I have Richard Goode's recording of Waldstein, and it's NOT great. So I can't tell you which is best, but I can tell you not to waste your money on that one.
i hear a persistent regular hampster heartbeat with a bit of umph on the first of the eight beats. if i don't hear that umph at a regular pace - i automatically don't like it. the reason - is that it seems to me that beethoven was building upon this basic fundamental 'beat' and making it into a 'fantasmic' thing like the emperor concerto. as i hear it - one should take complete charge of the piece at the very beginning. then, you have to prove you can ride this horse all the way through without slowing down too terribly much and not showing any signs of fatigue. i find it semi-donquixotic. you're either crazy to play it - or the piece turns crazy while you play it - but in any case - you can get stuck in it's windmill and actually enjoy the crazy pleasure it brings.ps i don't like it too fast either. moderately fast seems better.if i were to put a video to the thing - i would have the hampster completely flip on his wheel at every second high five finger alternation.you could also mentally picture this piece as someone who ate a plate of aphrodesiacal food (ie a lot of hot peppers) and goes ballistic.
i hear a persistent regular hampster heartbeat with a bit of umph on the first of the eight beats.
Those damned octave glissandi...
Anyone heard Dubravka Tomsic play the Waldstein? In the first movement, it's really fast compared to other interpretations, especially the repeating notes in the opening bars. Not sure if its supposed to be played that fast. Anyone heard her playing it before?
i'll play it for you - the way it should be played. at least the way i think it should be played.
You don't have to play them as glissandi. I've heard a few recordings where they are just played very quickly in octaves...it actually sounds more 'in-tune' with the rest of the piece; after all, Beethoven did NOT write gliss. in the manuscript.
Yes, he did. His fingering markings for the scales are 5-1, 5-1, 5-1, etc. There isn't a way to play that fast enough unless you glissando. It was much easier on Beethoven's piano than on most modern-day pianos. My favorite recording is Daniel Barenboim's. (He does not play the octaves in glissandi by the way)
Yes, he did. His fingering markings for the scales are 5-1, 5-1, 5-1, etc.
Um... 5-1, 5-1, 5-1, etc is standard fingering for white key octave scales.
I agree, but if he had not wanted i played as a gliss., what fingering would he have used? 5-1, 5-1, 5-1, still seems to be the only viable solution. In essence, there is a reason why disagreement arises due to this passage; it is not clear.
Every time I hear these scales done as glissandi, it ruins the performance for me.