On Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 7:27:51 AM UTC-10, vih...@protonmail.com wrote:
> Just got Gould's 6-CD set, and have Gilels's Tempest/Waldstein/Les Adieux on the way.
> Any recommendations for the early sonatas in particular, as well as others, esp Tempest?
>
> Thank you.
>
>
> C.

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.music.classical/c/vPOxUOkunvE

I'm rather old school with Beethoven sonatas. So for me:

- Backhaus (like his Op 7 in particular)
- Solomon
- Edwin Fischer

I'd add a few later recordings like Gilels.

I like these sonatas played slower and with some degree of charm. I dislike energetic performances with exaggerated dynamics. Yes, I know Beethoven writes a lot of F and FF but I don't expect pianists to take that too literally. A modern grand is much more powerful than Beethoven's pianos just for starters.

On Thu, 18 Nov 2021 11:23:42 -0800 (PST), Andy Evans
<performanceandmedia@gmail.com> wrote:

>I'm rather old school with Beethoven sonatas. So for me:
>
>- Backhaus (like his Op 7 in particular)
>- Solomon
>- Edwin Fischer
>
>I'd add a few later recordings like Gilels.
>
>I like these sonatas played slower and with some degree of charm. I dislike energetic performances with exaggerated dynamics. Yes, I know Beethoven writes a lot of F and FF but I don't expect pianists to take that too literally. A modern grand is much more powerful than Beethoven's pianos just for starters.

Lisitsa has started a complete set. What is out now can be heard on
Spotify and Youtube. I certainly plan to listen even though I would
bet that they are energetic performances with exaggerated dynamics.
:-)

On Thursday, 18 November 2021 at 19:32:27 UTC, Ricardo Jimenez wrote:
> Lisitsa has started a complete set. What is out now can be heard on
> Spotify and Youtube. I certainly plan to listen even though I would
> bet that they are energetic performances with exaggerated dynamics.
> :-)

I had a listen and didn't really take to her playing here. Prefer her in other repertoire.

I listened to a few sonatas by Gilels today and liked them a lot.

Then on to Richard Goode, who I also liked a lot.

Op donderdag 18 november 2021 om 21:42:21 UTC+1 schreef Andy Evans:
> On Thursday, 18 November 2021 at 19:32:27 UTC, Ricardo Jimenez wrote:
> > Lisitsa has started a complete set. What is out now can be heard on
> > Spotify and Youtube. I certainly plan to listen even though I would
> > bet that they are energetic performances with exaggerated dynamics.
> > :-)
> I had a listen and didn't really take to her playing here. Prefer her in other repertoire.
>
> I listened to a few sonatas by Gilels today and liked them a lot.
>
> Then on to Richard Goode, who I also liked a lot.

I'd be curious to know what you think of Tirimo. I like his Beethoven more than Levit's.

Henk

I like Tirimo a lot, which was a surprise for me because I had never heard of him. When I listen to him I often think, "Yes, that's exactly how it should go." I know there's more than one way to play most music and certainly most Beethoven, but sometimes a performance is so convincing as you're hearing it that it seems like it communes perfectly with the intent of the score. I wouldn't be surprised if Tirimo learned something from performing all those variation sets, just as I felt I learned something by listening to them.

> I'd be curious to know what you think of Tirimo. I like his Beethoven more than Levit's.
>
> Henk

Andy Evans schrieb am Donnerstag, 18. November 2021 um 20:23:44 UTC+1:
> I'm rather old school with Beethoven sonatas. So for me:
>
> - Backhaus (like his Op 7 in particular)
> - Solomon
> - Edwin Fischer
>
> I'd add a few later recordings like Gilels.
>
> I like these sonatas played slower and with some degree of charm. I dislike energetic performances with exaggerated dynamics. Yes, I know Beethoven writes a lot of F and FF but I don't expect pianists to take that too literally. A modern grand is much more powerful than Beethoven's pianos just for starters.

