best recording of the Beethoven sonatas?

[sevencircles]

What are the greatest recordings of the following Beethoven sonatas in your opinion.


Pathetique

no. 17 "Der Sturm"

Moonlight

No. 30

I havel listened to Brendel´s and Schabel´s recordings but I find them a bit overrated.

[nicco]

Friedrich Gulda.

Shouldnt believe that a hippie with a hat and sunglasses could play so well. But he does.

[verywellmister]

i'm not sure about best, but richard goode is good.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000005J2D?v=glance

[kreso]

Richter (op.13,op.31/2,109)
Gilels
Wilhelm Kempff
Kovachevich

[sevencircles]

"op.13, 31, 109"

These sonatas are the best Sonatas I have ever heard but I feel that the ultimate recording of them (Like Gould´s Goldbergvr. can be considered the ultimate recording of that piece)
is still to come.

I would like to to see Pogorelich record them.

Don´t you think he is the man for the job?

[kreso]

"op.13, 31, 109"

These sonatas are the best Sonatas I have ever heard but I feel that the ultimate recording of them (Like Gould´s Goldbergvr. can be considered the ultimate recording of that piece)
is still to come.

I would like to to see Pogorelich record them.

Don´t you think he is the man for the job?

Pogorelich is apsoultly great pianist, and he played on his recital op.31/2 but I don't think that everyone would like his "new" interpretations, because he plays slower tempos and he does some "wierd" things (I canot explain that, you have to hear him live) but there are so many colors and great details that public is always fascinate with his unique aproach to the piano playing...

[arensky]

What are the greatest recordings of the following Beethoven sonatas in your opinion.


Pathetique

no. 17 "Der Sturm"

Moonlight

No. 30

I havel listened to Brendel´s and Schabel´s recordings but I find them a bit overrated.

My taste in Beethoven is often controversial. E.g. I dislike many of the specialists, Schnabel being a notable exception. Antway..

"Pathetique"    Horowitz

"Tempest"        I enjoy Schnabel and Richter equally

"Moonlight"       Casadesus

Nr. 30               Schnabel           

[mikey6]

Pogorelich is apsoultly great pianist, and he played on his recital op.31/2 but I don't think that everyone would like his "new" interpretations, because he plays slower tempos and he does some "wierd" things (I canot explain that, you have to hear him live) but there are so many colors and great details that public is always fascinate with his unique aproach to the piano playing...

I haven't heard it, but Pogo's op.111 is apparently rather 'light' and flippant in it's emotional intensity, something I think that piece definitely can not succeed without.

[alejo_90]

"Moonlight" - Gilels
"Pathétique" - Gilels
"Tempest" - Arrau
No.30 - Brendel

Best
Alex

[jre58591]

moonlight - goode, brendel
appasionata - aimard
no 30 - hamelin
no 32 - hamelin
pathétique - gilels
hammerklavier - aimard

yes guys, i do like standard repertoire

[da jake]

Moonlight - Schnabel (perfect 1st mvt), Hofmann (Amazingly weird interp of 1st mvt), Gould (best 3rd mvt ever)
Honourable mentions to Friedman, and Gilels for all-round excellent performances

Appasionata - Gilels (live performances)

Pathetique - Horowitz. + Gould is hilarious and definitely worth hearing in this one.

Hammerklavier - Schnabel, hands down.

no 32 - Schnabel
no 30 - Schnabel

@jre: I'm very sorry my good SDC friend, but you really have to listen to the late Schnabel recordings of 30 and 32. They are available on the Great Pianists 20th Century set, and I  can send them to you if you want. ...But suggesting that Hamelin is their best interpreter is a bit of a travesty.

[alejo_90]

Hey Jake, have you got mp3s of any of the Live Gilels' performance of the Appassionata? Specially the one where he dispatches the 3rd movement in 4 min? Please, I would really appreciate that !

Best
Alex

[da jake]

As a matter of fact I do!

I'll upload the super fast Prague one, and one From the Soviet Union (which isn't much slower).

[jre58591]

@jre: I'm very sorry my good SDC friend, but you really have to listen to the late Schnabel recordings of 30 and 32. They are available on the Great Pianists 20th Century set, and I  can send them to you if you want. ...But suggesting that Hamelin is their best interpreter is a bit of a travesty.

i stand by my statement that hamelin is the best at no 30. i am a bit iffy about no 32 though. however, i do admit to being a bit lacking in the standard rep area when it comes to choosing. do you mind posting those recs? i have got to hear those. posting the whole CD would be even greater.

