Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas, Vol. 10

1. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with John Lill

2. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with John Lill

3. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with John Lill

Tracks:

Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: Movement I: Allegro
Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: Movement II: Adagio
Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: Movement III: Minuetto-Allegretto
Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: Movement IV: Prestissimo
Sonata No. 25 In G Major, Op. 79: Movement I: Presto alla tedesca
Sonata No. 25 In G Major, Op. 79: Movement II: Andante
Sonata No. 25 In G Major, Op. 79: Movement III: Vivace
Sonata No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 10, No. 1: Movement I: Allegro molto e con brio
Sonata No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 10, No. 1: Movement II: Adagio molto
Sonata No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 10, No. 1: Movement III: Finale, Prestissimo
Sonata No. 6 In F Major, Op. 10, No. 2: Movement I: Allegro
Sonata No. 6 In F Major, Op. 10, No. 2: Movement II: Allegretto
Sonata No. 6 In F Major, Op. 10, No. 2: Movement III: Finale, Presto
Sonata No. 9 In E Major, Op. 14, No. 1: Movement I: Allegro
Sonata No. 9 In E Major, Op. 14, No. 1: Movement II: Allegretto
Sonata No. 9 In E Major, Op. 14, No. 1: Movement III: Rondo; Allegro commodo

Tracks:

Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14, No. 2: Movement I: Allegro
Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14, No. 2: Movement II: Andante
Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14, No. 2: Movement III: Scherzo: Allegro assai
Sonata No. 13 In E-Flat Major, Op. 27. No. 1: Movement I: Andante-Allegro-Andante
Sonata No. 13 In E-Flat Major, Op. 27. No. 1: Movement II: Allegro molto vivace
Sonata No. 13 In E-Flat Major, Op. 27. No. 1: Movement III: Adagio
Sonata No. 13 In E-Flat Major, Op. 27. No. 1: Movement IV: Finale: Allegro vivace
Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight': Movement I: Adagio sostenuto
Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight': Movement II: Allegretto
Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight': Movement III: Presto agitato
Sonata No. 15 In D Major, Op. 28 'Pastoral': Movement I: Allegro
Sonata No. 15 In D Major, Op. 28 'Pastoral': Movement II: Andante
Sonata No. 15 In D Major, Op. 28 'Pastoral': Movement III: Scherzo: Allegro vivace-Trio; Movement IV: Rondo: Allegro non troppo

Customer Reviews:

AMONG THE BEST!.......2006-05-08

One man's viewpoint: Brendel again shows his wonderful, steady sense of rhythm. The miracle is that he can keep it rock-steady or slow it a bit for dramatic effect - only if he wants to. He has control and a clarity of vision/purpose with each piece. So of course he transmits this to us. I also notice the lightness of touch he has. And his limber agility (hard-won, no doubt).
I suggest picking up on all four of Mr. Brendel's Vox recordings of the LVB sonatas. Absolutely wonderful stuff. Also consider his fine, fine Diabelli Variations on Vox. Also I suggest checking out John O'Conor's set. Fantastic! Also Claude Frank has a highly praised set; I may buy this one next (a real bargain).
There are many fine players, so enjoy the search through these piano pieces of such incredible character, nobility, beauty, and boldness. They help develop a love of sound and the fine arts.

Brendel plays Bethoven in his own way.......2006-02-24

He may not have a lyricism of Gilels or force and precision of Sokolov, but along these greatest I love the way he plays No.10 G Major and NO. 15 D Major "Pastoral" and others from this album

early Beethoven played sweetly.......2004-04-25

Brendel always seems to have a penchant for never over-doing things. He's never too loud, never too soft, never too harsh (even with this composer). In all the lyrical sections of these early sonatas, I find this disciplined sense of moderation to be soothing yet intense. For example in the first movement of the "Moonlight" Sonata, the soft and double soft marking are observed with assiduousness. It's subtle and not overly dramatic.

Brendel's technique is more than adequate. I wonder why he is not more of a perfectionist when he plays (as he has said about his playing- "I am not a perfectionist.")

All the dynamic and phrasing markings are observed diligently. He's very true to the intentions of the composer even in the little pieces such as these. And as always, he puts the composer before himself when playing.

