Beethoven; the complete piano sonatas

[Roehre]

Returning to this Barenboim is particularly fine in the early sonatas and the playing has such energy - anyone who loves his piano concerto recordings with Klemperer will recognise a very similar approach.

Barenboim's EMI-recording of opus 7 makes it immediately clear why Beethoven called this a Grand Sonate.
In the early 1970s I explored the then three recent sets of Barenboim on EMI, Kempff (stereo DGG) and Arrau (Philips) (Brendel / Philips was on its way, until Binns on L'Oiseau lyre no HIP cycle available then).
Barenboim's is the most "youthful" of these (he was by far the youngest performer then too, btw ).
Nevertheless -or because of this?- I put question marks to the op.31 as well as the Hammerklavier interpretations e.g.

[Barbirollians]

Did you ever get the Fischer cycle?

Not yet .

[richardfinegold]

Barenboim's EMI-recording of opus 7 makes it immediately clear why Beethoven called this a Grand Sonate.
In the early 1970s I explored the then three recent sets of Barenboim on EMI, Kempff (stereo DGG) and Arrau (Philips) (Brendel / Philips was on its way, until Binns on L'Oiseau lyre no HIP cycle available then).
Barenboim's is the most "youthful" of these (he was by far the youngest performer then too, btw ).
Nevertheless -or because of this?- I put question marks to the op.31 as well as the Hammerklavier interpretations e.g.

Jonathan Bis has a full lecture devoted to Op. 7 in his Coursera series.

[Keraulophone]

Stephen Kovacevich's EMI set seems not to have been discussed so far. An earlier comment mentioned the lack of Beethovenian struggle, but this player seems to revel in the angst, both intellectually and pianistically. He doesn't paint a smooth surface, nor make passages sound easy to play. Decades earlier, when known as Stephen Bishop, he made a widely admired record for Philips of the last three sonatas. Both are well worth hearing, IMV.

[Lordgeous]

SK's Diabelli Variations have been a favourite of mine since they first appeared. Re. the Sonatas Solomon rocks my boat but I'm always thrilled by Ogdon's Hammerklavier.

[Karafan]

I wonder if anyone is able to offer opinions on the relative merits of the Solomon Beethoven piano sonata recordings as released by EMI and Testament respectively.

I have the EMI set and love it, but I might buy some Testament issues if the sound quality is significantly better

The Testament recordings are a great improvement in A-B listening tests carried out by yours truly! K.

[Tony Halstead]

The Testament recordings are a great improvement in A-B listening tests carried out by yours truly! K.

A.F.A.I.C the only truly valid recordings of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas are those using period instruments.
Period...

[Bryn]

A.F.A.I.C the only truly valid recordings of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas are those using period instruments.
Period...

What about modern copies, don't they also qualify? I do remain very fond of the Malcolm Binns survey on originals though, I must admit, and the later PB-S and Bilson & former students sets too, but the Brautigam complete percussive keyboard works on modern instruments after leading historical makers has the advantage of less material deterioration.

[Barbirollians]

A.F.A.I.C the only truly valid recordings of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas are those using period instruments.
Period...

What do you mean by valid in this context ?

[Beef Oven!]

A.F.A.I.C the only truly valid recordings of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas are those using period instruments.
Period...

Or organ. Full stop.

[gurnemanz]

Didn't Beethoven play Bach on his modern instrument?

[MickyD]

Or organ. Full stop.

[richardfinegold]

A.F.A.I.C the only truly valid recordings of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas are those using period instruments.
Period...

Which Period?