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Beethoven Year - the piano sonatas

10K views 51 replies 22 participants last post by  mparta 
#1 · (Edited)
I read an article in The Spectator which said that to get to know Beethoven you have to know his 32 piano sonatas because they 'are Beethoven's laboratory'. They 'join the dots' for his other works. So I've decided to listen to the 32 for the Beethoven year. I'm listening to Schnabel on Op 2no1 at the moment. What recordings do you find enlightening?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Good idea, David. I have went through countless recordings of Beethoven sonatas and I play some of the intermediate ones (No.1, No.8, No.12, No.14) so let me give you my list with a suggestive personal rating:

1: worth mentioning
2: worth listening to at least once (and may well be your desert land cycle)
3: desert island worthy

Historical:
Schnabel (3/3)
Kempff (3/3)
Backhaus (2/3)

Post War:
Fischer (3/3)
Serkin (3/3)
Arrau (3/3)
Gilels (3/3)
Backhaus (2/3)
Goode (2/3)
Pollini (2/3)
Brendel (2/3)
Kovacevich (2/3)
Gulda (2/3)
Bautigam (2/3)
Kempff (1/3)
Barenboim (1/3)

Recent:
Igor Levit (3/3)
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (3/3)
Paul Lewis (2/3)
Jonathan Biss (2/3)
Louis Lortie (1/3)
Boris Giltburg (1/3)
Andras Schiff (1/3)

Enjoy.
 
#4 · (Edited)
A couple months ago, I listened through the 32 with a different pianist for each. It was a very interesting and enlightening experience. In terms of performers I discovered there are a few different ways that pianists approach Beethoven. In one group are those who see Beethoven as intrisically raw, passionate, unhinged. These include Annie Fischer, Rudolf Serkin, Friedrich Gulda and probably Richter. They don't bother to "prettify" their tones and refine their phrasing, they deliver the music with a uniquely convincing conviction and poignancy. Fischer's cycle is in fact my favorite complete cycle, with my avatar's incomplete set being hors conceurs in terms of Beethoven playing for me. Gilels belongs to the subset of pianists who sees the lyrical side to Beethoven a bit more, and only unleashes passion when the music really demands it. I would probably also place Arrau, Pires and Brendel in this category (in the "extremely lyrical" category I would put Louis Lortie, who doesn't provide enough drama for my taste). Then there are those who are more aristocratic and relaxed like Solomon, Gieseking, and of course the legendary Schnabel whose performances I do love for their remarkable spontaneity but don't see as the last word like some do. Then finally there are the "no-nonsense" guys like Wilhelm Kempff and Kovacevich, both of which I like for different reasons. There are lots of recordings out there and one need only explore for themselves in order to discover the riches. Getting into the Beethoven sonatas and comparing performances is definitely a great way to see how performers treat the same works so radically different, and to get a taste of different approaches to the instrument.
 
#6 · (Edited)
It is hard to disagree with whoever wrote that article, for me the string quartets and piano sonatas are in the clear upper echelon of greatest music ever written. Of course the symphonies (and perhaps piano concerti) as well, but just speaking for myself it's the string quartets and piano sonatas that I listen to the most and find most rewarding.

The greatest cycle I've ever heard in terms of depth of interpretation belongs to Andrea Lucchesini.

With my other truly top tier cycles coming from Annie Fischer, Rudolf Serkin (incomplete, and some of his best performances not officially released, but still available from Sony), Claudio Arrau (incomplete EMI, complete 1960s Philips), Wilhelm Backhaus (mono, though his incomplete pre-war recordings and some live recordings show a more spontaneous pianist).

Other truly exceptional ones but not in the same league as the above- Russell Sherman, Eric Heidsieck, Maurizio Pollini, Emil Gilels (prefer his live recordings on Melodiya to the ones on DG), Bernard Roberts (quite under rated) and of course Schnabel.

 
#14 ·
View attachment 140087

I find Annie Fischer to be one of the greatest Beethoven pianists. A complete set is on Hungaraton but is not so gratefully recorded as those she made for EMI. Orchestral players dubbed her 'Ashtray Annie' for her incessant smoking!
I've got this box. A smoking bargain. I love her Schubert and Mozart too. She's a bit more restrained in her playing in the studio, but there's always a sense of coherence in the way she phrases. Sounds unforced and very "natural". I find her addictive.