Beethoven: Die Verliebte - Sonatas Op 7; Op 10 Nos 1-3 (Complete Works for Solo Piano Vol 3) /Brautigam
Average customer rating:

Another winner from Brautigam's Beethoven sonata series

Beethoven: Die Verliebte - Sonatas Op 7; Op 10 Nos 1-3 (Complete Works for Solo Piano Vol 3) /Brautigam

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven: Early Vienna Sonatas - Sonatas Op. 2, Nos. 1-3; Op. 29, Nos. 1-2 (Complete Works for Solo Piano Vol 2) /Brautigam

Beethoven: Mondschein & Pastorale - Sonatas Op 26, 27 & 28 (Complete Works for Solo Piano Vol 4) /Brautigam

Beethoven: Sonatas Op 13 'Pathetique', Op 14 Nos 1 & 2, Op 22 (Complete Works for Solo Piano Vol 1) /Brautigam

Masterworks for Flute and Piano [Hybrid SACD]

Beethoven: Complete Works for Solo Piano, Vol. 5 [Hybrid SACD]

ASIN: B000H4VVPM
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Customer Reviews:

Another winner from Brautigam's Beethoven sonata series.......2006-10-12

Just a superb collection of early Beethoven sonatas by Brautigam on fortepiano. I don't think I have ever heard Op.7 played better. I can almost visualize Beethoven banging away on a fortepiano when listening to this mezmerizing performance. I can't wait for the Op.31 sonatas, hopefully next in the series.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Fournier

Les Introuvables de Pierre Fournier

Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Pierre Fournier: Aristocrat of the Cello [United Kingdom]
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Beethoven: Complete Works for Cello & Piano
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Beethoven: The Music for Cello and Piano

ASIN: B0000241DO
Release Date: 2002-08-05

Tracks:

Cello Concerto No. 2 In D Major, H. 7b Op. 101
Cello Concerto In A Minor, Op. 129
Phantasiestke (3 Fantasy Pieces) For Clarinet (Or Cello Or Violin) & Piano, Op
Variations On A Rococo Theme, For Cello & Orchestra (Or Cello & Piano) In A Majo
Sonata For Cello & Piano No. 1 In F Major, Op. 5/1
Sonata For Cello & Piano No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 5/2
Sonata For Cello & Piano No. 3 In A Major, Op. 69
Sonata For Cello & Piano No. 4 In C Major, Op. 102/1
Sonata For Cello & Piano No. 5 In D Major, Op. 102/2
Sonata For Arpeggione & Piano In A Minor, D.821
Pieces For Children Big And Small For Piano, 4 Hands Op. 85
Feldeinsamkeit ("Ich Ruhe Still Im Hohen Gren Gras"), Song For Voice & Piano,
Romance For Cello & Piano, Op. 69
Shylock, Incidental Music And Suite For Tenor & Orch., Op. 57
Mavra, Opera Buffa In One Act
Nocturne For Violin (Or Flute) & Piano
Melody In F, Various Arrangements, Op. 3/1
Introduction & Polonaise Brilliante For Cello & Piano In C Major, Op. 3
Song Without Words For Cello & Piano In D Major, Op. 109
Le Coq D'or (The Golden Cockerel; Zolotoy Petushok), Concert Suite For Orchestra
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan, Op. 57
Carnival Of The Animals, Zoological Fantasy For 2 Pianos & Ensemble
Berceuse, For Violin & Piano (Or Orchestra) In D Major, Op. 16
Tonadillas Al Estilo Antiguo, Songs (10) For Voice & Piano, H. 136
Goyescas (Serenata Goyesca; Dusk), For Piano, H. 63
La Gitana For Violin & Piano (After An 18th Century Arabo-Spanish Gypsy Song)
Papillon, For Cello & Piano, Op. 77
L' Enfant Prodigue, Sce Lyrique For Voices & Orchestra, L. 57
Pie En Forme De Habanera, For Solo Instrument & Keyboard (Arr.)
Kaddisch, Song For Voice & Piano (Modie Hraue No. 1)
O Mensch, Bewein' Dein' Sde Gross, Chorale Prelude For Organ (Orgel-Bhlein N
Herzlich Tut Mich Verlangen, Chorale Prelude For Organ, Bwv 727 (Bc K109)
Ich Ruf Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ (I), Chorale Prelude For Organ (Orgel-Bhlein
Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland (I), Chorale Prelude For Organ (Orgel-Bhlein No. 1
Sonata For Cello & Continuo In C Major, G. 6 (Six Sonatas No. 2)

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Fournier.......2004-02-16

On this 4CD EMI Import, the great cellist Pierre Fournier performs a variety of orchestral and chamber recordings, recorded primarily in mono from the 1940s and early 50s. There are three orchestral works -- Haydn's 2nd Concerto (Kubelik/Philharmonia, 1951), Schumann's Concerto (Sargent/Philharmonia, 1956 in stereo), and Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations (Bigot/Lamoureux, 1941). Disc two, and half of disc three, contain Beethoven Cello Sonatas with the great Artur Schnabel, while the fourth disc features a variety of pieces, from Bach and Boccherini to Debussy and Ravel, with pianist Gerald Moore. I'm withholding a fifth star because the collection contains mostly historical recordings, though it certainly captures one of history's greatest cellists in his prime. With that being said, "Les Introuvables de Pierre Fournier" is a must buy for cello entusiasts.

