BAL: Beethoven piano sonata in E flat op 7

[verismissimo]

Young Beethoven. I've only ever had Schnabel and young Barenboim in this sonata.

Who do ForBoarders prefer in it?

[Alison]

Perahia deeply satisfying; you hear it in the opening bars.

[visualnickmos]

I have Kempff and Barenboim...... I enjoy both; and they are also very different.

[verismissimo]

As usual, I'm interested in HIP recommendations. :)

[Op. XXXIX]

Most riveting performance I ever heard was Michelangeli. Positively granitic! You can find it on a generously filled CD with the Brahms Ballades and the Schubert D537. It is not often mentioned that the Op. 7 is Beethoven's longest sonata after the Op. 106.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This is one I really enjoy playing, so I'll be interested in the review. Does Ian Burnside have any particular axes to grind?

[BBMmk2]

I have Emil Gilels and Daniel Barenboim's DG cycle.

[Roehre]

It is not often mentioned that the Op. 7 is Beethoven's longest sonata after the Op. 106.

The original DGG LP of Benedetti Michelangeli's opus 7 was solely dedicated to this work (at full price!)

[Bryn]

The original DGG LP of Benedetti Michelangeli's opus 7 was solely dedicated to this work (at full price!)

And worth every penny I paid for it, (though since I got it from Orchesography, in Cecil Court (off Charring Cross Road, London), the price was considerably less than the official one).

[Bryn]

As usual, I'm interested in HIP recommendations. :)

As far as I am aware, there are but two recordings currently in the catalogue which use a fortepiano, namely the Brautgam on BIS, and the Bilson in the complete Beethoven piano sonatas survey on Claves (this 10 disc set retails at around £100).

[Keybawd]

The Michelangeli recording is sensational. I wore out the LP and a casette tape. I now have it in a Michelangeli box CD set.

[Parry1912]

I'm listening to Michelangeli as I write. I also have this sonata in complete cycles by Brendel (3rd), Gilels, Ashkenazy, Goode and Kempff (stereo) so I'm looking forward to hearing this on Saturday.

Incidentally, looking back through this thread I'm please to note that I'm not the only one who confuses No. 4 Op. 7 with No. 7 Op 10/3

[Parry1912]

It is not often mentioned that the Op. 7 is Beethoven's longest sonata after the Op. 106.

I see from Denis Matthews BBC Music Guide that it's originally published title was 'Grande Sonate'.

[amateur51]

And worth every penny I paid for it, (though since I got it from Orchesography, in Cecil Court (off Charring Cross Road, London), the price was considerably less than the official one).

Oh what a wonderful memory, bryn. That was a shop-and-a-half wasn't it? LP gems, mostly overstocks, at £2 a throw. I remember asking the owner if the Oistrakh-conducted Mahler symphony no 4 was 'really any good' to which he replied 'you could find out for only £2'

What I would give for that shop & Cheapo Cheapo in Wardour Street to be in their old state now - treasures of long ago.

[kuligin]

I too have happy memories of that shop, Doktor Faust (Fischer Dieskau version) for £6.

To return to the topic in hand this should be a very interesting BAL with many fine recordings available.

I too possess the Michelangeli LP but only paid £1 when the local library got rid of all its stock, sadly a scratch effects the 1st movement so I will be interested to see what is played and which version I should get, if not the CD version of the Michelangeli, although the scratch does not annoy me as it does not neccesitate moving the stylus on so to speak.