But a historical piano sounds like at breaking point at fortissimo ;)
I think Edwin Fischer is great in opp. 10/3, 13 and 28 but I don't find them all that "charming". They are rather "romanticized" and very expressive. So is Schnabel.
I don't consider op.31 early; if one wants to draw a line between early and middle I'd probably put it after op.22 or op.27.
Gulda has been mentioned for the earlyish sonatas and I liked his a lot but he is usually very fast. So is the disc with Kocsis (op.2/1, 10/1, 13, 31/2) I also like very much. All of Gelber's are also favorites of mine but they are energetic and exaggerated (and many early ones are not included).
Some favs of mine up to op.27

2/1 Gulda, Kocsis
2/2 Gulda, Gilels
2/3 Gelber, Gilels
7 Gilels is a bit slow, Gulda a bit too straight and fast; it's not a favorite of mine
10/1 Kocsis, Gulda, Gelber
10/2 Gelber
10/3 Fischer, Gelber, Gilels, Richter
13 Fischer, R. Serkin
14/1 ?
14/2 Gilels, Richter
22 Pollini live DG (with op. 26 and 53)
26 Gilels
27/1 Schnabel, Gelber
27/2 Gelber

Op vrijdag 19 november 2021 om 02:26:49 UTC+1 schreef Peter:
> I like Tirimo a lot, which was a surprise for me because I had never heard of him. When I listen to him I often think, "Yes, that's exactly how it should go." I know there's more than one way to play most music and certainly most Beethoven, but sometimes a performance is so convincing as you're hearing it that it seems like it communes perfectly with the intent of the score. I wouldn't be surprised if Tirimo learned something from performing all those variation sets, just as I felt I learned something by listening to them.
> > I'd be curious to know what you think of Tirimo. I like his Beethoven more than Levit's.
> >
> > Henk

Thanks! I agree with you that Tirimo's Beethoven interpretations sound very natural. The same goes for his version of the Debussy études.

Henk

Here's pretty much where I'm at for these:

2/1 Goode, Solomon
2/2 Blechacz, Levit, Ashkenazy
2/3 Goode, Michelangeli, Kissin
7 Richter, Goode,
10/1 Yudina, Backhaus 1951
10/2 de Larrocha, Backhaus 1951, Gilels
10/3 Solomon, E.Fischer, Backhaus, Kempff 1964, Goode
13 Backhaus 1954, E.Fischer 1938, Solomon, Horowitz 1963,
14/1 Goode, Richter 1963, Backhaus 1954
14/2 Goode, Gilels, Richter 1963, Backhaus 1968
22 Lortie, Gilels 1986, Backhaus 1986, Feinberg, Michelangeli 1981,
26 Richter 1976, Gilels, Michelangeli 1981, 1982,
27/1 Arrau live, Backhaus 1953, Solomon
27/2 Solomon, Rubinstein, Backhaus 1964, Horowitz 1956

On Friday, November 19, 2021 at 6:57:03 PM UTC-5, Andy Evans wrote:
> Here's pretty much where I'm at for these:
>
> 2/1 Goode, Solomon
> 2/2 Blechacz, Levit, Ashkenazy
> 2/3 Goode, Michelangeli, Kissin
> 7 Richter, Goode,
> 10/1 Yudina, Backhaus 1951
> 10/2 de Larrocha, Backhaus 1951, Gilels
> 10/3 Solomon, E.Fischer, Backhaus, Kempff 1964, Goode
> 13 Backhaus 1954, E.Fischer 1938, Solomon, Horowitz 1963,
> 14/1 Goode, Richter 1963, Backhaus 1954
> 14/2 Goode, Gilels, Richter 1963, Backhaus 1968
> 22 Lortie, Gilels 1986, Backhaus 1986, Feinberg, Michelangeli 1981,
> 26 Richter 1976, Gilels, Michelangeli 1981, 1982,
> 27/1 Arrau live, Backhaus 1953, Solomon
> 27/2 Solomon, Rubinstein, Backhaus 1964, Horowitz 1956

HJ Lim's complete cycle (minus op 49) may be found at
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kbOMB69vdwZCXpi25aaDyVdsaCrER9uY0

If YT blocks these in one's county, one can always VPN
onesefl to the US or anywhere else they are available.

The "name" sonatas in particular are standouts:

Appassionata:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpP_OLKksFQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phP1V2RTv58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0_QWE7cxmg

Pathetique:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP7mDyI7VcQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQhkQFNx7B4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FqwGcCLcMo

Tempest:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB4KS4dCh7E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvbPdqennq8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBvJDErN37M

Waldstein:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-qf4OO1VhM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIuDykIjbgo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW_kwTERnMc

Hammerklavier:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3xTaoAyf_A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8usO-0vwhwk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pwwslFLkK0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLUGF9215aY

Les Adieux:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSX1MWp9yrw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXXQSaqwooY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7M_LJJdBmU

Hunt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th_l2oYCoy8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFUAjDwQX98
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0maXMtHhEjI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWAkzEAbqdM

Enjoy!

dk