Beethoven Piano Sonatas; a quick vote

[visualnickmos]

As an exercise, if you had to choose just ONE complete LvB piano sonatas, which would it be, and why, in one sentence....

A few names to start the ball rolling;

Ashkenazy, Arrau, Kempff, Barenboim, Kovacevich.......

[BBMmk2]

Daniel Barenboim's EMI cycle. Emil Gilels cycle not complete on DG, so I guess that doesn't count?

[ostuni]

Michael Korstick, on Oehms. Very well recorded; excitingly played, with more scrupulous attention paid to dynamics and articulation than is often the case; downside is that some slow movements are taken very slowly.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Just one? Today it would probably be the Mono Kempff - more accurately played than Schnabel, but with a lot of Schnabel's wisdom. Tomorrow, I might choose Schnabel, because the insights there remain news. On Monday, it might be Barenboim's EMI set (just to remind me that Barenboim was closer to Beethoven's age when he wrote most of these works than was either Schnabel or Kempff) - and all the time I'd wish Gilels and Pollini had recorded full cycles.

Dream recording? I so wish that my fingers could cope with what I read in these "scores" - to be able to feel the Music in my arms as I play a decent repro Graf or Broadwood!

On seventh thoughts - I'd go for a set I don't know yet - probably Brautigam on BIS: if I'm only allowed one for the rest of my life, let me "start afresh" with them.

[teamsaint]

good question.

But I would love to see all the board experts do a "compilation" list of the sonatas...... if THAT didn't keep them busy nothing will !!

Could be my first thread on my return from cyber exile.....

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

...Emil Gilels cycle not complete on DG, so I guess that doesn't count?

That would be my choice too. I'd just have ro do without the others.

But my real answer is that I would choose the Associated Board edition of the complete sonatas and play them myself. Despite the inferior end result, it's by tar the most satisfying way to get to know these amazing works.

[anamnesis]

Friedrich Gulda, 1967. A very fine overall performance, though I really would prefer a compilation. Eg, Ronald Brautigam's op 111 is breathtaking, Ashkenazys op 57 is wonderful, Schnabel's op 106 is...well, Schnabel's op 106 :-). The list would go on and on.

[visualnickmos]

Daniel Barenboim's EMI cycle....

But his later DG cycle - DG or EMI that is the question? No cherry-picking allowed!

It is sometimes an interesting exercise to pare down to the wire - absolute choices. It's like an art exercise in some ways, where give yourself 30 minutes to draw the view, then repeat with only 10 minutes, again with 5 minutes, and finally with 1 minute. So your final marks (choice) really has to be definitive and essential.

[makropulos]

As an exercise, if you had to choose just ONE complete LvB piano sonatas, which would it be, and why, in one sentence....

A few names to start the ball rolling;

Ashkenazy, Arrau, Kempff, Barenboim, Kovacevich.......

Gulda - either the mono set on Decca or the broadcasts on Orfeo. Miraculous playing matched by wonderful concentration and intelligence. Not that other cycles don't have all this, but I find Gulda to be as compelling an intepreter of this music as anyone.

[Pianoman]

Richard Goode for piano, Ronald Brautigam for fortepiano, so there !

[french frank]

Friedrich Gulda, 1967. A very fine overall performance, though I really would prefer a compilation. Eg, Ronald Brautigam's op 111 is breathtaking, Ashkenazys op 57 is wonderful, Schnabel's op 106 is...well, Schnabel's op 106 :-). The list would go on and on.

Welcome, anamnesis. We look forward to more contributions (memorable ones?)!

[LeMartinPecheur]

Despite having many different versions of most B sonatas accumulated over some 40 years since my teens, it's only in the last 10 that I've bought complete cycles. Only two, both already acclaimed in this thread: the mono Kempff and Schnabel.

Both are magnificent. Kempff presents really 'finished' performances of enormous wisdom, every detail considered and transmitted precisely through the technique. Schnabel is much more of a walk on the wild side, scalding hot performances that make you feel you're somehow hearing LvB pouring out the newly minted works c1800, imperfections and all. A much grander, heaven-storming, frightening, thrilling experience, though much less integrated and technically impeccable than Kempff and many others no doubt.

I'll pick Schnabel!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

But his later DG cycle - DG or EMI that is the question? No cherry-picking allowed!

It is sometimes an interesting exercise to pare down to the wire - absolute choices. It's like an art exercise in some ways, where give yourself 30 minutes to draw the view, then repeat with only 10 minutes, again with 5 minutes, and finally with 1 minute. So your final marks (choice) really has to be definitive and essential.

Not sure why you include the quote from Bbm, visnick: he seems pretty clear that it's the EMI cherry that he's picked. I agree: there are (of course) fine things in the DG set, but the young man has the edge (technically and interpretively) for me.

[richardfinegold]

I don't think that any one Pianist does equal justice to all 32, and many of my favorite recordings of individual works are from Pianists that never recorded the whole shebang. My favorite cycle is Richard Goode. I also have Arrau and Schnabel. Richter is my favorite for many of the Sontas, pity he never recorded the entire corpus. I have a few of Annie Fischer discs, another worthy contender.

[verismissimo]

Friedrich Gulda, 1967...

That's the one I reach for most often.