Regards,

Vincula
 
#51 · (Edited)
If you are curious about Beethoven in 19 century spontaneous style, I will suggest two names: Josef Hofmann and Josef Labor.



When i first heard that tempo I thought, wow, only Hoffman will pull that off!! then he doesn't-- he doesn't play the written rhythm. The underlying pulse is with the staccato 16th notes (I don't ever know what the English call those, hemidemisemiotic quavers or whatever) and the technical challenge in this movement is the interspersed 32nds, they're technically a bit of a thing because they require some really supple wrists and exact placement of the hand, so the tempo is crucial in keeping the 16ths allegro while allowing for those tiny, micro insertions that are NOT OPTIONAL, MR. HOFFMAN.
good lord what a horrifying example of a great musician dishonoring a composer.
 
#15 ·
... Why didn't he record a complete set?...
A possible good reason for incomplete cycles could be that the musician has decided to play the works which (s)he relates to and to let go of the works (s)he doesn't. As consumers we want complete cycles in big boxes, so the market provides for them. The dedication of a musician seems to be a better lead than the commercial driver of the market. So, the incomplete cycles on the market could also be the go-to's for musical dedication.

Nonetheless, I like your endeavor to listen to all of Beethoven's piano sonatas. Before you know it, you only listen to the warhorses and forget about the others.

Did you make any (re-)discoveries so far?
 
#32 ·
My favourite's probably Annie Fischer's set for Hungaroton, but these days I find myself listening quite often to Gulda. I've got the complete sonatas on vinyl. They approach Beethoven in a totally different way, but I find both engaging and never clinical, even though Gulda can get a bit too eccentric at times. I agree on Richter too, David. Have some recordings on Melodiya from the 60's on less-than-ideal sound, but powerful renditions nonetheless. Martha Argerich should get some credit too, even though she limits herself to some of them, at least on record. For late night listening I usually prefer Arrau. I lie and wallow in sound! Somehow it does not reach me during the day in the same way. Perhaps I'm just bonkers :lol:

I've got some other's I don't enjoy as much as expected. One good example is Maria Joao Pires. I simply can't get into her Beethoven, as much as I love her Mozart or even some Chopin.

Regards,

Vincula
 
#33 · (Edited)
Listening on YouTube to some early Beethoven sonatas from Igor Levit's new cycle. I like to compare cycles with the 4th movement of Op. 2 no. 2, due to the great variety of touch and all those string-of-pearls upward runs. Levit does great here and I can easily compare him with Schiff and Gilels (though still the edge to Schiff).
 
#52 · (Edited)
he's really superb, but I just don't like the sound of the instrument, not that particular one, I prefer a real modern piano.
And the second movement is too fast, although I can see his intent, I don't hear the rhythm clearly, it's as if there were no point to Beethoven having bothered to write the rhythm since the player doesn't allow it to be heard.

But in general he is superb. He studied with Serkin I think.

Regarding the specifics of Op. 31 #3, the second movement with the staccato left hand at the beginning and a lot of staccato thereafter: the tempo indication is allegretto, not allegro. Allegretto vivace, the vivace being provided by the staccato and sharp rhythms with the interspersed 32nd notes. Both the Hofmann and this Brautigam are too fast to delineate the written rhythms. One misses the spit and sparkle of what Beethoven wrote.
 
#41 ·
Coat Musical instrument Font Jazz pianist Keyboard


This is the recording that first made me hear the late sonatas in a way that made me care about them.

Now I think it's peculiar and a little geriatric in some ways, but I still love it and hear Beethoven more than in any one else's performances. There was never a sense of ease with Serkin, more a sense of conquest, not technical but he wrestled with how untouchably great Beethoven is and I don't think it's wrong to feel that. False comfort from a big technique that makes it sound easy, it's not easy music, there's nothing else like it.

It's on DVD too. Serkin was very annoyed because he didn't know they were making/releasing a film but i am so glad to have it.
 
#42 ·
View attachment 148240

This is the recording that first made me hear the late sonatas in a way that made me care about them.

