|
Beethoven: Favourite Piano Sonatas | 
 enlarge | Artists: Ludwig Van Beethoven, Alfred Brendel
Label: Philips
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $10.12
You Save: $7.86 (44%)
New (32) Used (15) from $6.50
Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 8000
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 5 x 0.4
MPN: 438730
UPC: 028943873024
EAN: 0028943873024
ASIN: B00000417L
Release Date: January 18, 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 (Pathetique): 1. Grave - Allegro Di Molto E Con Brio | | • | Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 (Pathetique): 2. Adagio Cantabile | | • | Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 (Pathetique): 3. Rondo (Allegro) | | • | Sonata No 14 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 (Moonlight): 1. Adagio Sostenuto | | • | Sonata No 14 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 (Moonlight): 2. Allegretto | | • | Sonata No 14 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 (Moonlight): 3. Presto | | • | Sonata No. 15 In D, Op. 28 (Pastoral): 1. Allegro | | • | Sonata No. 15 In D, Op. 28 (Pastoral): 2. Andante | | • | Sonata No. 15 In D, Op. 28 (Pastoral): 3. Scherzo (Allegro Assai) | | • | Sonata No. 15 In D, Op. 28 (Pastoral): 4. Rondo (Allegro Ma Non Troppo) | | • | Sonata No. 26 In E Flat, Op. 81a (Les Adieux): 1. Das Lebewohl (Adagio - Allegro) | | • | Sonata No. 26 In E Flat, Op. 81a (Les Adieux): 2. Abwesenheit (Andante Espressivo) | | • | Sonata No. 26 In E Flat, Op. 81a (Les Adieux): Das Wiedersehen (Vivacissimamento) |
Disc 2
| • | Sonata No. 17 In D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 (The Tempest): 1. Largo - Allegro | | • | Sonata No. 17 In D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 (The Tempest): 2. Adagio | | • | Sonata No. 17 In D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 (The Tempest): 3. Allegretto | | • | Sonata No. 21 In C, Op. 53 (Waldstein): 1. Allegro Con Brio | | • | Sonata No. 21 In C, Op. 53 (Waldstein): 2. Introduzione (Adagio Molto) | | • | Sonata No. 21 In C, Op. 53 (Waldstein): 3. Rondo (Allegretto Moderato - Pretissimo) | | • | Sonata No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 57 (Appassionata): 1. Allegro Assai | | • | Sonata No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 57 (Appassionata): 2. Andante Con Moto | | • | Sonata No. 23 In F Minor, Op. 57 (Appassionata): 3. Allegro Ma Non Troppo |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Brendel can do poetry... he has a hard time with heroism August 8, 2007
dv_forever (Michigan, USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
There is some wonderful Beethoven playing to be heard in this set. In matters of light and shade, expansive tempos and luminious piano poetics, Brendel has got what it takes. His best performances here are clearly the Pastoral, the Tempest and perhaps the Les Adieux. The Pastoral especially requires patience and imagination which Brendel delivers. The famous Tempest finale is not rushed, but handled warmly and most beautifully. Brendel's Waldstein Sonata is not among the best but it's adequate.
But when it's time to really take the gloves off and dig into the full breadth of Beethoven's heroic, passionate thunderer mode, Brendel is not up to standard. The Pathetique Sonata was revolutionary when it was composed. It's not that long, it's not that new structurally but there is the lifeblood of the coming Romantic movement in this music. The opening movement under Brendel does not summon up the necessary might this music is forged from. Listen to Richter and hear it soar.
The Moonlight Sonata's opening Adagio Sostenuto is very famous and Brendel has what it takes but what about the finale? After the perfect foil of the tiny second movement, we hear the great counterpart to the opening adagio... the psychotic presto. Brendel is just not prepared, doesn't have the skills to make one feel this manic piece. It needs much more speed and a devil may care attitude. This is too careful. I've heard Gilels and others surpass Brendel very easily.
