Recommendations for Versions of Beethoven's 32 Variations?

[Torp]

I've just begun learning this piece and I currently have the PDF version from the CD Sheet Music Beethoven CD.

Anyone out there have any recommendations for a "definitive" version?  Anyone compare to the PDF I'm talking about?

Thanks in advance,

Jef

[Torp]

The response to this has been overwhelming! 

Has no one an opinion on this?  I can't believe that!

Anyway, thought I'd bump it up once before I let it die.

Jef

[presto agitato]

Do you mean Varations in C minor Woo80?

Murray Perahia´s recording is the best by far.

[rob47]

for Beethoven I and probably? most use Henle.

everything else i can use dover kalmus schirmer et al., but Beethoven deserves Henle I think. You're teacher will agree with me.  And if you are your own teacher, you will agree with me.  And if you are a teacher and we're wondering what edition your student should buy I think we can be in agreement that Henle would be the best choice for Ludiwg van.

just my thoughts. which we can agree are correct in every way.

 

[Torp]

You're teacher will agree with me.  And if you are your own teacher, you will agree with me.  And if you are a teacher and we're wondering what edition your student should buy I think we can be in agreement that Henle would be the best choice for Ludiwg van.

just my thoughts. which we can agree are correct in every way.

Your logic is irrefutable, I must agree. 

Thanks for the replies.

Jef

[Torp]

Do you mean Varations in C minor Woo80?

Yes

Murray Perahia´s recording is the best by far.

I should have clarified better that I was looking for the sheet music, but I appreciate the for the recording all the same.

Jef

[SteinwayTony]

For authoritative, check out Breitkopf and Hartel as well.

[anda]

i only have the version from sheetmusicarchive. as for recordings, i have radu lupu (whom i usually adore), and it's pretty weird. i'd like to see your pdf too, would you please send me a copy at anda@pianomail.net? thanks so much.

one more thing - i'm supposed to play this soon in a recital, and i got in a dispute with one of my former teachers about tempos. i say one should try to play all variations at approx. same tempo (slight tempo variations accepted, of course; it should help integrate them in a larger structure - it's bad enough they are so many and so short, which means it's very easy to get the whole work fragmented), but he agrees with radu lupu and says each variation has it's one life at it's own tempo. by the way: radu lupu's tempos range from half main tempo do double. what do you think?

[Torp]

what do you think?

My teacher and I were having a similar discussion, though at the moment we had not addressed tempo issues.  We were discussing the order of the variations and whether they make some sort of "form" as a whole.  I haven't had time to really look into this yet, so maybe I'll expand the question here.  Does anyone know of any good reference material that might address some of the larger theoretical issues of the piece?

The primary goal of our discussion was really to determine how to make the piece cohesive.  At first thought, keeping the same general tempo throughout may help that goal.  I don't know yet.  I'm trying to figure out how to think about the piece overall.  Is it designed in a psuedo ABA form?  Which variations 'go together' conceptually, etc.  Beethoven put them in a particular order for a reason, what was that reason?  Do I want to accentuate that reason?  Do I want to depart from that?  How do I make that happen, whichever way I decide?

I suppose the questions go on and on, that's the joy and frustration of it.

Anda,
As far as sending the PDF, I'll have to see.  It comes off of the CD Sheet Music disc, I haven't looked at how, if possible, to get the files off the disc.  I usually just print what I need from the disc.  I'll look into it.

More pondering...
In thinking about your question a little more, I can see both tempo ideas having merit.  Keeping a fairly steady tempo throughout may help to provide a more cohesive overall work.  Is that your goal?  Changing tempos for each variation and giving each one a 'life of its own' is, to me at least, an equally valid interpretation, if that were the goal.  I think it all really comes down to what ultimately becomes the most important concepts for you, or for me.  This piece is technically challenging for me, so it may be awhile before I can adequately express anything other than noise. 

Jef

[Torp]

i only have the version from sheetmusicarchive.

I just downloaded this version.  At first look, I like it better than the version I have.  But I'll be able to compare once I get home.

Jef