Beethoven; the complete piano sonatas

[Julien Sorel]

i find that Pollini's brilliant pianism results in his missing the element of struggle overcome that I find so telling in the recordings of the later sonatas by Solomon.

In general terms I prefer Beethoven (and Schubert) played on instruments or copies of instruments contemporary with the music, and there's an element of that ... straining against limits involved (and in Schubert I just feel the sound of Viennese pianos of the time is very internal to the music). Still think Pollini's extraordinary - but I've never heard any of Solomon's recordings.

Are the Naxos Schnabel transfers a good thing, Julien Sorel? I like very much the results that Andrew Rose has achieved for Pristine Classics.;ok:

They are certainly a gooder thing than the old EMI box. That's the only other transfer I know. They sound OK: quite vividly present.

[johnb]

Julien Sorel - welcome back (thinking of this forum as the continuation of the BBC R3 MB). It's good to see you again.

(Now where has Maestrolover got too? .......)

[amateur51]

They are certainly a gooder thing than the old EMI box. That's the only other transfer I know. They sound OK: quite vividly present.

That's good to hear, thanks

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Has anyone bought the Associated Board's recent edition with the extra 3 early sonatas added?

[gradus]

John Lill's set is probably still available for next to nothing. Wonderful playing and I've never heard better Beethoven than from his live performances, beats me why he hasn't been recorded again in this music that he plays and understands so well. Ah well when I win the lottery.....
Let's not forget that the magnificent Gilels was one of the jurists that awarded him him the Tchaikovsky prize.

[EdgeleyRob]

I have Wilhelm Kempff's complete set (DG 1960'S) and Pollini in the late sonatas.

[BBMmk2]

Gilels for me, so it's a pity he recorded so few.

Has anyone bought the Associated Board's recent edition with the extra 3 early sonatas added?

Have they EA? That be interesting.I have Donald Tovey's Edition.

[amateur51]

Gilels for me, so it's a pity he recorded so few.

Gilels recorded twenty-seven out of the thirty-two which is scarcely 'so few'

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Gilels recorded twenty-seven out of the thirty-two which is scarcely 'so few'

in that case, I withdraw my previous posting and shall investigate further.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

in that case, I withdraw my previous posting and shall investigate further.

Details here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Piano-Sonatas-Emil-Gilels/dp/B000ICM0YY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1360963427&sr=1-1

Incidentally, are the two "Electoral" Sonatas part of the three early sonatas you mention in the Associated Board edition?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Thank you.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Have they EA? That be interesting.I have Donald Tovey's Edition.

Tovey's edition has certainly stood the test of time. The new version is edited by Dr Barry Cooper - the man who "completed" the 1st movement of Beethoven's 10th Symphony.

[Roehre]

Gilels recorded twenty-seven out of the thirty-two which is scarcely 'so few'

As Gilels was to record all complete Sonatas it's 27 out of 38 (including WoO47/1-3, 48-51)

[Roehre]

Tovey's edition has certainly stood the test of time. The new version is edited by Dr Barry Cooper - the man who "completed" the 1st movement of Beethoven's 10th Symphony.

Cooper is one of the leading decipherers of Beethoven's handwriting. Of the piano sonatas all manuscripts prior to the final pages of the finale of the Mondschein op.27/2 are lost (a situation which existed already before WW2). Therefore Cooper -as Tovey should have done- had to rely exclusively on the first and early editions of opp.2-27 and 49/1+2.
It is especially in these works that Tovey's edition is not really reliable: particularly the opus 2 sonatas, op.10/3, 22 and op.49 are a bit beefed up. Not Tovey's work as such, but because of his leaning too heavily on later editions, in one case Liszt's.
Cooper's edition is up to the present musicological standards needed for a critical edition.

[Thropplenoggin]

I don't own a complete set.

I have a few by Gilels (his Appassionata, natch), and both Solomon and Pollini in the last sonatas (my introduction to the works - flawless accounts) If I had the money, I'd buy the Gilels set and some of the Richter live recordings (his version of no.3 and no.29 from the 1975 RFH concert on ICA Classics (love this label!), and his version of 'The Hunt' sonata on Decca.