BaL 6.07.13 - Beethoven's Piano Sonata no. 32 in C minor Op. 111

[ardcarp]

Lill was discussed between posts 58 - 71, ardie

Thanks, Ferney. Missed that in this mega-thread. I've met John Lill on a number of occasions and he is a delightfully unassuming man.

[BBMmk2]

One of the biggest BaL threeads, surely?

[Thropplenoggin]

One of the biggest BaL threeads, surely?

And they said size doesn't matter.

[Andrew Preview]

That's my impression too, as mentioned earlier


I've gone back for another listen on different equipment - the HM recording for Lewis does seem distant and indistinct, based on that comparison.

On the subject of piano recordings, the sound given to Andras Schiff on his ECM recordings (Schubert as well as Beethoven) I have always found very odd and unclear, too. I suppose like everything else it's very subjective (for my money the best recorded piano sound ever that I know of is Alicia de Larrocha's later digital 'Iberia' from Decca)

Hmmmm. As one of the people who praised the sound on Lewis's recording, I thought I should take another listen. I can certainly understand why some listeners might dislike HM's efforts. What I regarded as warm and natural could easily be described as woolly and vague. As Caliban says, it's very subjective. I'd have to say that HM's sound is not my ideal - something like Murray Perahia's Chopin Ballades recording is more to my taste. But I suppose if you're going to err, I'd rather err on the side of woolly but warm than transparent but harsh, so I find it good enough. I still think it's a good performance too. Not definitive, and not my favourite, but a thoroughly valid view, and an interesting contrast to the other versions I own.

Having listened to this work rather a lot this week, I drew two main conclusions:

1. I thoroughly agree with whoever suggested that the lack of an Emil Gilels recording is a terrible loss to the catalogue (although I feel guilty for saying so given that the reason for that is an even more terrible loss).

2. What a wonderful work this is. I've often overlooked it in favour of its immediate predecessors, but realise now what a mistake that was.

[silvestrione]

I'd like to hear the early Brendel performance. As far as the above is concerned, I am sure every performer has had a few (very few) metaphysical moments when he/she feels to be a mouthpiece, a medium, an intermediary between dead composer and audience. It is pure illusion, of course, and even more so when a third party gets carried away along these lines. In the old days when oratorio was attended and listened to with deep reverence, it was quite common (and I think of my long-dead parents) for people to weep silently when, for instance, Isobel Baillie forged a direct line to God via Jesus via Handel. The audience knew her Redeemer lived.

This is not meant to sound blasphemous...it just illustrates the emotional power of music.

Gosh, that touches a chord with me: one of my first overwhelming musical experiences was listening to just that, (not certain it was Baillie), with my mother in Winter Gardens, Bournemouth.

Very much the 'spirit of the age' comes to the fore in your post, in the phrase 'It is pure illusion , of course'... I would say, it is not illusion, but the performer is an intermediary between the living composer and the audience (and the only way that composer can now be living).

I feel tempted to add, that the witty Mr Norris is entertaining and insightful, but also has a taint of some of the least attractive aspects of the zeitgeist, going for fairly plain performances (in the final two), and overdoing his making fun of those who sense something very searching and spiritual and 'beyond us' in Beethoven.

[Nick Armstrong]

Thought this was the silliest BAL of all time. Absolutely useless, if you didn't already know who the real front-runners are. I know there are too many recordings to cover and I don't expect him to mention all my personal favourites, but this was just appallingly eccentric. No Barenboim, no Arrau, no Kempff, no Goode, no Kovacevich, no Richter. Brendel thrown to the wolves......

I heard the Goode performance on Essential Classics this morning... or rather, I came in after the start of the performance, not knowing who was playing, and was rooted to the spot by what seemed to me a magnificent reading of the piece, and a great-sounding recording. I was surprised at the announcement afterwards - I've never taken to Goode's readings of Mozart, and stupidly not investigated further. This seemed to me the real thing, and I looked back at the this thread to see what mentions he had got. Not many... (certainly not in the BAL). Well worth a listen for those who don't know it; I shall be getting this, I think.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

One of the biggest BaL threeads, surely?

That's 'cos it's 2 threads merged.

As is the mighty Brahms 2 BaL thread.

[silvestrione]

I heard the Goode performance on Essential Classics this morning... or rather, I came in after the start of the performance, not knowing who was playing, and was rooted to the spot by what seemed to me a magnificent reading of the piece, and a great-sounding recording. I was surprised at the announcement afterwards - I've never taken to Goode's readings of Mozart, and stupidly not investigated further. This seemed to me the real thing, and I looked back at the this thread to see what mentions he had got. Not many... (certainly not in the BAL). Well worth a listen for those who don't know it; I shall be getting this, I think.

Am I right in thinking the only way to get Goode in Beethoven sonatas is to buy the complete set? Has always put me off.

[Nick Armstrong]

Am I right in thinking the only way to get Goode in Beethoven sonatas is to buy the complete set? Has always put me off.

I think that's not correct - there is a double CD of the late sonatas at a non-scandalous price: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-La...oode+beethoven

[waldo]

I heard the Goode performance on Essential Classics this morning... or rather, I came in after the start of the performance, not knowing who was playing, and was rooted to the spot by what seemed to me a magnificent reading of the piece, and a great-sounding recording. I was surprised at the announcement afterwards - I've never taken to Goode's readings of Mozart, and stupidly not investigated further. This seemed to me the real thing, and I looked back at the this thread to see what mentions he had got. Not many... (certainly not in the BAL). Well worth a listen for those who don't know it; I shall be getting this, I think.

I really don't think you can go wrong with these, Caliban. For me, taking into account both sound quality and overall standard of performance, this is the ultimate set. Without being in the least eccentric or idiosyncratic (not always bad things, of course), he somehow manages to be consistently engrossing. He is good right across the board, too, from the first to the last.

My piano teacher had them in a box set on a shelf in his music room. At this point, they were astronomically expensive. I used to drop hints all the time to try and get him to lend them to me, but he never took the bait. They were his and they were staying on the shelf. Eventually, I managed to find a cheap set on the internet........