BaL 19.03.16 - Beethoven: Piano Sonata no. 8 in C minor Op. 13 "Sonata Pathétique"

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

...but then there's the oft-repeated "Beethoven would have loved a Model D Steinway if there'd been one handy at the time".

Nah! that's just more wishful thinking. He would, of course, have preferred a Clavia Nord Stage 2 HA88 Synthesizer .

And modern ear surgery and hearing aids.

[gradus]

Echoing an earlier posting, how is it possible to omit any mention of John Lill's recording? Beats me that such a great player is ignored.
High time he was recorded again in the whole cycle, maybe then he'd get a mention on R3.

[Nick Armstrong]

Just listened to the whole of Kovacevich's performance. Terrific. It'll do for me.

Amazing how the slow movement takes me back, lock stock and barrel, to my grandparents' front room in Yorkshire, mid 1970s, when that or the first movement of the 'Moonlight' were what I would resort to when my Grandpa whispered in my ear 'play us some Beethoven...' . I can almost smell the room; and feel my cold finger-tips on cold piano keys (no central heating up on t'tops!)... which were not the only reasons for the fumbling sight-reading... Probably why I gave the piece a wide berth on record... but I'm ready now, I think!

[MickyD]

I stand corrected, thanks, MickyD! I liked the sound of both the later and the earlier piano.
Also agreed that it was odd not to have heard any Ronald Brautigam...

Tony, I have loved the Immerseel CD for many years and adore the ghostly, ethereal sound of the old Graf - it sounds at its best in the opening of the 'Moonlight' sonata on the same disc, and you get the Six Bagatelles, too:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Piano-Sonata-No27-Bagatels-Pathetique/dp/B002011VSW/ref=sr_1_15?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1458402625&sr=1-15&keywords=immerseel+beethoven

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Is Angela Hewitt the only woman to have recorded the work? I can't remember any reference to any other female pianist(s) in the programme.

[vinteuil]

I really wish that we had heard more of Steven Lubin.
The very short extracts that were aired were superb in their overall musicality...

... I like Lubin a lot : this is a bargain -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000E0LB8G

[Keraulophone]

... I like Lubin a lot : this is a bargain -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000E0LB8G

Thank you Monsieur V - just ordered. One almost feels a little disrespectful paying so little for so much artistic achievement.


Buying the CDs from the fluvial store affords one the pleasure of being able to hear the MP3 version straight away via the amazon music player (as I am now doing with great pleasure).

[HighlandDougie]

... I like Lubin a lot : this is a bargain -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000E0LB8G

Whew! Just in time to get the last one in stock (unless I get an e-mail telling me that my order has been "cancelled", as I did this afternoon when I thought that I had bought a cheap used copy of the Richter from Amazon France Marketplace).

[vinteuil]

Is Angela Hewitt the only woman to have recorded the work? I can't remember any reference to any other female pianist(s) in the programme.

... well, Annie Fischer and Maria João Pires both recorded it

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... well, Annie Fischer and Maria João Pires both recorded it

Yes - checking around I found these two, too, and Ekaterina Murina. But not Uchida, Argerich or Grimaud - Tatiana Nikolayeva recorded a complete Beethoven Sonata & Variations set for OLYMPIA, too: not readily available ...

[Bryn]

... I found it very odd that poor Brautigam didn't get a mention in the HIPP versions.

Odd? Downright bizarre, more like. The Immerseel had somehow passed me by*. Now corrected. The Lubin tripple CD set I have but do not recall the Pathetique in particular. Will have a listen later on. Not had a chance to listen to Doc. Walker's survey yet. Will take time out for it now.

* To clarify. I have had the CD for a decade or so but only really paid attention to the Op. 126 Bagatelles.

[waldo]

Yes - checking around I found these two, too, and Ekaterina Murina....

Also, Andrea Kauten (Sony) and the great Maria Grinberg (Melodiya).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Also, Andrea Kauten (Sony) and the great Maria Grinberg (Melodiya).

[Pianorak]

I have had the Kovacevich recordings since they first came out on EMI. Love that set. - I rather liked the snippet of the last movement played by Artur Pissarro on a Bluethner. I too was surprised that Brautigam was totally ignored.

[visualnickmos]

I have had the Kovacevich recordings since they first came out on EMI...

Are they the same as the ones on the Philips set of the piano concertos, which contain a fair number of the 'main' sonatas - including Pathetique?

Just to be clear - the PCs are with the BBC SO Colin Davis...... PCs 1-4 and the LSO Colin Davis PC no.5