Bethoven Piano Sonatas

[migamaral]

Hi everybody...

have you heard de complete set of the bethoven piano sonatas by Glenn Gould? It was the only one I had, but I bought recently the Kempff set, and I really think that its better.

I would like to hear your opininon

[bartolomeo_]

Gould was best known for his recordings of Bach's works, especially the WTK.

He was not regarded as a definitive interpreter of Beethoven.

[mcgillcomposer]

Hi everybody...

have you heard de complete set of the bethoven piano sonatas by Glenn Gould? It was the only one I had, but I bought recently the Kempff set, and I really think that its better.

I would like to hear your opininon

Gould didn't record all 32...I am curious to know what recordings by him you have.

Gilels did a beautiful recording of the cycle, and Brendel has put out several. The thing is, I don't think there is ONE pianist who plays all of the Beethoven sonatas the 'best', per se. For example, I don't think anyone can beat Michelangeli's Op.2 No.3, and some of Richter's recordings are top notch, even though he didn't record the complete 32 either. If you want the whole cycle, try Gilels or Brendel.

[invictious]

Gould didn't record all 32...I am curious to know what recordings by him you have.

Gilels did a beautiful recording of the cycle, and Brendel has put out several. The thing is, I don't think there is ONE pianist who plays all of the Beethoven sonatas the 'best', per se. For example, I don't think anyone can beat Michelangeli's Op.2 No.3, and some of Richter's recordings are top notch, even though he didn't record the complete 32 either. If you want the whole cycle, try Gilels or Brendel.

I second the Gilels, although I only heard some of Brendel, that is of course, you are getting the whole cycle. There is not one pianist who has made the 'best' cycle of BeeSons, so I would recommend getting several recordings of each.

I like Gilels because he really brings out the excitement and passion in Beethoven's music. Horowitz's is not bad either. Richter's is great.

[pianovirus]

I think I have heard Gould's Appassionata a while ago at a friend's place. I was very weird and also extremely slow if I remember well....

[Kassaa]

Annie Fischer has one of the best complete cycles, I like Gilels too, it's really sad he died before he could do the op. 111

[mcgillcomposer]

Annie Fischer has one of the best complete cycles, I like Gilels too, it's really sad he died before he could do the op. 111

I know! And even worse that he died due to a medical ACCIDENT...scandalous.

[zheer]

I know! And even worse that he died due to a medical ACCIDENT...scandalous.

 really what was it,you must speak.

[mcgillcomposer]

really what was it,you must speak.

Quoted from Wikipedia:

"He [Gilels] was in the midst of completing a survey of Beethoven's piano sonatas for the German record company Deutsche Grammophon when he died after a medical check-up in 1985 in Moscow (his recording of the "Hammerklavier" sonata received a Gramophone Award in 1984). Sviatoslav Richter, who knew Gilels well and was a fellow-student of Neuhaus at the Moscow Conservatory, reported that he was killed accidentally when an incompetent doctor at the Kremlin hospital gave him the wrong injection during a routine checkup. [4]"

Sad, isn't it?

[lazlo]

Glenn Gould did record the complete beethoven piano sonatas... He was quite contemptuous of many of them however. His favorite one was the "les adiex". He notoriously hated the Appassionata, and the Pathetique, and most of the famous ones, as indicated by how little passion he puts into them... He also played the complete mozart sonatas, and a lot of the haydn. He hated mozart because his music did not  conform to his idea that all music should be contrapuntal. Anyways... So yeah, his beethoven would not be the first recordings I would want to listen to. I really like Fazil Say, Vladimir Horowitz, Friedrich Gulda, and Alfred Brendel's recordings... I don't know if any of these people have made complete recordings... Kempff, Ashkenazy, and Seymour Lipkin are pretty good as well.

[invictious]

Glenn Gould did record the complete beethoven piano sonatas... He was quite contemptuous of many of them however. His favorite one was the "les adiex". He notoriously hated the Appassionata, and the Pathetique, and most of the famous ones, as indicated by how little passion he puts into them... He also played the complete mozart sonatas, and a lot of the haydn. He hated mozart because his music did not  conform to his idea that all music should be contrapuntal. Anyways... So yeah, his beethoven would not be the first recordings I would want to listen to. I really like Fazil Say, Vladimir Horowitz, Friedrich Gulda, and Alfred Brendel's recordings... I don't know if any of these people have made complete recordings... Kempff, Ashkenazy, and Seymour Lipkin are pretty good as well.

I thought his Pathetique first movement was brilliant, and I use it as a reference when listening to it. (well, the live version in tokyo at least)
It is SO intense, I couldn't breathe..

[mcgillcomposer]

Glenn Gould did record the complete beethoven piano sonatas... He was quite contemptuous of many of them however. His favorite one was the "les adiex". He notoriously hated the Appassionata, and the Pathetique, and most of the famous ones, as indicated by how little passion he puts into them... He also played the complete mozart sonatas, and a lot of the haydn. He hated mozart because his music did not  conform to his idea that all music should be contrapuntal. Anyways... So yeah, his beethoven would not be the first recordings I would want to listen to. I really like Fazil Say, Vladimir Horowitz, Friedrich Gulda, and Alfred Brendel's recordings... I don't know if any of these people have made complete recordings... Kempff, Ashkenazy, and Seymour Lipkin are pretty good as well.

