Beethoven's Violin Sonatas - recommendations, please

[Bryn]

The Schroder/Immerseel set from Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, as already mentioned by Bryn, is a lovely cycle if you like HIP. Immerseel's Graf piano has a beautifully ethereal sound about it. And the set can be had (3CDs!) on Amazon UK for around £7:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-So...748937&sr=1-13

My recollections of that set as mentioned on the old boards were somewhat negative at the time. Thanks to MickyD I returned to the set. It was so much better than I remembered.

Re. the Wispelwey/Lazic set of cello and piano works, when listening via speakers I don't hear the electronic buzz mentioned in an amazon.com customer review referred to by Thropplenoggin. I will try via headphones and report back.

[Ah, if I work really hard at it I can hear a very quiet sound in the ambient which might just about be described as an "audible electric buzz" via headphones. I suppose it might disturb someone who has only ever experienced music via recordings, and never in 'live in concert'. It is there, but only impinges very slightly, and only when neither piano nor cello is actually producing sound. I am certainly not bothered by it.]

[aeolium]

I agree with ams about Grumiaux and Haskil, but also like some of the performances on Menuhin and Kempff's set (especially the op 30 sonatas), and Oistrakh, paired with Oborin, is always worth hearing.

[Thropplenoggin]

Thanks for all the responses and links.

Bob_Crotchet: as well as being a "vibratophobe" (nice coinage!), I'm also distracted by excessive grunting, sniffing and sighing (Pollini is a notorious sniffer). I'm not sure how some performers are seemingly able to control this whereas others sound akin to Maria Sharapova one set down in a Wimbledon semi-final. But perhaps the label is to blame. Not sure why some recording engineers are able to bypass this aspect of performance and others are not.

I'd like to hear more of the Faust/Melnikov set to make my mind up, but Harmonia Mundi are not available to stream, and so I'm reduced to hearing piddly samples on Amazon or the HM website.

[MickyD]

[QUOTE=Bryn;236472]My recollections of that set as mentioned on the old boards were somewhat negative at the time. Thanks to MickyD I returned to the set. It was so much better than I remembered.QUOTE]

It was originally savaged many years ago in Gramophone, but I'm glad it has found new friends - the recording is very fine, to my ears.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

for all it is non HIPP and a bit boxy recording i still swoon to Wolfgang Schneiderhan - Violin & Wilhelm Kempff - Piano

[vinteuil]

for all it is non HIPP and a bit boxy recording i still swoon to Wolfgang Schneiderhan - Violin & Wilhelm Kempff - Piano

... but is swooning the best reponse to Beethoven ?

Back to the HIPP, young man!

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

what is this elitist piffle the best???????????????

btw what else might one offer in response to the sublime???

[Bryn]

... but is swooning the best re[s]ponse to Beethoven ?

Back to the HIPP, young man!

Yes, I think Beethoven, had he lived long enough, might have agreed with Ives: "Stand up and use your ears like a man!"

[richardfinegold]

Many years ago I purchased a set by the FAther Daughter team of Claude and Pamela Frank and I've lived happily with it since. I don't know if it is still available.
You could do worse than David Oistrakh. I didn't much care for Perlman/Azhkenazy.

[Thropplenoggin]

My recollections of that set as mentioned on the old boards were somewhat negative at the time. Thanks to MickyD I returned to the set. It was so much better than I remembered.

Re. the Wispelwey/Lazic set of cello and piano works, when listening via speakers I don't hear the electronic buzz mentioned in an amazon.com customer review referred to by Thropplenoggin. I will try via headphones and report back.

[Ah, if I work really hard at it I can hear a very quiet sound in the ambient which might just about be described as an "audible electric buzz" via headphones. I suppose it might disturb someone who has only ever experienced music via recordings, and never in 'live in concert'. It is there, but only impinges very slightly, and only when neither piano nor cello is actually producing sound. I am certainly not bothered by it.]

Much appreciated, Bryn! It's on Qobuz and Spotify and I find it to be an absolutely sumptuous performance. Stands a strong chance of becoming a Christmas present to self.

[visualnickmos]

Recommendation: Easy; Pierre Barbizet and Christian Ferras on EMI

OK it is mono, but the sheer sound quality and engineering excellence are stunning, and you will soon forget it's mono. To say nothing of the performances which are first class. Go for it!

[amateur51]

Recommendation: Easy; Pierre Barbizet and Christian Ferras on EMI

OK it is mono, but the sheer sound quality and engineering excellence are stunning, and you will soon forget it's mono. To say nothing of the performances which are first class. Go for it!

Agreed visualnickmos, superb playing and fast vibrato - they are currently available in a 5-CD boxed set with the Tortelier/Heidsieck set of Beethoven cello sonatas for nuppence (well almost )

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Les-Sonates-Pour-Violon-Beethoven/dp/B000FOTHIC?SubscriptionId=AKIAIVGTH525N57WM2NQ&tag=galenicom-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000FOTHIC#productPromotions

[Thropplenoggin]

I have to say, after initial impressions, I favour Barbizet/Ferras over Haskil/Grumiaux (sorry Ams!), both for sonics, sweetness of violin tone and use of vibrato (impressively restrained by Ferras!). Thanks for the top tip, V., and for finding a cheap(ish) version Ams.

[amateur51]

I have to say, after initial impressions, I favour Barbizet/Ferras over Haskil/Grumiaux (sorry Ams!), both for sonics, sweetness of violin tone and use of vibrato (impressively restrained by Ferras!). Thanks for the top tip, V., and for finding a cheap(ish) version Ams.

Ferras is a stonkingly impressive fiddler in my opinion (and Barbizet is a wonderful piano partner in these and many other sonatas), throppers but sadly committed suicide before he reached 50.

[Bryn]

Agreed visualnickmos, superb playing and fast vibrato - they are currently available in a 5-CD boxed set with the Tortelier/Heidsieck set of Beethoven cello sonatas for nuppence (well almost )

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Les-Sonates-...ductPromotions

Thanks for the recommendation. I have those in this box:



Which I picked up a spare copy of for a fiver in an HMV sale. I have not got round to listening to the violin sonatas from it. I must do so. It now seems to have increased in price somewhat since I got that bargain, and indeed from when I got my first copy of the 50 CD box for £45 at the time of release. The box has much to recommend it, including the Cluytens symphonies and Giulini Masses.

[Oh, and despite the claim printed on the discs in the 50 CD box that the recordings (published in 1959) are in stereo, they are not. They sound like mono, and when ripped and their waveforms compared, the two channels are effectively identical.]