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1 - Nos, 1-3, 5-10, 12-14

Average customer rating:

A joke
worth a listen but there are better recordings
Very Interesting
Gould Realizes Beethoven...
no 'original intent'

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1 - Nos, 1-3, 5-10, 12-14

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Glenn Gould Edition: Ludwig Van Beethoven Piano Sonatas, Volume II
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Glenn Gould Edition: Chopin / Mendelssohn / Scriabin / Prokofiev
Beethoven: The 5 Piano Concertos

ASIN: B0000028NX
Release Date: 1994-04-19

Tracks:

Sonata No.1 In F Minor, Op.2, No.1: I. Allegro
Sonata No.1 In F Minor, Op.2, No.1: II. Adagio
Sonata No.1 In F Minor, Op.2, No.1: III. Menuetto. Allegretto
Sonata No.1 In F Minor, Op.2, No.1: IV. Prestissimo
Sonata No.2 In A Major, Op.2, No.2: I. Allegro vivace
Sonata No.2 In A Major, Op.2, No.2: II. Largo appassionato
Sonata No.2 In A Major, Op.2, No.2: III. Scherzo. Allegretto
Sonata No.2 In A Major, Op.2, No.2: IV. Rondo. Grazioso
Sonata No. 3 In C Major, Op.2, No.3: I. Allegro con brio
Sonata No. 3 In C Major, Op.2, No.3: II. Adagio
Sonata No. 3 In C Major, Op.2, No.3: III. Scherzo. Allegro
Sonata No. 3 In C Major, Op.2, No.3: IV. Allegro assai

Tracks:

Sonata No.5 In C Minor, Op.10, No.1: I. Allegro molto e con brio
Sonata No.5 In C Minor, Op.10, No.1: II. Adagio molto
Sonata No.5 In C Minor, Op.10, No.1: III. Finale. Prestissimo
Sonata No.6 In F Major, Op.10, No.2: I. Allegro
Sonata No.6 In F Major, Op.10, No.2: II. Allegretto
Sonata No.6 In F Major, Op.10, No.2: III. Presto
Sonata No.7 In D Major, Op.10, No.3: I. Presto
Sonata No.7 In D Major, Op.10, No.3: II. Largo e mesto
Sonata No.7 In D Major, Op.10, No.3: III. Menuetto. Allegro
Sonata No.7 In D Major, Op.10, No.3: IV. Rondo. Allegro
Sonata No.12 In A-Flat Major, Op.26: I. Andante con Variazioni
Sonata No.12 In A-Flat Major, Op.26: II. Scherzo. Allegro molto
Sonata No.12 In A-Flat Major, Op.26: III. Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un Eroe
Sonata No.12 In A-Flat Major, Op.26: IV. Allegro

Tracks:

SONATA NO.8 IN C MINOR, OP.13 'PATHETIQUE': I. Grave - Allegro di molto e com brio
SONATA NO.8 IN C MINOR, OP.13 'PATHETIQUE': II. Adatio cantabile
SONATA NO.8 IN C MINOR, OP.13 'PATHETIQUE': III. Rondo. Allegro
Sonata No.9 In E Major, Op.14, No. 1: I . Allegro
Sonata No.9 In E Major, Op.14, No. 1: II. Allegretto
Sonata No.9 In E Major, Op.14, No. 1: III. Rondo. Allegro comodo
Sonata No.10 In G Major, Op.14, No.2: I. Allegro
Sonata No.10 In G Major, Op.14, No.2: II. Andante
Sonata No.10 In G Major, Op.14, No.2: III. Scherzo. Allegro assai
Sonata No.13 In E-Flat Major, Op.27, No.1: I. Andante - Allegro - Tempo I. - attacca:
Sonata No.13 In E-Flat Major, Op.27, No.1: II. Allegro molto e vivace - attacca:
Sonata No.13 In E-Flat Major, Op.27, No.1: III. Adagio con espressione - attacca:
Sonata No.13 In E-Flat Major, Op.27, No.1: IV. Allegro vivace
Sonata No.14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op.27, No.2 'Moonlight': I. Adagio sostenuto - attacca:
Sonata No.14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op.27, No.2 'Moonlight': II. Allegretto - attacca:
Sonata No.14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op.27, No.2 'Moonlight': III. Presto agitato

Customer Reviews:

A joke.......2005-07-15

Glenn Gould fans have got to be the most annoying people on the planet. As for the sonatas, I don't even know why they are stretched out over three disc, they could've compressed them down to one with no quality loss.

