though, is purposely slow and heavy and kind of kills the momentum.  It's opposite of Schnabel.  In the final movement, he plays the first Arioso slightly on the fast side, and heavy on the transcendence.  The fugue remains quickish, and nicely clear.  The second Arioso is swift like the first, the repeated chords are clear but lack oomph, and the inverted fugue retains nice clarity, while the coda has nice zip.

Wilhelm Kempff (stereo) – The stereo recording again comes off rather quick in the opening movement, and the enhanced comparative dynamics actually manages to muddy things a bit.  The Allegro molto is played more quickly, and sounds a bit rough and unrefined for Kempff, and overloaded in a few of the loudest passages.  Kempff remains quick in the final movement, and rather than transcendence, one gets urgency to go with the slightly strident recorded sound.  Once again, the mono is to be preferred. 

Yu Kosuge – Kosuge delivers one of the slower overall opening movements, and it has ample contemplativeness and focus on quieter playing and delicate touch and "little stars" one usually hears in Op 111, just scattered about a bit.  The pianissimo playing is just phenomenal, too, just, yeah.  For maximum contrast, she delivers an extra zippy Allegro molto, but it is not super hard-hitting, and the dynamic contrasts delight.  The final movement is somewhat broad, and the Ariosos are somewhat subdued in terms of punch but elevated in terms of feel, while the fugue and inverted fugue display ample clarity and more weight.  The repeated chords have ample heft and the coda suitable punch.  Kosuge plays with the heavy-hitters. 


Official Scientific Ranking:
Annie Fischer (Hungarton) - 1
Minsoo Sohn - 2
Andrea Lucchesini - 3
Eric Heidsieck - 4
Irina Mejoueva (Bijin) - 5
Artur Schnabel - 6
Daniel-Ben Pienaar - 7
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, mono) - 8
Yu Kosuge - 9
Russell Sherman - 10
Wilhelm Kempff (DG, stereo) - 11
Emil Gilels - 12
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo) - 13
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono) - 14