[alejo_90]

As a matter of fact I do!

I'll upload the super fast Prague one, and one From the Soviet Union (which isn't much slower).

Thank you, thank you, thank you very much!!!! At last I can listen to Gilels' super fast Apassionata, the one from the famous 70`s recording is too slow for my taste. Thanks again.

Cheers
Alex

[da jake]

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=status&st=ok&ufid=934884A36E11B25A

[mephisto]

Difficult to say, but my favourites are:
Schnabel
Richter
Gilels
Pollini

When I saw Andsnes play opus 110 it was a really great experience for me.

[sevencircles]

Hammerklavier - Schnabel, hands down.

Way to sloppy to be the best!

[brewtality]

Way to sloppy to be the best!

Probably true, but the slow movement is a treasure.

[volodya]

jre is right


hamelin has the best op. 109

[superstition2]

More votes for Op. 111, please. I'm not completely happy with the recordings I have. Also, whose Tempest is the best? What about Waldenstein?

Has anyone heard Ursula Oppens' Hammerklavier? An online review said her performance is very good, but I haven't heard it.

[pies]

Op. 111 - I love Gould's simply because he was on crack or some other sort of stimulants while recording and doesn't play it slow like everyone else.

[brewtality]

for 111 I like Richter and Levy.

[stucoy]

I like Solomon (or (The Solemn One, as I call him ) in op.109 and op.111. Have I heard ALL the recordings of these pieces, though? Of course not. I think the problem is very few, if any, of us have heard all or nearly all the recordings of a particular piece, and even then it's subjective. I often pay attention to International Piano, because they get all the recordings they can get their hands on, then compare them blind. I seem to remember that Serkin came top in the op.111 comparison (one of his later recordings, I think). The Solemn One's recording was also highly recommended.

Appassionata - I like Arrau's live 1959 Ascona recording. Gilels's super-fast live recordings of this piece are almost comical in their intensity.

[jre58591]

here is hamelin's 109. warning: highly orgasmic recording ahead.

javascript:openWindow('https://streams.wgbh.org/online/play.php?xml=clas/cmd060227hamelin.xml&template=clas',386,452);

[bearzinthehood]

here is hamelin's 109. warning: highly orgasmic recording ahead.

javascript:openWindow('https://streams.wgbh.org/online/play.php?xml=clas/cmd060227hamelin.xml&template=clas',386,452);

Perhaps try this: https://streams.wgbh.org/online/play.php?xml=clas/cmd060227hamelin.xml&template=clas

[jakev2.0]

.lebanhcS naht retteb stvm ols syalp ydobon ,esruoc fo dna...eulav tnemeticxe reehs rof ,rotitepmoc tsesolc eht naht retteb llits si tnemevom TSRIF reivalkremmaH s'lebanhcS ,syas enoyna tahw erac t'nod I dna...

.s'esle enoyreve morf tnereffid os si ti esuaceb tsuj ,gninwo htrow si tes eritne sih taht kniht I .gniniatretne etiuq era satanos eseht fo gniyalp s'dluoG taht eerga I ,haeY

[faustsaccomplice]

More votes for Op. 111, please. I'm not completely happy with the recordings I have. Also, whose Tempest is the best? What about Waldenstein?

Has anyone heard Ursula Oppens' Hammerklavier? An online review said her performance is very good, but I haven't heard it.

I'm with Brewtality on the Levy vote.  I have heard very few pianists play this with the same impact.  If you haven't heard it, it's well worth your time looking into.

[sevencircles]

Perhaps try this: https://streams.wgbh.org/online/play.php?xml=clas/cmd060227hamelin.xml&template=clas

Listened to it and I think that you don´t have to go longer then this Forum to find people that can play it better.

Not much to write home about in other words

[superstition2]

I don't care much for 110 at the moment. I adore 111.

[dingrite]

It has been 10 years since this topic has been posted.
Has anything changed over the last 10 years regarding this topic?

My opinion is that Gould plays the best 3rd Moonlight movement I have ever heard, but unfortunately the best recording of him doing so appears to be remastered, so there are some noise elements there.