Everything you will get out of listening to these can be gotten from the Amazon.com preview samples. Listen, have a laugh, and save yourself some money.

worth a listen but there are better recordings.......2005-06-21

This is actually a review for vols. I and II. Just in general, Gould's style is fantastic for some of the sonatas but is really inappropriate for others.
His portamento (detached) presto/prestissimo playing makes the "Tempest" sonata the best version I've ever heard but really makes the "Pathetique" seem rushed and totally without feeling.
I mostly bought vol. II for the last 3 sonatas (op. 109, 110 and 111). I figured the most unusual and most "un-Beethovanic" of the sonatas deserved the most unusual interpretation, and I wasn't disappointed. They are clear and with good "diction", fast where appropriate but also slow and legato where melodic and flowing. Even in the most technically difficult sections Gould, in typical contrapunctal style, weaves the different voices in and out of the melody holding to his philosophy that "Every voice is important".
Probably the most disappointing of all the recordings on these 2 sets is the "Appassionata". Playing it through at practice speed does nothing for the passion, depth and beauty of this piece and only serves to exemplify Gould's hatred for it. (Typically, if Gould hated a piece, he would play it through either blindingly fast and without regard for dynamics or lethargically slow to heighten its inferiority and "boringness".
The "moonlight" seems a little fast, esp. the first movement, but it might be Gould's literal interpretation of 2/2 time. The 3rd movement is at breakneck speed that some people might like.
I actually prefer the romantic-style playing of R. Serkin, Brendel and Horowicz for this piece.
Listen to the 2nd movement of the #13 where the left and right hands are playing parallel arpeggios. In the 1st section the notes are played together but in the second section the hands are staggered by an 8th (the left hand plays the note 1/8th before the right). I have never heard a piano make that kind of ethereal echoing sound and, I suppose, it probably cannot be reproduced without the kind of fast detached playing that only Gould could do.
So, no one recording artist has the best performance of all the Beethoven sonatas. With Gould, you'll get excellent interpretations of some of the lesser known works and less adherence to the romantic style of the better known "named" sonatas.

Very Interesting.......2005-04-01

This is one of the most interesting CD's I've ever listened to. Gould's playing is unique; sometimes he makes Beethoven sound almost as if he had lived in Bach's days.

I'd recommand that you compare Gould's first movement of the first sonata to that of any good "conventional" pianist (Goode, Kovacevich, Brendel, Kempff, Ashkenazy, to name a few; too bad Gilels died before he could record it). Some of you might find Gould's approach worthy indeed.

Gould Realizes Beethoven..........2005-01-17

These are great recordings. Gould realizes Beethoven: he sees what's there, not merely playing the notes, but understanding the vision. He takes some movements very briskly; others, he expands to a heavenly length.

Frequently, these earlier works of Beethoven are marginalized by his later, greater works; still, these pieces are works of pure art, and Gould sees this and brings them to vivid life.

About the sound: these tracks were recorded over a 15-year period. Sony has done a wonderful job with its "Super Bit Mapping" techne; still, there are a few quirks embedded in the recordings which cannot be removed: specifically, a little "ticking" from Gould's Steinway on the '60s tracks. At that time, Gould was tinkering with his piano to achieve a certain feel to the keys--a kind of immediacy and tactile ease of stroke--by removing the bushings which padded the key mechanism. As a result, he got the feel he wanted, but was also stuck with "ticking" keys. This doesn't bother me, as the results speak for themselves: an aesthetic vision of unparalleled ecstasy. Nevertheless, the "ticks" are audible sometimes: it's part of the art and vision.

no 'original intent'.......2004-05-02

Gould's interpretations compliment the complaints I've read, about 'original intent' by introducing his own - one that has worked itself thru the entirety of Modernism and that seems to have maintained momentum, even past death...into OUR present. The digits march to our more open sense of time - space is a suspension, like in a Ran Blake cd - these are Beethoven Sonatas that Babbitt or Bartok could have composed at a minimalist cafe`.

