Arrau edits beethoven

[Rach3]

I've recently been looking at the Arrau edited version of Beethoven sonatas, in particular at what fingerings he suggests. Knowing that his preferences are quite eccentric, at the same time I find some of his (somewhat unusual-looking) fingerings quite comfortable and in fact helpful... does anyone else know what I am referring to and have opinions?

[rudl]

It´s a pity,  nobody gave an answer.

I also would like to have an look in Arrau´s edited version, but wasen´t able to find it on IMSLP.

Is it possible, that there is another source. I would like to see, how he made the fingerings of 106 4th movement.

Rudl

[pytheamateur]

It's not surprising nobody gave an answer.  The OP should have provided more information about the edition that he is talking about as well as actual examples of the fingerings that he is talking about.

[rudl]

I have read a book from Joseph Horowitz about Arrau. (Conversations with Arrau (1982)) In this book Horowitz describes that Arrau and his assistant worked nearly ten years to edit the sonatas. The publisher is Peters. Unfortunately it cannot be found on IMSLP.

As Arrau has his own view about fingering and how to play the sonatas it could be interesting to discuss here.

Rudl

[thorn]

I have the said editions.

Fingering wise, I find some of them downright over-complicated. In most cases I can see why they have been suggested and how they would facilitate a better performance. I suppose to Arrau, great pianist that he was, they weren't that complicated? They were clearly based on his own personal fingerings rather than the most logical/obvious ones.

He also adds many of his own suggestions, for example I remember in the 2nd mvt of the Appassionata he adds tenutos over some inner voices that are not Beethoven's own. Traditionalists would have a heart attack to see this (my teacher told me to absolutely not do them in any circumstance). Also pedal-wise- Arrau was a romantic and played everything as such, his pedallings are again based on his own ideas rather than how one should academically pedal Beethoven.

That is my overview.