IMSLP Forums

I've finally gotten frustrated with the fidelity of the Schnabel recordings and want to get another complete set of Beethoven's piano sonatas. Any suggestions? I've heard Kempff's is good, people also recommended Richard Goode and Schiff, and Brendel and a million others. I have a number of individual recordings of the sonatas, but I think hearing a single artist's interpretation of the whole set is valuable. All suggestions are welcome!

I would suggest the complete recordings by Alfred Brendel. Generally speaking the earlier recordings (1940's-1960's) are better. I believe Brendel recorded his first complete cycle in 1952, and continued to record 2 more complete sets. I have not listened to the later recordings, so I can't say which is the finest of the three.

I like 'em all, but the latest one has several of his finest.

Goode: Excellent, but less interesting than some
Schiff: also excellent
Brendel: A more modern benchmark
Frank: Decent, but again less interesting
Lewis: Quite nice, also. Interesting!
I haven't heard Lortie, and I don't like Kempf's style in Beethoven.

I'd recommend Ronald Brautigam as he performs on historic instruments (I guess he is the first one who does the complete cycle on these instruments).

Boccaccio wrote:I'd recommend Ronald Brautigam as he performs on historic instruments (I guess he is the first one who does the complete cycle on these instruments).

Historic instruments are a must. I sat and listened to this woman - I don't know who she was - at the Greenwich Early Music Festival last year, playing Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven on a wood framed fortepiano copy. You could actually hear all the voices. They shone out in a way a modern metal strung instrument can't achieve.

It seems crazy (to me) to spend money on a box set played on an instrument which obscures what Beethoven wrote. It would be like buying a score with notes missing!

Nobody mentions Gilels? well, ok... a big pity that he never recorded No.32, but I just can't find that momentum of his playing in any others.

feqia wrote:Nobody mentions Gilels? well, ok... a big pity that he never recorded No.32, but I just can't find that momentum of his playing in any others.

Exactly; it's not complete. Same with Richter.

Although, Richter has the best recording of number 18 I've ever heard. The exception to this might be Bernstein playing No.18 during one of his lectures at Harvard University, but he does not play it in it's entirety.

Boccaccio wrote:I'd recommend Ronald Brautigam as he performs on historic instruments (I guess he is the first one who does the complete cycle on these instruments).

Malcolm Binns recorded the 32 on historical instruments for L'Oiseau Lyre in the 70s. The complete LP cycle has never appeared on CD. Only Nos. 28-32 are available now as a reissue.

--Sixtus

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Dri ... ame_role=1

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Works/d ... =8-1-fkmr2

The Ronald Brautigam sounds amazing. I've listened to several samples on youtube, and I agree that the pianoforte rendition adds alot. Has he released a complete set of the Beethoven sonatas. So far I have only been able to find various disparate versions of Beethoven's piano works, which I would have to buy separately.

Brautigam is currently working on a complete cycle of all Beethoven piano works. So far, there are the 8 volumes with the 32 sonatas as well as one volume with sonatinas. But I think one has to buy them separately, there is no box set or whatever (yet).

I'm surprised no one mentioned Daniel Barenboim's complete cycle. He did it twice: once around his late twenties, one much later, and both are excellent. His first complete cycle is impressive inasfar as it's very composed.

If you're after a cool, impeccable series, this one is the right one

Yes, I too am completely surprised no has mentioned Barenboim. I own both sets of recordings (original releases) the 1st one on Duetsche Grammophon is out-of-print, although I think its most likely available through amazon. But then you'll most likely pay a quite a bit for it used though.. I haven't seen it in a re-release yet like they did the EMI recordings.2nd is the EMI recordings. They are great, but I can second to the 1st set, is very well done.Has anyone heard the Ashkenazy?

No, I haven't heard Ashkenazy.
I'm surprised that the first DB is out of print—although it's not much to my taste. EMI released a DVD box set of him performing all 32 recently, and that is fantastic—plus masterclasses with Lang Lang (who I sincerely hope never records any Beethoven) and Jonathan Biss (who I hope records more), among others.

I have lied, being a collector I should have known.. There is a DG box set of The Barenboim 1st Cycle. But the Original Recordings are out-of-print.. Ashkenazy's recording are splendid, and there is a budget box set. And I believe he too recorded most of the Sonatas twice.. (But for different Labels)