Average customer rating:

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4

Manufacturer: G.M. Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 5

ASIN: B00001O2XY
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Tracks:

Son No.10 in G, Op.14, No.2: Allegro
Son No.10 in G, Op.14, No.2: Andante
Son No.10 in G, Op.14, No.2: Scherzo: Allegro Assai
Son No.13 in E flat, Op.27, No.1: Andante-Allegro-Andante
Son No.13 in E flat, Op.27, No.1: Allegro Molto E Vivace
Son No.13 in E flat, Op.27, No.1: Adagio Con Espressione
Son No.13 in E flat, Op.27, No.1: Allegro Vivace
Son No.14 in c#, Op.27, No.2 'Moonlight': Adagio Sostenuto
Son No.14 in c#, Op.27, No.2 'Moonlight': Allegretto
Son No.14 in c#, Op.27, No.2 'Moonlight': Presto Agitato
Son No.26 in E flat, Op.81a 'Les Adieux': Das Lebewohl (Les Adieux)-Adagio-Allegro
Son No.26 in E flat, Op.81a 'Les Adieux': Abwesenheit (L'Absence)-Andante Espressivo...
Son No.26 in E flat, Op.81a 'Les Adieux': Das Wiedersehn (Le Retour)-Vivacissimamente...

Tracks:

Son No.5 in c, Op.10, No.1: Allegro Molto E Con Brio
Son No.5 in c, Op.10, No.1: Adagio Molto
Son No.5 in c, Op.10, No.1: Finale: Prestissimo
Son No.11 in B flat, Op.22: Allegro Con Brio
Son No.11 in B flat, Op.22: Adagio Con Molto Espressione
Son No.11 in B flat, Op.22: Menuetto
Son No.11 in B flat, Op.22: Rondo: Allegretto
Son No.18 in E flat, Op.31, No.3: Allegro
Son No.18 in E flat, Op.31, No.3: Scherzo: Allegretto Vivace
Son No.18 in E flat, Op.31, No.3: Menuetto: Moderato E Grazioso
Son No.18 in E flat, Op.31, No.3: Presto Con Fuoco

Average customer rating:

Encores and Transcriptions, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Encores and Transcriptions, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0001AGOMM
Release Date: 2004-04-20

Tracks:

Musette
Serenata Napoletana, Op. 24, No. 2
Mazurka, Op. 11, No. 3
Spanish Dance
Grave Ed Espressivo From Cello Concerto In D Major
Requiebros
Largo
Komm Susser Tod
Adagio
Allegro
Song Without Words No. 49 in D Major, Op. 109
Andante
Songs My Mother Taught Me
Flight Of The Bumblebee
gavotte
Tonadilla
Minuet
Air
Traumerei
Minuet No. 2 in G Major
Coriolan Overture, Op. 62

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (Complete), Vol. 1 (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Great sound quality and performance!
Beethoven would approve!

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (Complete), Vol. 1 (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Tracks:

Grave - Allegro Di Molto E Con Brio
Adagio Cantabile
Rondo: Allegro
Adagio Sostenuto
Allegretto
Presto
Allegro Assai
Andante Con Moto
Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Presto

Tracks:

Allegro
Adagio
Menuetto. Allegretto
Prestissimo
Allegro Vivace
Largo Appassionato
Scherzo. Allegretto
Rondo. Grazioso
Allegro Con Brio
Adagio
Scherzo. Allegro
Allegro Assai

Tracks:

Allegro Molto E Con Brio
Adagio Molto
Finale: Prestissimo
Allegro
Allegretto
Presto
Presto
Largo E Mesto
Menuetto. Allegro
Rondo. Allegro
Presto Alla Tedesca
Andante
Vivace

Tracks:

Andante Con Variazioni
Scherzo. Allegro Molto
Marcia Funebre Sulla Morte D'Un Eroe
Allegro
Allegro Vivace
Adagio Grazioso
Rondo. Allegretto
Allegro
Scherzo. Allegretto Vivace
Menuetto. Moderato E Grazioso
Presto Con Fuoco

Tracks:

Allegro Con Brio
Adagio Con Molta Expressione
Menuetto
Rondo. Allegretto
Allegro
Scherzo. Assai Vivace - Presto - Tempo I
Adagio Sostenuto. Appassionato E Con Molto Sentimento
Largo - Allegro
Allegro Risoluto. Fuga E Tre Voci, con Alcune Licenze

Customer Reviews:

Great sound quality and performance!.......2006-11-27

These Naxos performances of Jeno Jando are great. As one critic said, "these are remarkably even and consistent from sonata to sonata." Agreed. I love that Jando's readings are fast and loud, and taking virtually every repeat. I couldn't help but think, this is how Beethoven must have done them. This set is right at the top of my list, and the sound quality is the amazing, the best I've ever heard.

