Claudio Arrau; Beethoven

[visualnickmos]

I hear good things about Claudio Arrau's Beethoven recordings - sonatas and concertos. I note that he made at least three recordings of the complete concertos. I'm rather keen to investigate further, but I have no idea about which sets to look at, and their relative qualities.

I do rather like his Chopin recordings - I have a fair few of these. He keeps very much 'to the point' and doesn't allow himself to luxuriate - something some others have a tendency to do with Chopin!

But it is really the Beethoven I am looking for some learned guidance on.... hope I'm not asking too much. Thank you all the same.

[verismissimo]

My first Beethoven concerto set (on LP) was Arrau with Concertgebouw/Haitink in the early 70s. I loved them to bits, but for some reason (space) gave them away. Much regretted. NLA now, I think.

[Bryn]

My first Beethoven concerto set (on LP) was Arrau with Concertgebouw/Haitink in the early 70s. I loved them to bits, but for some reason (space) gave them away. Much regretted. NLA now, I think.

1, 4 and 5 are available as downloads at QOBUZ, or as used CDs via amazon.co.uk. There's a Japanese CD of 3 and 4, new, for a reasonable price via amazon.co.uk too, and a used CD of 1 and 2, (at a less friendly price).

[Barbirollians]

I highly recommend his Icon box if you can get hold of it. I enjoyed the concertos especially the Emperor but as someone who was rather unimpressed by the Philips CD I bought of the Moonlight etc I was amazed by his Columbia Beethoven sonatas . The Waldstein in particular is fantastic.

[richardfinegold]

As the OP said his Chopin is superb. The Arrau complete Beethoven Sonata set from the sixties was available here at a budget price and was my first complete set and therefore my introduction to many of the works. His recordings of Op. 109 and 110 are still my favorites. When I repurchased the set on CD I believe it did come with Haitink PCs; I’ve since burned it to my NAS and now I cannot recall. My favorite from the PCs is the grand and magisterial reading of the Emperor, but they are all at a high standard

[Bryn]

I highly recommend his Icon box if you can get hold of it. I enjoyed the concertos especially the Emperor but as someone who was rather unimpressed by the Philips CD I bought of the Moonlight etc I was amazed by his Columbia Beethoven sonatas . The Waldstein in particular is fantastic.

Thanks for that. There is also his set with Haitink in the Philips big Beethoven Arrau box. A bit pricey to download but those with a QOBUZ sub can stream them from https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/be.../0002894623582 along with an earlier recording of the Triple Concerto with Szeryng, Starker, the New Philharmonia and Inbal. You will need to scroll all the way down to find the concertos.

[cloughie]

One of the mysteries of 60+ years of purchasing recorded music is why oh why does the music industry nibble nibble away at the hand that feeds it? Arrau's Beethoven in the year when everything Beethoven should be out there for us all to have without smashing our piggy banks to smithereens. I have had the Galliera and Haitink sets for many years - thought I'd check out the Dresden Davis set - not easily gettable.

[gradus]

The reviews of Arrau's playing in the lp era often mentioned his increasing fondness for slow speeds, welcome these days when some young players seem determined to break speed records with wondrous feats of dexterity and never mind the music.
I saw him live a few times and I think he is the only recitalist I have heard who provided extra typed notes on the pieces in the recital and slipped into the official programme. The piece he wrote about was not LvB but Schumann's Symphonic Studies to which CA added the 5 posthumous studies, pieces which I believe he thought were amongst Schumann's finest inspirations, quite rightly imv. Of contemporary pianists, only Ingrid Fliter has included them in a very fine broadcast recital a few years back, although I may have missed others.

[Bryn]

The reviews of Arrau's playing in the lp era often mentioned his increasing fondness for slow speeds, welcome these days when some young players seem determined to break speed records with wondrous feats of dexterity and never mind the music.
I saw him live a few times and I think he is the only recitalist I have heard who provided extra typed notes on the pieces in the recital and slipped into the official programme. The piece he wrote about was not LvB but Schumann's Symphonic Studies to which CA added the 5 posthumous studies, pieces which I believe he thought were amongst Schumann's finest inspirations, quite rightly imv. Of contemporary pianists, only Ingrid Fliter has included them in a very fine broadcast recital a few years back, although I may have missed others.

Do please bear in mind that according to contemporary reports, Beethoven was very critical of those who performed his music at slower than the tempi he intended.

[cloughie]

Do please bear in mind that according to contemporary reports, Beethoven was very critical of those who performed his music at slower than the tempi he intended.

He’ll have had an unquiet grave methinks!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Do please bear in mind that according to contemporary reports, Beethoven was very critical of those who performed his music at slower than the tempi he intended.

No matter. He's dead now.

[Bryn]

He’ll have had an unquiet grave methinks!

Especially once Wagner got in on the act. For a fun read, try file:///C:/Users/brynh/AppData/Local/Temp/FULL_TEXT.PDF

[Barbirollians]

Listening to the Les Adieux Sonata in the Icon box - no ponderousness there !

[richardfinegold]

No matter. He's dead now.

Arrau, Beethoven, or both?

[gradus]

Listening to the Les Adieux Sonata in the Icon box - no ponderousness there !

Is it a recording from earlier in his career? My recall of comment about alleged slowness derived from Gramophone reviews of his late performances.