New start with new music

[ClassicBoris]

Hi everyone on the board,

I am submerging myself into classical music quickly. I downloaded some torrents with mp3 files, and I will be listening to the material over the course of the next month. Also, I discovered a great amount of music on Internet Archive.

I was really impressed by the recordings of all 32 piano sonatas composed by Beethoven and recorded by Artur Schnabel in 1932 for HMV record label in London. From what I have read on Wikipedia, Schnabel was the first pianist to record the whole cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas. Is this accurate? The Internet Archive also contains recordings of Schnabel playing all 5 of Beethoven's piano concertos, some of them performed with the symphony orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent. Does anyone possess more information about how Schnabel's recordings of Beethoven were done and under what circumstances?

Who were some other prominent pianists who recorded all of Beethoven's piano sonatas? Other than better sound quality, how do they compare to Schnabel's performances?
Also, did Schnabel also record all of Mozart's piano sonatas?

I am also working on Beethoven's symphonies. Arturo Toscanini and Leonard Bernstein conducted and recorded all nine, but Leopold Stokowski (with Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra) and Bruno Walter recorded the 3rd, the 5th, and the 9th. At least these are the only symphonies that I found played by Walter and Stokowski, perhaps they too recorded all nine symphonies. Once I will be done listening, I will post my impressions.

[Ken B]

Hi everyone on the board,

I am submerging myself into classical music quickly. I downloaded some torrents with mp3 files, and I will be listening to the material over the course of the next month. Also, I discovered a great amount of music on Internet Archive.

I was really impressed by the recordings of all 32 piano sonatas composed by Beethoven and recorded by Artur Schnabel in 1932 for HMV record label in London. From what I have read on Wikipedia, Schnabel was the first pianist to record the whole cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas. Is this accurate? The Internet Archive also contains recordings of Schnabel playing all 5 of Beethoven's piano concertos, some of them performed with the symphony orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent. Does anyone possess more information about how Schnabel's recordings of Beethoven were done and under what circumstances?

Who were some other prominent pianists who recorded all of Beethoven's piano sonatas? Other than better sound quality, how do they compare to Schnabel's performances?
Also, did Schnabel also record all of Mozart's piano sonatas?

I am also working on Beethoven's symphonies. Arturo Toscanini and Leonard Bernstein conducted and recorded all nine, but Leopold Stokowski (with Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra) and Bruno Walter recorded the 3rd, the 5th, and the 9th. At least these are the only symphonies that I found played by Walter and Stokowski, perhaps they too recorded all nine symphonies. Once I will be done listening, I will post my impressions.

Welcome!
You picked a great time to get interested. After you wander through the archive you may want better sound. There are large boxes of music pretty cheap these days.
Enjoy!

[amw]

There have been many, many recordings of Beethoven's piano sonatas and no two people have the same view on which one is the best. Some I've seen cited as especially good include Daniel Barenboim, Richard Goode, Annie Fischer, Alfred Brendel, Maurizio Pollini, Friedrich Gulda, Wilhelm Backhaus, etc, etc... I'm sure there are more. Haven't tried comparing them myself, but different pianists excel in different sonatas as well.

Schnabel was indeed the first to record all 32 and a strong influence on later pianists; I think he's still considered pretty good, though I personally think he didn't practice enough (there are a good deal of wrong notes and that sort of thing, though if you're new to the music, you probably won't notice).

Also, we do not talk about "torrents" and "mp3s" here. It's much better to say you "bought" the "CD". If you're accumulating a suspiciously large amount of music very quickly, complain about how you don't have enough shelf space for all your new "CD"s and how your family and friends are judging you, so as to fit in better. *nod*

[Octave]

Hi Boris, I am impressed that you started with Schnabel, unless I misunderstood your message and you in fact have listened to lots of Beethoven sonatas recordings before.  I, too, really found him to be an ear-opener, maybe because he somehow seemed "punk" to me?  I haven't even listened to optimal transfers of those old recordings....the fire still leaps out from the crusty murk.

Digression: This is not an answer to any of your questions, but if Schnabel's artistry is up your alley, maybe you would enjoy his Schubert too?  The Music & Arts label issued a 5cd of these recordings and it sounds good to me; no idea if it is best edition of those recordings.  I love them.

[amw]

Schnabel's Schubert is awesome. The sound is bad, the technique is imperfect, but somehow it just works anyway. /more digression

[Brahmsian]

Welcome to GMG, Boris! 

[Karl Henning]

Welcome, Boris!

[North Star]

Welcome!

[Pat B]

Also, we do not talk about "torrents" and "mp3s" here. It's much better to say you "bought" the "CD". If you're accumulating a suspiciously large amount of music very quickly, complain about how you don't have enough shelf space for all your new "CD"s and how your family and friends are judging you, so as to fit in better. *nod*

Internet Archive (archive.org) is legit. It's all public domain.

[ClassicBoris]

Thank you very much for such kind and great and wonderful comments.
I will give Schnabel a full listen, including his recordings of Schubert sonatas and Brahms concertos.
I have heard of Alfred Brendel, because one math professor mentioned that he likes his interpretation of Beethoven sonatas more than Schnabel's. I will give him a listen after I am done working on Schnabel.
Why is it better to buy compact disks with recordings rather than download mp3 and torrents?