Other sets worth exploring:
Schnabel (EMI) - essential.
O'Conor (Telarc) - a mellow way to view the sonatas, and a great alternative to Jando.

Beethoven would approve!.......2004-06-07

I just finished listening to the complete Beethoven Piano sonatas by Jeno Jando (a couple of 5 disc boxes) and give them a big thumbs up, way up!! These are really powerful, accurate and well recorded performances, actually the best sounding recording of a piano I have ever heard. Just amazing.
I also would recommend these sets even if they cost three times as much, especially when the playing can easily compete with full-priced sets.
Stylistically, the performances are amazingly consistent from sonata no. 1 to sonata 32. Jando's interpretations tends to be honest rather than ego driven (you hear more of what Beethoven wanted, and less from the messenger) and taking nearly every repeat.
Like the reviewer before me, I also read along with the scores and I too was amazed by how precisely Jeno Jando sticks to Beethoven`s markings. Bravo!!

The only other complete set that I have is Schnabels on EMI. These Naxos sets are the first ones in many years, out of many boxes, that I felt are worth keeping as well.

Tracks:

Son No.4 in E Flat, Op.7: Allegro Molto E Con Brio
Son No.4 in E Flat, Op.7: Largo, Con Gran Espressione
Son No.4 in E Flat, Op.7: Allegro
Son No.4 in E Flat, Op.7: Rondo: Poco Allegretto E Grazioso
Son No.22 in F, Op.54: In Tempo D'un Menuetto
Son No.22 in F, Op.54: Allegretto
Son No.31 in A Flat, Op.110: Moderato Cantabile, Molto Espressivo
Son No.31 in A Flat, Op.110: Allegro Molto
Son No.31 in A Flat, Op.110: Adagio Ma Non Troppo-Fuga (Allegro Ma Non Troppo)

Tracks:

Son No.7 in D, Op.10, No.3: Presto
Son No.7 in D, Op.10, No.3: Largo E Mesto
Son No.7 in D, Op.10, No.3: Menuetto: Allegro
Son No.7 in D, Op.10, No.3: Rondo: Allegro
Son No.17 in d, Op.31, No.2 'Tempest': Largo/Allegro
Son No.17 in d, Op.31, No.2 'Tempest': Adagio
Son No.17 in d, Op.31, No.2 'Tempest': Allegretto
Son No.28 in A, Op.101: Etwas Lebhaft Und Mit Der Innigsten Empfindung (Allegretto Ma Non Troppo)
Son No.28 in A, Op.101: Lebhaft. Marschmassig (Vivace Alla Marcia)
Son No.28 in A, Op.101: Langsam Und Sehnsuchtvoll (Adagio Ma Non Troppo, Con Affetto)...

Customer Reviews:

A unique and satisfying set.......2002-04-28

This is the only volume of the Russell Sherman performances of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas I currently own. Based on this volume, I am eager to listen to the rest of them. His first volume was chosen by Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe as one of the top 10 classical recordings of the year (1996), and I believe this volume is of the same caliber.

Unlike other collections, Mr. Sherman organizes the sonatas by having one early, one middle period and one late representative on each disc. This ordering encourages immediate comparisons between Beethoven's different periods. One is surprised to hear some of the innovations of his later works reflected in his earlier works, and this ordering facilitates that discovery.

Russell Sherman is a deeply thoughtful interpreter of this music. He is also a very thoughtful commentator. Mr. Sherman was educated in the humanities, graduating Columbia University while still in his teens. He draws from a deep well of insight as he approaches this music, and his liner notes convey some of his process. I have never read more interesting liner notes.

I chose this volume because I wanted to hear Mr. Sherman play a couple of my favorite late sonatas, Op. 101 and Op. 110. I was pleased to discover that it also had one of my favorite early sonatas, Sonata in D major Op. 10, No. 3 and "The Tempest" (Sonata in D minor Op. 31, No. 2). His recording of the late sonatas are very satisfying. His recordings of the D major sonata and "The Tempest" are my current favorites. All the sonatas on this disc are thoughtfully played and beautifully recorded.