Now I think it's peculiar and a little geriatric in some ways, but I still love it and hear Beethoven more than in any one else's performances. There was never a sense of ease with Serkin, more a sense of conquest, not technical but he wrestled with how untouchably great Beethoven is and I don't think it's wrong to feel that. False comfort from a big technique that makes it sound easy, it's not easy music, there's nothing else like it.

It's on DVD too. Serkin was very annoyed because he didn't know they were making/releasing a film but i am so glad to have it.
This was my first exposure to Beethoven's final three sonatas. I believe I bought the cassette tape in the late 80s or early 90s. I haven't heard it in a while, but I do remember that it felt like I was eavesdropping on some kind of mystical event or occurrence. I found the music completely perplexing at the time, yet I still felt I was listening to something special. I also remember that the mistakes were left in. Serkin was great at Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms.
 
#43 · (Edited)
I recently received Claudio Arrau's '60's cycle as a (unsolicited) gift. It's an Italian Decca release. I will be listening to at least one sonata a day. I don't know if this is the same set that is on the Philips label, some of which I already have. I've already heard the first two sonatas and am impressed. This might be a best-of-all-possible-worlds set. Absolutely gorgeous sound, phrasing, voicing, and articulation, somewhat reminiscent of Gilels beautiful-sounding set.

I'm also a big fan of Annie Fischer's Beethoven. Ditto for Schnabel, Gilels, Pollini (especially the late sonatas and my favorite Hammerklavier), Richter and Serkin.
 
#44 ·
I recently received Claudio Arrau's '60's cycle as a (unsolicited) gift. It's an Italian Decca release. I will be listening to at least one sonata a day. I don't know if this is the same set that is on the Philips label, some of which I already have. I've already heard the first two sonatas and am impressed. This might be a best-of-all-possible-worlds set. Absolutely gorgeous sound, phrasing, voicing, and articulation, somewhat reminiscent of Gilels beautiful-sounding set.

I'm also a big fan of Annie Fischer's Beethoven. Ditto for Schnabel, Gilels, Pollini (especially the late sonatas and my favorite Hammerklavier), Richter and Serkin.
Yes Sir! :tiphat:
 
#49 ·
David, I think the reason he didn't complete the cycle is because he was very self-critical. Several of the sonatas in this set were approved for release by Peter Serkin after Rudolf's death. I'm not sure if a complete Serkin Beethoven sonata set was the original plan, it probably was, just like his recording all the Mozart piano concertos was. But I think between his lack of satisfaction with some of the recordings he did make and (for this I'm guessing) the decreased interest in making classical recordings, both these planned complete sets came to fruition. Serkin didn't seem completely happy with the recording process.
 
#50 ·
A great musician whose self-perception included working to play the piano. I think many pianists who no longer have that also lose their sense of dedication to the performance, never a problem with Serkin. Interesting biography available, by the way. I don't agree with a lot of things he does but I would never question the integrity of his process. I once saw Louis Lortie play the Chopin Etudes at Carnegie Hall and he did that looking up in the air thing that is so dismissive of the playing itself (Earl Wild-- "stop looking up in the air, look at the keyboard, that's where the action is"-- maybe he said this, maybe he didn't, but I like it so credit whereever I want to put it:lol:) and I hear that in Lortie's playing.

Someone mentioned Moravec, incomparable in more than one way. Kempff not a patch on Moravec technically, but Moravec also a completely integraged technician to do what he wanted. Few pianists make such a sculpted sound and shape and Kempff much more an on the wing player (little wings, not big wings).

I haven't gone back to look at all the posts but I guess I'm a bit interested by Levit's set, haven't heard it but had his late sonatas and thought they were ok, I hear some faults in his playing that bother me a bit but I saw him play and was very taken, really more honestly knocked out by his Shostakovich. Which does not a great Beethoven player make.

I hear nothing in Jonathan Biss, i think he's a marketing thing. Hardly any discussion ever of Garrick Ohlsson, who is a truly great, as in great in the long line of real pianists like Hofmann and Rachmaninoff. player. Again, doesn't guarantee a Beethoven player. Interesting conundrum.
 
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