Where did you get this information re: Gould. I am almost 100% sure that he only recorded 23 of the 32. Check the Wikipedia article for example:

"Gould recorded most of Bach's other keyboard works, including the complete Well-Tempered Clavier, Partitas, French Suites, English Suites and keyboard concertos. For his only recording at the organ, he recorded about half of The Art of Fugue. He also recorded all five of Beethoven's piano concertos and 23 of the 32 piano sonatas."

[migamaral]

I made a download of this set, I didn't have time to listen do it all, but it is a 3 volume set, with 3 discs each, so I think it must be the somplete set...

[mcgillcomposer]

I made a download of this set, I didn't have time to listen do it all, but it is a 3 volume set, with 3 discs each, so I think it must be the somplete set...

Wow, I've got to see this. Please please please send me the CD number or UPC on the back of the CD set. If it's true I really want to acquire it.

[cmg]

Gould didn't record all 32...I am curious to know what recordings by him you have.

If you want the whole cycle, try Gilels or Brendel.

Actually, Gilels did not record the whole cycle.  Opus 111 and four others were not recorded.  After recording Opp. 109 and 110 in the late summer of 1985, he died only a few weeks later, on October 14, 1985, on the eve of his 69th birthday.

Claude Frank had a complete cycle on vinyl years ago that was quite beautiful.  I wonder if it has been transferred to CD.  Anyone know?

Ashkenazy's complete cycle is more than just respectable:  it's often quite beautiful.

p.s. just noticed that you posted the Gilels info from Wikipedia.  Sorry to repeat it.

[mcgillcomposer]

Actually, Gilels did not record the whole cycle.  Opus 111 and four others were not recorded.  After recording Opp. 109 and 110 in the late summer of 1985, he died only a few weeks later, on October 14, 1985, on the eve of his 69th birthday.

Claude Frank had a complete cycle on vinyl years ago that was quite beautiful.  I wonder if it has been transferred to CD.  Anyone know?

Ashkenazy's complete cycle is more than just respectable:  it's often quite beautiful.

p.s. just noticed that you posted the Gilels info from Wikipedia.  Sorry to repeat it.

Ashkenazy is often at the wrong end of negative comments; I agree with you re: his Beethoven cycle - it has some very beautiful moments.

Thanks for the info re: Gilels - what do you know about the Gould debate?

[cmg]

Ashkenazy is often at the wrong end of negative comments; I agree with you re: his Beethoven cycle - it has some very beautiful moments.

Thanks for the info re: Gilels - what do you know about the Gould debate?

Well, not much, I'm afraid.  I do have his 2-CD set of Beethoven Variations (c minor, F Major, "Eroica"), Opp. 33 and 126 Bagatelles.  And, of course, all 5 concerti.  What sonatas I have heard of his -- from old Sony laserdisc copies of CBC programs -- are pretty stupendous.

I love Gould.  What an artist!  Would like to hear as much of his Beethoven as I can. 

[georgethemusicalme]

I dunno if he's done a complete recording of all the Beethoven sonatas, but Jeno Jando's done some brilliant performances on the Pathetique, Appassionata, Moonlight and Eflat major sonatas. Such passion.

[dave santino]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Barenboim, so I'll put in a note for him. I have his complete set on DG, I believe it's the second cycle, and find them to be superb interpretations, faultlessly played and consistently jaw-dropping.

[rhapsody4]

Moonlight/Pathetique/Appassionata : Barenboim
Tempest/Waldstein/Hammerklavier : Gilels

Based on what I have heard anyway. In general, I would say that Gilels is the best Beethoven sonata interpretter I have heard (with Radu Lupu (5) and Ashkenazy (1-4) the best I have heard for the concertos).

I'm pretty open to new interpretations though, although there is a limit to the amount of times I can hear the Moonlight first movement and Pathetique second movement though!

[jehangircama]

what about Arrau? did he record the set?

[jakev2.0]

Schnabel.

[arensky]

Claude Frank had a complete cycle on vinyl years ago that was quite beautiful.  I wonder if it has been transferred to CD.  Anyone know?

Yes it has. I have some of these and they're very good.

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Complete-Piano-Sonatas/dp/B000063DK9

[arensky]

Schnabel.

Yes.

[thalberg]

I love Schnabel's edition of the Beethoven Sonata scores.  I like them better than henle.  It's like having a piano lesson with schnabel.

Didn't fleisher study with schnabel?  I heard a story from a teacher of mine who studied with fleisher.  He said Schnabel ran into Fleisher in England and was complaining about bad dental work he'd had done:  "I paid fifty shillings for shifty fillings."  Funny?  I"m not sure.