But the Appassionata is the biggest disappointing. I tried listening to Brendel's rendition multiple times and have found that it lacks everything this sonata is all about. This is one of the most wicked piano works ever composed. It is about a passion so deep, it should obliterate all who know it. A pianist who takes on this beast should possess a fire-breathing technique and no fear of dark grandeur. Listen to Gilels' giant interpretation on DG or Richter's versions on RCA and Melodiya. After those experiences, try coming back to Brendel! I don't doubt you'll be as annoyed and bored as I was.
 Astonishing Clarity April 25, 2007
Johnson Lee (Irvine, CA USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I recently heard Brendel's 70s recordings of the "famous" Beethoven sonatas first time in quite a few years (I heard them before). Initially, I was not moved. It sounded like he was just playing the notes. As I listened more attentively, however, I started to get impressed. Clarity is the key word here - the clarity of playing and intention. No detail is too small to Brendel. Every marking by the composer (staccato, legato, crescendo, decrescendo, diminuendo, etc) is observed with utmost care. He is one of the few musicians who understand the importance of clearly differentiating between forte, mezzo-forte, and fortissimo (and varying levels of piano in that matter). It also appears he painstakingly prepared the voicing of certain chords so they sound in very particular ways. Listening to Brendel is like watching familiar movies through an HDTV. Compared to his playing, Ashkenazy glosses over quite a few details even though I love his romantic view of the works. Brendel's Beethoven is like a house solidly built inside and out, with every nail firmly hammered in. In comparison, Ashkenazy's is like a house that is glamorously painted outside without as much craftsmanship committed inside.
Perhaps the downside of Brendel's approach is that everything sounds too intentional. It's as if Brendel pushes the score into my face, pointing at notes and markings for me. More imagination and spontaneity may have helped. But no one can deny this is a faithful materialization of what Beethoven wrote, astonishingly executed. Of course you can supplement Brendel with the Russian guys such as Gilels, Richter, Horowitz and particularly Kissin, whose rendition of Moonlight sonata defies any comparison. They truly know how to conjure up a perfect storm or squeeze every drop of juice from the score. But it would be misleading to think Brendel delivers no emotion from these sonatas. After all, the emotions are already in the music when played right. And no one knows more how to play the music right than Brendel does.
 wounderful sonatas, questionable performance February 9, 2006
Itzhak Yogev (ISRAEL)
6 out of 14 found this review helpful
When I found this recording in my library I was sourprised: The most beloved sonatas of Beethoven, played by a pianist I appreciate so much. How could I forget I own it?
I listened again, and understood. The sonatas are wounderful, but the playing is at most OK, and these works deserve much more. Almost every piece here has at least one much better performance: I prefer, for instance Gilels for the Appasionata, Rubinstein for the Pathetique, and Barenboim for the Les Adieux. This recording simply doesn't get to me.
Music to Put You to Sleep July 1, 2005
F. Austerlitz (Provo, Utah United States)
8 out of 23 found this review helpful
I find Brendel's playing style washy, imprecise, sluggish, and completely without fire. In a word, boring! He is the anti-Glenn Gould.
 Superb Sonata Survey of Budget Beethoven March 21, 2005
David M. Garrett (San Antonio, Texas USA)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
Earlier recordings by Alfred Brendel hold a top spot in Gramophone's 2005 Classical CD Review, but while not at the top of the listing, this CD receives considerable praise at honorable mention. As always, individual sonatas have their respective, best interpreters (e.g., Rubinestein or Richter for Appassionata; Gilels for Waldstein); however, this is a rarely-found sampling by a recognized "great" pianist. In addition, collecting the pieces represented here would normally require the purchase of 2-3 individual CDs or a packaged cycle. Thus, this is a bargain value. Perhaps not the "first choice" for the musical purist or trained ear, nevertheless these recordings serve as a well-above-average collection of the most familiar Beethoven piano sonatas. Perfect for the classical listener wishing to (a) discover Beethoven piano music; (b) looking to fill in or diversify an existing collection or, (c) looking for a concise B+/A- collection of Brendal interpretations.
|
|
|
Avenue5 | |