I have many other recordings of these sonatas (including complete collections by Richard Goode, Alfred Brendel and Bernard Roberts, and individual performances by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daniel Barenboim, Emil Gilels, Vladimir Horowitz, Steven Kovacevich, Louis Lortie, Sviatoslav Richter, and Dubravka Tomsic.) Although it would be difficult to rank performances, I would very likely reach for Russell Sherman's performance because they are beautifully played and the ordering of the music on the disc allows for an engaging musical experience.

Tracks:

Son in c, Op.10 No 1: I. Molto Allegro
Son in c, Op.10 No 1: II. Adagio Molto
Son in c, Op.10 No 1: III. Finale. Prestissimo
Son in C 'Waldstein': Op.53: I. Allegro Con Brio
Son in C 'Waldstein': Op.53 : II. Intro. Adagio Molto/Attacca Subito
Son in C 'Waldstein': Op.53: III. Rondo. Allegretto Moderato/Prestissimo
Son in E flat, Op.7: I. Molto Allegro
Son in E flat, Op.7: II. Largo Con Gran Espressione
Son in E flat, Op.7: III. Allegro
Son in E flat, Op.7: IV. Rondo. Poco Allegretto

Customer Reviews:

Annie fischer's Beethoven Piano Sonatas.......2007-01-13

In "Beethoven," by JWN Sullivan ("the son of a poor Irish sailor"), written in 1927 and never out of print since, the author describes the last movement of the Hammerklavier sonata as "the expression of the final refusal of annihilation, even if no hope and object be left in life." If this sort of thing sounds like nonsense to you, then you don't need Annie Fischer's performances of the Beethoven sonatas. If Sullivan's words speak to you, and you can already hear it in the performances of the sonatas you know, then again you needn't purchase Fischer's set. If, however, Sullivan's words ring true yet you have never found a performance that adequately embodies the truth that you long to hear, then Fischer's performances are for you.

That is perhaps the simplest way I can explain why I love these CDs. No other set I know (save, perhaps, Schnabel's) satisfied me, whatever fine qualities it might possess. I am thinking of Kempff, Goode, Roberts, Frank, Kuerti, Brendel, Kovacevich, Arrau, Perl, and Gulda, all of whose sets I have owned and listened to for years and then either given away or sold, because I could not hear in them the full range of states I know are expressed in the Beethoven sonatas. Besides Fischer, Schnabel alone has the spiritual depth and intellectual power to bring forth all the meaning of those phases of existence, yet the sound is distracting and there are a few occasions where he seems to put showmanship before communication. To make it even simpler, I will say that if, like me, you find Furtwangler's interpretation of the Beethoven symphonies (particularly those recorded during the war) revelatory in a way that no other performance has yet matched, then Fischer is to the sonatas what Furtwangler is to the symphonies. (If you don't know Furtwangler's recordings, more's the pity. They are available from Music & Arts.)

A more complicated way to explain would be to discuss the differences in cultural life (and therefore all life) wrought by what Walter Benjamin called "the age of mechanical reproduction," when recordings and reprints have flooded the world with what Lyotard calls "simulacra" of reality, so that we feel as though we have had an experience, though there are no emotional or intellectual traces of it left afterward. Fischer somehow avoided being caught up in "the concert industry," so her performances were genuine communal experiences between the composer, the performer, and the audience (not the empty gestures of practiced automata, like our prolific technical miracles). What's more amazing is that through what must have been an incredibly painstaking process of "patching in" (much like what Glenn Gould explains he did in his great Bach recordings), over several years and contrary to her own predilection Fischer managed to recreate that experience in the isolation of the recording studio so that we who never heard her in performance can nevertheless participate in it.

I was briefly tempted to try to justify some of my claims about Fischer's set by analysis, but even if I were adequate to the task it's absurd in this forum, so I will just baldly make the claims, and you may accept or reject them as you wish. First, Fischer understands and conveys the meaning of virtually every phrase, every contrapuntal line, every harmonic development, every dynamic contrast in a way that is nothing short of revelatory. Second, she plays with something like the range of touches, colors, expressions that were attributed by listeners to Beethoven's own playing, so that she has the heartbreaking delicacy of the adagio in op. 110 and the heaven-storming thunder of the allegro in op. 57, as well as everything in between. Third, the sound is finally adequate to the vision, amazingly "present" and beautiful, never diffuse or hazy, but really in the same room. Fourth, the packaging is beautiful, each CD in a paper sleeve accompanied by a fine booklet in English, French, German, and Hungarian, all contained in a super-slim high quality box. I am deeply grateful to Hungaraton (apparently now a subsidiary of Sony) for making this set available.

