The best performers of Beethoven Sonatas

[eduard]

My favorite are: Gilels, Brendel and Baremboim. 

[kriskicksass]

Arrau.

[brahmsian]

Schnabel

[kreso]

I voted for Gilels, Kempff and Arrau, althaught I like Serkin and Richter very, very much..

[arensky]

Of these cats, Arrau, Backhaus and Gilels. I would add to your list Gould, Schnabel, R. Serkin and Grimaud.

[donjuan]

I voted for Gilels, Kempff and Arrau, althaught I like Serkin and Richter very, very much..

yep, those are my votes too

[phil13]

Schnabel

Of these cats, Arrau, Backhaus and Gilels. I would add to your list Gould, Schnabel, R. Serkin and Grimaud.

YES! DEFINITELY add Schnabel and Serkin. They are my favorites, too.

Phil

[steve jones]

I live Arrau and Richter.

I also loved what Kissin did with the Moonlight (is that a hanging offence around here?).

[arthurpianist]

Well..where is Arthur Rubinstein? if dont have i choose Alfred Brendel

[rohansahai]

Gilels, Richter, Schnabel are my favourites

[presto agitato]

Brendel by far

[steinway89]

Ronald Brautigam

[avetma]

Emil Gilels. Especialy Les Adieux, Apassionata and Waldstein.

[la_leggierezza]

Arrau, Kempff, Backhaus 

[presto agitato]

What you people think about Jeno Jando?

[donjuan]

What you people think about Jeno Jando?

I think his Liszt and Schubert are brilliant!  His Beethoven though is mediocre imo

[jamie_liszt]

Arrau, Richter and Gilels.

[musicsdarkangel]

I really like Goode's recordings.

[mikey6]

I heard Arrau's op.111 in the art of the piano DVD and it sucked! are the others any better coz I don't have the greatest admiration for him at the moment.

[jamie_liszt]

have you seen/ heard his appassionata

[donjuan]

I heard Arrau's op.111 in the art of the piano DVD and it sucked! are the others any better coz I don't have the greatest admiration for him at the moment.

I was so close to tears the first time I watched that.  However, I have a terribly mechanical interpretation of it played by Pollini, and I hate that, so maybe you'll like it.

BTW, the VHS version of "art of piano" is MUCH better than the DVD: The captions are more descriptive, and the sound in the performance clips isn't all muffled into the background.  Also, I dont know if it was a problem with my particular DVD, but the sound was a fraction of a second behind the picture, so during performances, you see the hands play something and the pianist react to it before you even hear it.  Very annoying.

[mikey6]

not really a fan of pollini - saw him in Munich last month, all chopin (of course) did 9 nocturnes!!! (a tad too much).  everything was right, but it was as if he presented the music and nothing of himself (I guess he's famed for his 'cool' playing) but I wasn't moved.

[canucks13]

Brendel, Kempff and Schnabel

+ Anton Kuerti

[BoliverAllmon]

barenboim so far. haven't heard many of those that are listed.

[jamie_liszt]

don juan thats very true, did you see gilels rach prelude , weird.

[donjuan]

barenboim so far. haven't heard many of those that are listed.

Yeah, Barenboim is great; you really get the impression that he cares about the music more than anything in his performances.  Very musical and put most simply, the most opposite impression one gets when watching Lang Lang.

jamieliszt, I think the timing was off in that Gilels clip to begin with, but that DVD just screwed it up even more.  I remember watching it on VHS and not being bothered by it so much.

[brewtality]

I still haven't gotten around to actually listening to all the sonatas so I can't really judge as complete sets. From what I've heard, I like the way Gilels and Arrau play the sonatas. Also Hofmann for Moonlight and Waldstein. I am going to buy Fiorentinos in the near future, unfortunately they are so bloody expensive.

[rohansahai]

Gilels (especially the early recordings).
btw, Richter owns the appasionata, though.

[Waldszenen]

Arrau
Brendel (the newer Philips set not the older one)
Schnabel

[pianistimo]

brendel, richter, kempff, schnabel  - maybe it depends on which sonata.  haven't gone that far yet.

[anschlag]

In addition to the above (I kie Kempff and Arrau), Kovacevich is worth a listen if you don't agree with him on every thing.

[Waldszenen]

Kovacevich can be pretty intense at times.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

No mention of Solomon anywhere?

[mwarner1]

Of those on the list, I chose Richter, Gilels, and Kempff.

Possibilities not on the list: Solomon (he might be my number 1), Bruce Hungerford, Walter Gieseking, Robert Casadesus (only recorded a few)...

Richter, Solomon, and Kempff are probably my favorites. Richter mostly for the early live recordings I own (Op. 2/3 on Praga for example -- peerless), but his studio Op. 57 for RCA is also essentially peerless. He brings such life into anything he plays, and his technique is breathtaking. Never recorded a complete cycle.

Solomon plays Beethoven like an old sage in fine physical form. Every sonata he recorded is a winner. No pianist can nail the transitions as smoothly as Solomon could. He was a true genius regarding structure and phrasing -- and there is yet something so modest about his playing. Never recorded a complete cycle.

With Kempff, I only know the mono cycle. Yes, there are a couple duds. But they are few and far between, and a small price to pay for the poetic grace of Kempff. There is an earthy, human quality to his playing that sets him apart from any other pianist I've heard. Occasionally there is even a nervous feel to his playing, and somehow he gets away with it. Op. 26 Mvt. 4 is a case in point. Notice how he brings out the melody as it changes registers so delicately. I've never heard it played so slowly, and it changes my entire view on this piece.

[jehangircama]

i like ashkenazy's waldstein and barenboim's pathetique.

[pianistimo]

hmmm. will have to  listen to solomon play beethoven (and ashkenazy, and barenboim - with the suggested sonatas).

[MattL]

barenboim or horowitz
 

[brewtality]

Ernst Levy in all those he recorded (except waldstein which Hofmann plays better). I especially like his hammerklavier and other late sonatas. His appassionata was also awesome, though it kinda rubbed me the wrong way the first time I listened to it.

[henrah]

Has no one mentioned Paul Lewis? I think he performed excellent interpretations of the sonatas, especially the Waldenstein. If any one here is living in England, he is doing a cycle of them all, mainly played in the Sheldonian in Oxford, although he did play in a church in the village my grandparents live in called Chipping Camden. That is where I saw/heard the Waldenstein, and it was wonderful. I was 2feet away from him and the piano and the sound was so clear and amazing to hear. Truly amazing.

Haven't heard any of Richter's, but most likely they're good.

[elevateme]

whaa? theres hardly anyone on that list

you should definately put maurizio pollini on..   also jeno jandos really good

[nicco]

I think Anne Øland did a pretty good job. She recorded them all.

www.anneoland.dk

[alejo_90]

DEFINITILY GILELS !!!!!!!

In my opinion, he was the best Beethoven performer who walked this earth.

[mike_lang]

.

[crazy for ivan moravec]

i voted for brendel but actually i wanted to vote for schnabel too, if only he cared to clean up those wrong notes. seriously, i think one has to be really careful with playing the correct notes when it comes to beethoven. of course, with all composers as well, but beethoven tops the list.

schnabel is the most deep and musical recording of beethoven i've encountered. and brendel is next. IMO

[etudes]

I think Anne Øland did a pretty good job. She recorded them all.

www.anneoland.dk

thanks for recommend my new favorite pianist!
i will try to order her cd.

[steinwaymodeld]

Brendull sucks so bad he has to record the beethoven sonata 3 times.