Of course, the price is very high, though I was able to find it new at Video Warehouse and at Best Prices for just over $100. If, like me, you love this music, you will likely feel that it is well worth it.

Eureka!.......2002-12-19

It was Artur Schnabel who claimed this music was better than could ever be played. After 30 years of collecting, having listened to all the greats perform this endlessly fascinating oeuvre, I would tend to agree: virtually every pianist has left room for just a little more something. Otherwise why bother collecting hundreds of performances of these vital pieces? There is always something missing that compels one to keep searching.

Until now. I can tell you from my heart that, virtually without fail, every movement of every one of these sonatas had me out of my seat, fist in the air, shouting "Brava!" These are, for me, the most satisfying performances of any music in the whole range of music. Not only are they, as the notes attest, peerless, they are priceless.

All who brought these recordings to fruition are to be deeply thanked. I have to think that Beethoven himself could not but smile, were he to hear these wonderful performances. Playing like this cannot have happened since he was alive.

To the memory of Annie Fischer, and to the kind folks at Hungaroton: Bravissima!

Grace and Power.......2001-06-30

Annie Fischer's complete recordings of the Beethoven piano sonatas are a treasure. Recorded during the 70's, not one was released during her lifetime. However, she did approve of final takes on all 32 before she passed away and thankfully, these great performances are finally available. She has an expressive tone the displays all the nuances of Beethoven's far-reaching set. She has a knack for capturing the perfect tempo every time. I regularly return to any of these recordings, including this one, to just rediscover these superb renditions. Any in this series is a solid purchase you will enjoy again and again. And whoever said Stiff and Labored is really hearing a different set of recordings then most everyone else who has sampled this treasure chest.

In a class by itself - Just like Schnabel!.......2001-05-05

I have extensively listened to 8 or 9 full setts of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas. Kempf, Arrau, Brendel, Backhauss, Gilels (partial set)...etc...I will say that without a doubt it is absolutely evident to my ears, heart and soul, that Annie Fischer's interpretation is in a class by itself. Her rendition is absolutely magnificent and sensitive. It flows with just the "right" timing just like pure running water. Although all major renditions have something to say, I feel that only Schnabel (the PEARL edition) and Gilels are in the same class as Annie Fischer. In the end and on a desert Island...I would choose her interpretation if I had to choose just one. It towers well above most of the others and by quite a margin...

Average customer rating:

Outstanding performance

Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol.5
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2
Playing the Beethoven Piano Sonatas

ASIN: B000001KE8
Release Date: 1995-09-05

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Menuetto (Allegretto); Trio
IV. Prestissimo
I. Andante-Allegro-Tempo I
II. Allegro Molto Vivace
III. Adagio Con Espressione
IV. Allegro Vivace-Adagio-Presto
I. Adagio Cantabile; Allegro Ma Non Troppo
II. Allegro Vivace
I. Allegro Con Brio
II. Introduzione: Adagio Molto
III. Rondo: Allegretto Moderato

Tracks:

I. Allegro Vivace
II. Largo Appassionato
III. Schervo: Allegretto; Trio
IV. Rondo: Grazioso
I. Allegro
II. Allegretto
III. Rondo: Allegro Comodo
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Scherzo: Allegro Assai
I. Adagio sostenuto
II. Allegretto; Trio
III. Presto Agitato

Amazon.com

Some hits, some misses, no errors, and little enlivenment characterize Robert Taub's first Beethoven cycle installment. How prosaic and matter-of-fact his slow movements of Op. 2, Nos.1 and 2, seem next to the eloquence of pianists Murray Perahia and Artur Schnabel, for example. And Taub's leisurely amble through No. 13's Scherzo is hardly the allegro molto vivace that Beethoven specifies. The pianist fares better with supple and flowing readings of the little Op. 14 sonatas, and his tempo fluctuations in the Moonlight opening evoke the composer's sobriquet--Sonata quasi una fantasia--without losing grip of the bigger picture. His Waldstein comes alive in the first movement's development and the bravura finale, while the rest is excellent note playing. Beautifully recorded sound. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding performance.......2001-02-01

After hearing Robert Taub featured on Trenton's classical music radio station and hearing him perform at the Institue for Advanced Studies in Princeton, I bought this CD. I have found Taub's eloquence and mastery of Beethoven's Sonatas throughly mezmerizing and I had to get all three volumes. In fact, this collection has become my standard gift to friends who enjouy outstanding classical piano performances.

This set is a must have... highly recommended! Also, Robert Taub is a must see if you can get to see him perform.

Music Review: