Piano Sonatas III

On this CD:

1. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2/1
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Artur Schnabel

2. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2/2
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Artur Schnabel

3. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2/3
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Artur Schnabel

4. Piano Sonata No. 24 in F sharp major ("A Thérèse") Op. 78
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Artur Schnabel

Tracks:

Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: Movement I: Allegro
Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: Movement II: Adagio
Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: Movement III: Minuetto-Allegretto
Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1: Movement IV: Prestissimo
Sonata No. 25 In G Major, Op. 79: Movement I: Presto alla tedesca
Sonata No. 25 In G Major, Op. 79: Movement II: Andante
Sonata No. 25 In G Major, Op. 79: Movement III: Vivace
Sonata No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 10, No. 1: Movement I: Allegro molto e con brio
Sonata No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 10, No. 1: Movement II: Adagio molto
Sonata No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 10, No. 1: Movement III: Finale, Prestissimo
Sonata No. 6 In F Major, Op. 10, No. 2: Movement I: Allegro
Sonata No. 6 In F Major, Op. 10, No. 2: Movement II: Allegretto
Sonata No. 6 In F Major, Op. 10, No. 2: Movement III: Finale, Presto
Sonata No. 9 In E Major, Op. 14, No. 1: Movement I: Allegro
Sonata No. 9 In E Major, Op. 14, No. 1: Movement II: Allegretto
Sonata No. 9 In E Major, Op. 14, No. 1: Movement III: Rondo; Allegro commodo

Tracks:

Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14, No. 2: Movement I: Allegro
Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14, No. 2: Movement II: Andante
Sonata No. 10 In G Major, Op. 14, No. 2: Movement III: Scherzo: Allegro assai
Sonata No. 13 In E-Flat Major, Op. 27. No. 1: Movement I: Andante-Allegro-Andante
Sonata No. 13 In E-Flat Major, Op. 27. No. 1: Movement II: Allegro molto vivace
Sonata No. 13 In E-Flat Major, Op. 27. No. 1: Movement III: Adagio
Sonata No. 13 In E-Flat Major, Op. 27. No. 1: Movement IV: Finale: Allegro vivace
Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight': Movement I: Adagio sostenuto
Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight': Movement II: Allegretto
Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight': Movement III: Presto agitato
Sonata No. 15 In D Major, Op. 28 'Pastoral': Movement I: Allegro
Sonata No. 15 In D Major, Op. 28 'Pastoral': Movement II: Andante
Sonata No. 15 In D Major, Op. 28 'Pastoral': Movement III: Scherzo: Allegro vivace-Trio; Movement IV: Rondo: Allegro non troppo

Customer Reviews:

AMONG THE BEST!.......2006-05-08

One man's viewpoint: Brendel again shows his wonderful, steady sense of rhythm. The miracle is that he can keep it rock-steady or slow it a bit for dramatic effect - only if he wants to. He has control and a clarity of vision/purpose with each piece. So of course he transmits this to us. I also notice the lightness of touch he has. And his limber agility (hard-won, no doubt).
I suggest picking up on all four of Mr. Brendel's Vox recordings of the LVB sonatas. Absolutely wonderful stuff. Also consider his fine, fine Diabelli Variations on Vox. Also I suggest checking out John O'Conor's set. Fantastic! Also Claude Frank has a highly praised set; I may buy this one next (a real bargain).
There are many fine players, so enjoy the search through these piano pieces of such incredible character, nobility, beauty, and boldness. They help develop a love of sound and the fine arts.

Brendel plays Bethoven in his own way.......2006-02-24

He may not have a lyricism of Gilels or force and precision of Sokolov, but along these greatest I love the way he plays No.10 G Major and NO. 15 D Major "Pastoral" and others from this album

early Beethoven played sweetly.......2004-04-25

Brendel always seems to have a penchant for never over-doing things. He's never too loud, never too soft, never too harsh (even with this composer). In all the lyrical sections of these early sonatas, I find this disciplined sense of moderation to be soothing yet intense. For example in the first movement of the "Moonlight" Sonata, the soft and double soft marking are observed with assiduousness. It's subtle and not overly dramatic.

Brendel's technique is more than adequate. I wonder why he is not more of a perfectionist when he plays (as he has said about his playing- "I am not a perfectionist.")

Tracks:

I. Andante Grave - Moderato Animato - Allegro Moderato
II. Moderato - Andante Dolce
III. Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Andantino
I. Lento - Allegro Moderato - Moderato
II. Allegro Scherzando
III. Andante
IV. Allegro Mosso - Moderato - Vivace
II. Allegro
IV. Marcia. Energico
III. Finale. Allegro Vivo

Customer Reviews:

A "rare" collection.......2007-02-08

A wonderful grouping of well-known and less well-known pieces for cello and piano--a pleasure to listen to over and over again.

Music that will make you tingle inside..........2005-06-10

Ok, I don't usually write reviews, since of course, I see so many people spouting off at the mouth about things that they either don't understand or those that just want to complain or self-gratify.

That being said though, I had to write a little something about this cd. I'll admit a prejudice for those Ma-Ax recordings, so bear with me. I think they are one of the strongest ensemble musicians I've encountered. Not only in their duo recordings are they always musicians first and foremost and not merely soloists recording together but also in those venues which include other greats, like Isaac Stern or Richard Stoltzman.

The main pieces on this recording are nearly awe-inspiring. While Ax describes in the liner notes the Profiev as having some 'crude and ackward' treatment of the melodies, I found it to be very intense and dark. Loving every bit of the piece. I don't think its as intense as the Shostakovich, but there are some similarities.

The real gem on this cd though has to be the Rachmaninoff. There's a place towards the very beginning of the first movement that will make you tingle in a spot, that dare not speak its name, or my name isn't Artemis Jack, which it isn't, but I'm sure you'll still enjoy it anyway.

To be honest with you, there's not a moment in the Rachmaninoff that isn't filled with unbelievable lushness and magic, every moment in the sonata is amazing. You'd think that with a piece so heavily dominated by the piano that the cellist would get lost or pushed into a corner someplace. Not only does the cellist play a very important role, but in ways has the choicest melodies. I wouldn't guess that many cellists would find this piece terribly challenging, but I would hope they'd revell in the experience.

I should commend Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma for being the wonderful chamber musicians they are. One of the things that people don't always understand, musicians and audiences alike, is that chamber music is very 'conversational'. My own experience as a professional pianist has at times led me to despise working with others because they simply refuse to acknowledge or share with another musician. Lets face it, the score may list this instrument or that one first, but without the piano where in the world would you be??? The main thing in all of the chamber music environments is to converse, exchange, and relish in the experience thats available in playing such great music.

If there's anything to squak about it, its the following snippets from other works. I'm not sure who's brilliant idea it was to include them, but it really is annoying and almost taints the whole experience of the first two works. That isn't to say that the music isn't beautiful and wonderfully played, but for me, there was just nothing else that needed to be said after the Rachmaninoff. Besides, if you're able to hear the Shostakovich, played by Ma/Ax, you'll agree that having just the second movement is a letdown.

No matter, I hope you'll be able to experience this cd and all the lush wonderfulness it has to offer. I finally also apologize for succumbing to the very thing that I said I detested...verbose self-gratification! Oh well, whats a guy to do?

Possible the most sublime cello sonata.......2004-06-14

As the CD cover indicates, the star performance on this CD is the Rachmaninoff sonata played by Ma and Ax. I would recommend any cello music lover to buy this CD for the Rachmaninoff sonata alone. My only disappointment is that the Shostakovich sonata is not present in its full on this CD, the allegro movement is breathtaking, Ma is certainly the king of cellists, and Ax is as per usual a superb match for Ma.

Average customer rating:

Moved to the core of my being
Sublime and anthological recordings!
BEETHOVEN'S PROPHET
Architecture with Passion

Beethoven: The Great Piano Sonatas

Manufacturer: Sony Classical
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas
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Serkin Unreleased Studio Recordings - Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 1/6/12/13/16/21/30/31/32
Historic Russian Archives Emil Gilels Edition [Box Set]
Bach: Piano Works

ASIN: B00008PW4C
Release Date: 2003-05-12

Tracks:

Cd-1 (1-4 ) Sonato No. 1 In F Minor, Op.2 No.1
Cd-1 (5-7) Sonato No.6 In F Major, Op.10 No.2
Cd-1 (8-10) Sonato No. 8 In C Minor, Op.13 "Pathetique"
Cd-1 (11-14) Sonato No.11 In B-Flat, Op.22 "Grande Sonata"
Cd-2 (1-4) Sonato No.12 In A-Flat Major, Op.26
Cd-2 (5-8) Sonato No.13 In E-Flat Major, 27 No.27 No.1
Cd-2 (9-11) Sonato No.14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 "Moonlight"
Cd-2 (12-14) Sonato No.16 In G Major, Op.31 No.1
Cd-3 (1-3) Sonato No.21 In C Major, Op.53 "Waldstein"
Cd-3 (4-6) Sonato No.23 In F Minor, Op.57 "Appassionata"
Cd-3 (7-8) Sonato No.24 In F-Sharp Major, Op.78 "Therese"
Cd-3 (9-11) Sonato No.26 In E-Flat Major, Op.81a "Das Lebewohi"
Cd-4 (1-3) Sonato No.28 In A Major, Op.101
Cd-4 (4-7) Sonato No.29 In B-Flat Major, Op.29 "Hammerkiavier"
Cd-5 (1-3) Sonato No.30 In E-Flat Major, 109
Cd-5 (4-6) Sonato No.31 In A-Flat Major, Op.110
Cd-5 (7-8) Sonato No.32 In C Minor, Op.111

Album Details

5 CD Box set.

Customer Reviews:

Moved to the core of my being.......2006-06-17

I am a professional musician of many years, self-styled and the producer of 14 recordings of my own. Although I am not a Classical musician, I have listened to Classical music almost exclusively since 1955, and am a serious listener to pianists, my favorite of whom tend to be Arthur Rubinstein, Glenn Gould, and Sviatislav Richter. But during the past two years I have listened to this particular Serkin recording countless times, bathing myself in the profound meanings and feelings that I find nowhere else. There is something so vastly transcendent and authentic in the immediate experiencing of Beethoven's heart in these magnificently captured performances that I sense that I'm personally with Beethoven at the keyboard, with all the depth of his inexplicable understanding of life on earth. And Serkin's way of laying his fingers on the keys, sometimes seeming to coax the keys to the strings in a more personal and present manner than I've found anywhere else, moves me to the core of my being. Listening straight through the series, I sense the final sections and the repeat of the final movement of no. 31 as holy ground, a more sincere and real taste of eternal glory than I have seen in musical form anywhere. So...this is my experience I want to share with you.

Sublime and anthological recordings! .......2006-03-24

"You can't over-emphasize technique, if you really love music... the utmost variety of tone, rhythm has to do with an unity in music `s approach. I don' t believe in style. The words romantic or classic never had much meaning for me".

These penetrating thoughts come from the vigorous and propulsive mind of Serkin, the acclaimed artist, a devoted and famed Beethoven player in any age and one of the master keyboardists of the last Century.

BEETHOVEN'S PROPHET.......2005-05-17

So far as I know Serkin only performed 17 of the 32 Beethoven sonatas. Recordings exist of all, but 8 here are readings he refused to issue in his lifetime, and one (Les Adieux) is from his 75th birthday recital in Carnegie Hall. Older recordings are now available on Sony of the Pathetique, 'Moonlight', Appassionata and op109, and I know of an older commercial issue of the Waldstein which I do not own, although I have recorded from the BBC a live account from 1969. I also know of two other recordings of the Appassionata, one being available on Aura as part of a recital at Lugano in 1957.

The 8 that Serkin suppressed, except op110, are from his later years when his style had changed. He had slowed down, and he was taking more interest in beauty of sound and perfect evenness. Treat what you read regarding his sound-quality with a good deal of caution. Whatever you think of it, Serkin's touch in his prime was near-unmistakable. I adore his clipped and peremptory way with cadential chords. Above all his sound then was largely a matter of his sense of timing and rhythm, and the outer movements of the Pathetique have a drive that makes other renderings sound genteel and even limp. The rhythm is never as straightforward as it sounds, and its subtlety is what gives power to the slowish playing in the last movement of op101 as well as to that incomparably tense and epic last movement of the 'Moonlight'. There was steel in those great ugly sausages of fingers. He complained that it was difficult to get his pupils to produce 'a proper forte'. Anyone who has heard him close-to knows what that meant to him. The sheer volume at the start of the 'Hammerklavier' was incredible, and it says much for the robustness of Steinway grands that they could survive his fortissimo chords near the beginning of the Appassionata. His fortissimo often had a granite quality, but there was more variety in his touch than is sometimes recognised - the opening chords of the Hammerklavier had a superb rich tone. It was difficult to record faithfully, and usually toned down, but on cd the climax of the last movement of op101 is at least without distortion. Les Adieux is tolerably recorded, but the rising 3-note crescendo that keeps coming round in the first movement is not what it was in real life, with his right hand descending from vertical above his head on the third note. Something was gained but far more was lost in his later style. Op27/1 is most beautiful, but this smooth Waldstein is not equal to the mighty effort I heard in 1969. In any case he could always be as beautiful as any when he chose, as in the F#.

Except in the Appassionata and 'Moonlight' the rule 'the earlier the better' holds. His Pathetique from the 40's is poorly recorded, but there's more warmth in the slow movement. The op109 on the same disc is better in every way. The puzzle is op110. This set has the reading he released, but the one from 1960 that he sat on is far better, with a terrific impression of great doors opening and shutting in the fugue. Often he gives an object-lesson, like the right-hand portamenti in the slow movement of op101, the duet in the first movement of the Hammerklavier, the glissandos near the end of the Waldstein or the dazzling way he handles the last return of the rondo-theme in op22. Sometimes his interpretation is less a credit to him than a shame to others, as the finale of the Appassionata played at the speed Beethoven explicitly instructs. Many things are debatable, like where to start the repeat in the Pathetique. Tovey's suggestion seems best - leave it out. How slowly should the first movement of the 'Moonlight' go? 'Adagio sostenuto' does not compute with alla breve, and Serkin goes for a slow interpretation. In one case at least he is categorically right and everyone else is wrong - the left-hand chords in the transition theme of the Hammerklavier's adagio should be unpedalled. His view of this movement has raised eyebrows, but a very slow start-up, as from Solomon or Richter, involves an ugly jolting gear-change at the transition, which they make even worse by pedalling over the chords. Nor should the start be pianissimo as they do it. Serkin provides another of his object-lessons here.

It's the vision-thing in the last analysis. Serkin is not a charmer, and neither is Beethoven. This set is not some box of chocolates with smoothness and sweetness guaranteed or your money back. For my money this is the greatest exponent of Beethoven on the piano I have ever heard, or ever expect to.

Architecture with Passion.......2003-12-02

This 5-CD set contains Rudolf Serkin's complete recorded repertoire of Beethoven Sonatas-just over half the sonatas in Beethoven's ouvre. These recordings, some of which were not released until after Serkin's death, are now compiled together for the first time.

For those accustomed to hearing Beethoven as played by Schnabel, Kempff, or Brendel, these performances will come as a splash of cold water across the face. Serkin was unconcerned with niceties of tone, color, or pianistic perfection. He famously described Arturo Toscanini's interperative philosophy as "architecture with passion," and the same could be said of Serkin's approach. His vision was to reveal the structure-both emotional and musical-of Beethoven's masterpieces. To put it bluntly, Serkin could be a little rough: chords are sometimes pounded, scales are occasionally uneven, he hums, grunts, and he stomps on the pedal (once, when playing with the Cleveland Orchestra, he knocked the lyre mechanism right off the piano). But Beethoven himself was known for brutalizing the pianos of his day, and the composer's fighting spirit is in these performances as is seldom heard elsewhere.

Several of these performances are appearing on CD for the first time, and nearly everything on this set is revelatory. Serkin is most successful in the "big" Sonatas: The finale of the Appassionata scorches with rage, the last movement of the Moonlight is a blitz, and the Hammerklavier-where the pianist lays out the fugue with remarkable clarity--has never been bettered. Less successful is the Pathetique, with a questionable interpretation of Beethoven's first movement repeat sign, and some poor chord weighting in the Andante cantabile. Serkin's performances of Beethoven's last five Sonatas should be mandatory listening for all pianists.

Customer Reviews:

TRACK LISTING.......2005-12-04

TRACKS:
1. Massenet: 'Meditation' from Thais
2. Faure: I. Allegro molto (Sonata No. 1 in A Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 13)
3. Faure: Andante
4. Faure: Allegro vivo
5. Faure: Allegro quasi presto
6. Saint-Saens: Havanaise, Op. 83
7. Franck: I. Allegretto ben moderato (Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano)
8. Franck: Allegro
9. Franck: Recitativo - Fanatasia: Ben moderato
10. Franck: Allegretto poco mosso

Andras Schiff Ludwig Van Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas Vol. III (3)

Average customer rating:

good Beethoven rendition
Schiff doesn't disappoint.....

Andras Schiff Ludwig Van Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas Vol. III (3)
Andras Schiff , and Beethoven
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2
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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas , vol. 2
Beethoven: Complete Music for Piano and Violoncello

ASIN: B000HWXS1Y
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Tracks:

Andante
Rondo. Allegro
Allegro, Ma Non Troppo
Tempo Di Menuetto
Allegro
Allegretto
Rondo. Allegro Comodo
Allegro
Andante
Scherzo. Allegro Assai
Allegro Con Brio
Adagio Con Molta Espressione
Minuetto
Rondo. Allegretto

Customer Reviews:

good Beethoven rendition.......2007-02-15

I feel more respect to Schiff's playing after listened to his recent lectures on all Beethoven sonatas, and bought all his current released Beethoven sonata CDs (Vol.I-III) and will get his next release when it's available. I used to think Schiff as a good Bach or Mozart interpreter but hardly would think of him as that good on Beethoven, and his new Beethoven CDs certainly have proved that I was wrong about him. This CD and others have really good sound quality and Schiff's playing is excellent to say the least. It's not to say however that I agree with everything Schiff did, and feel that his playing sometimes feels on a little 'sluggish' side, comparing with Pollini's more precise and decisive playing of Beethoven. Nevertheless, it's a good refreshing rendition of Beethoven sonata set, and I certainly would recommend everyone who's into Beethoven sonatas to get it.

Schiff doesn't disappoint............2006-12-28

Volume III of Andras Schiff's much praised Beethoven sonata series has just come out. Single CD contains two `baby' sonatas (Op.49), familiar to all piano students, and Op. 14 no1 and 2 , more mature works from 1798-99, and the grand sonata Op 22 from 1800. We are past the `Pathetique' now and Beethoven's unique voice is more and more manifest. Schiff `s playing is analytical and crystal clear yet full of expression and has a singing quality so important to these pieces, especially Sonata No 10, my favorite in this group.No hesitation to recommend it.

Average customer rating:

Good but not great
Best recordings I've ever heard of Scriabin's 11th Opus
Excellent Preludes
Chiseled in Granite
Passionate, committed playing

Scriabin: 24 Preludes/Sonatas 4 & 10

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sonatas And Rondos
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Grieg: Lyric Pieces; Sonata; 7 Fugues

ASIN: B00000631Z
Release Date: 2002-12-23

Tracks:

24 Prlds, Op.11: Part I: No.1 in C
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part I: No.2 in a
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part I: No.3 in G
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part I: No.4 in e
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part I: No.5 in D
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part I: No.6 in b
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part II: No.7 in A
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part II: No.8 in f#
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part II: No.9 in E
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part II: No.10 in c#
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part II: No.11 in B
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part II: No.12 in g#
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part III: No.13 in G flat
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part III: No.14 in e flat
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part III: No.15 in D flat
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part III: No.16 in b flat
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part III: No.17 in A flat
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part III: No.18 in f
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part IV: No.19 in E flat
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part IV: No.20 in c
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part IV: No.21 in B flat
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part IV: No.22 in g
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part IV: No.23 in F
24 Prlds, Op.11: Part IV: No.24 in d
Son No.4 in f#, Op.30: I. Andante
Son No.4 in f#, Op.30: II. Prestissimo volando
Son No.10, Op.70
Prld in a, Op.51 No.2
Prld in F, Op.49 No.2
Reverie, Op.49 No.3
3 Morceaux, Op.45: I. Feuillet d'album
3 Morceaux, Op.45: II. Poeme fantastique
3 Morceaux, Op.45: III. Prelude
Poeme languide, Op.52 No.3
Danse languide, Op.51 No.4
2 Morceaux, Op.57: I. Desir
2 Morceaux, Op.57: II. Caresse dansee

Customer Reviews:

Good but not great.......2007-04-29

I don't actually own this album, but I listened to all the free samples. The preludes were very capably and artistically performed, but I can't give this five stars because the Sonata #4, one of my absolute Scriabins, is not handled very well at all. My Steuerman recording is miles ahead of this one; Pletnev's second movement is neither "prestissimmo" nor "volando", and he takes too many liberties that I just don't think Scriabin would have approved of. Still good preludes, though.

Best recordings I've ever heard of Scriabin's 11th Opus.......2006-03-13

This is music, how can I describe it properly with words?

Pletnev's playing is clean, passionate, and clear.

Get this and hear it for yourself.

Excellent Preludes.......2006-01-22

The Preludes are beautiful. It is a delight to listen striaght through the whole set, this is no academic compilation. The sound is perfectly clear and spacious to match these enigmatic pieces. These are now my favorite Scriabin miniatures (I also have the Pizarro Mazurkas and Lane Etudes and both are fabulous but this is now my favorite).

Ashkenazy's version of the 4th Sonata is certainly better and I'm not sure about the 10th which I find a bit hard to digest. Pletnev doesn't seem to have the right pace in comparison. He doesn't seem to flow as gracefully and powerfully.

The later pieces are less approachable but are full of nuance and nice chromatic harmonies. These were short experiments for his larger works, and as such, the more inaccessible harmonic elements come off as interesting and not grating.

Many fault his early pieces as too influenced by Chopin. Maybe that is true, but I love Chopin and Scriabin is incorporating his own harmonic world on that foundation.

Finally - people pay too much attention to Scriabin's mental state. Just listen to his music. It's beautiful.

Chiseled in Granite.......2005-11-22

Pletnev is not normally a name one associates with Scriabin. His icey approach hardly seems to gel with a composer who spent much of his life obsessed with fire. That being said, this disc has proven to be absolute revelation.

A long time devotee of Sofronitsky's op.11 (complete but next to impossible to find these days) I was pleasantly surprised at how well Pletnev's crystalline approach encompasses the vast array of complex moods and emotions Scriabin approaches.

It is comparatively rare to find a complete recording of op.11 and Pletnev tackles the work very much as a whole, much in the manner of modern performance practice of the Chopin preludes. Often played as individual miniatures or in small groups, Pletnev presents a musical argument in which each short piece has been considered and plays a vital part in the overall structure of the work. Leading us on a musical journey traversing a broad pallet of moods, Pletnev convinces us that everything has a place with a consistency of playing where each miniature is as perfect as the next. To pick out individual examples would be contrary to the way the work is presented, as one large scale piece rather than just a series of miniatures.

Pletnev does for op.11 what Pollini does for the Chopin etudes. They are chiseled in granite, instilled with a classical beauty reminiscentt of grand architecture. There is an authorities clarity that cuts through much of the messy, self indulgent playing often found in the Scriabin of lesser pianists. You could take dictation from this recording. That being said, this is in no way a dusty academic reading but a profoundly moving recording that revels in its perfection and wide array of colours. (Note especially here that this is a live recording!)

Although it may not be to the taste of fans of a more phantasmagorical approach to this most eccentric of composers, I unreservedly recommend this recording of the preludes as the definitive modern recording of the complete set. Although some may find better "Scriabin playing" in the eccentric individual preludes of Horowitz, it really is like comparing apples and oranges.

The later works on the disc too are well performed, especially the minatures which have a introverted vibrancy to them. The Sonatas are better recorded elsewhere and require a more ideomatic approach to really bring out the tension and phantasmorga so important for late Scriabin. (Get the Horowitz 10th)

In short, as a huge fan of the great Scriabinists (Horowitz, Sofronitsky etc) this disc presents a very unique argument for Scriabin that proves to be a real revelation. From the very first prelude one really gets the impression that this recording is a refreshing change. Buy this disc. you will not be disappointed.

Passionate, committed playing.......2002-01-16

I agree with the previous reviewer's comments about this recording. This is highly refined playing and Pletnev has the full measure of sensitivity that these pieces require. Tonal control and control of line and rubato are beautifully handled. Highly recommended.

John Cage: Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano

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John Cage: Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano

Manufacturer: Music & Arts Program
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00005RTE0
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Average customer rating:

Masters of the Bow: Cello

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000095J86
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Tracks:

The Swan - Maurice Gendron
Sarabande - Janos Starker
Pezzo - Maurice Gendron
Vocalise - Nina Kotova
Gigue - Pierre Fournier
Allegro Con Brio - Pablo Casals
III. Rondo (Allegro) - Christine Walevska
III. Largo - Ton Koopman
Intermezzo - Bruno Canino
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Introduction & Polonaise Brillante For Cello And Piano In C Major, Op. 3 - Maurice Gendron
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Ave Maria - Mischa Maisky
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Rasch Und Feurig - Heinrich Schiff
Nocturne - Julian Lloyd Webber
Allegretto - Mstislav Rostropovich
Kol Nidrei - Lynn Harrell
Scherzo Tarantelle - Heinrich Schiff
Abendlied - Tibor De Machula
Guitarre - Maurice Gendron
Elegie - Lynn Harrell
Irish Tune - Julian Lloyd Webber
Ritual Fire Dance - Nina Kotova
Elite Syncopations - Heinrich Schiff
Apres Un Reve No. 1 Op. 7 - Lynn Harrell
Eulogy To The Eternity Of Jesus - Maurice Gendron

Schumann: The Complete Piano Works (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Good for the rare pieces.....but...
Mystery Solved
Mystery meat

Schumann: The Complete Piano Works (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Nuova Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Canons | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000058THK
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Customer Reviews:

Good for the rare pieces.....but..........2006-11-08

Overall, you will be hard up to find a more thoroughly complete two hand piano survey of Schumann's piano opus. However, for the more "popular" pieces such as the op 17, or the kinderszenen, these are decent to mediocre versions are best. They arent bad, Jorg Demus is a skilled pianist, though has always in my view been more successful in a supporting role, as evidenced by his masterful accompaniment in Dichterliebe and assorted Schubert lieder. If you are familiar with Richter's masterful Schumann interpretations-or Horowitz for many of the works, or Lupu, Argerich, these pale in comparison. If you are out for quantity-I would recommend the Ashkenazy set-though it is incomplete. Again, many of the works by schumann that you can only find here will only be of interest to the absolute Schumannaholic, which I am, but it is kind of a two way street because if you are a schumann madman, then you will know how third tier these performances truly are.

Mystery Solved.......2006-10-07

First off, thanks to WTA for his extremely thoughtful and comprehensive review, which helped me decide to purchase this Nuova Era set (his reasoning about the unlikelihood that Demus would record this huge corpus again was especially insightful).

I own the original 20-LP/6-volume Musical Heritage Society set issued between 1971 and 1973. Having seen the CD set in a store last year, I was puzzled about whether it was a transfer of these invaluable discs, which contain vast tracts of Schumann that you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere (included, for instance, are several posthumously issued works and even a few pieces played from unpublished manuscripts). WTA's review gave me enough clues to suspect that these discs were exactly what I'd been waiting for.

Having just received them, I'm happy to confirm that they are indeed the MHS performances (minus most of the four-hand works, however; see below). I instantly recognized the character of the piano sound and the recording acoustic (both much improved on CD), and a quick check of rhetorical gestures in a sonata movement that I especially value in Demus's hands showed the CD and LP versions to be identical. MHS did not always provide track timings for individual sections of the big piano suites. But where such detail exists, respective CD and LP timings are consistently mere seconds apart -- easily the result of different engineering choices for silent lead-ins and lead-outs to each track.

A further clue comes from a small note on the jewel-box tray inserts, indicating a 1989 digital remastering. I can think of no fully digital (DDD) recording that would be getting remastered so early in CD history. Anything from the '80s would almost certainly be making its first appearance in the new storage medium. Moreover, the sound has none of the hallmarks of DDD recordings (as WTA notes, for instance, Demus's recordings have detectable [but nonintrusive] background hiss).

So for all these reasons, I feel confident in declaring that this set is basically the old MHS offering. There are two sad omissions, however:

(1) The CD set includes all the solo pieces in the LP set, as well as a short, posthumously published F-minor Scherzo on CD 12 that MHS seems to have left out. Nuova Era, alas, omits the vast majority of the often-delightful four-hand works, for which Norman Shetler joined Demus (most of these items appeared in MHS's five-disc finale). The Sketches for Pedal Piano, Opp. 56 & 58, are here (perhaps because they were originally conceived for a now-forgotten solo instrument that had a pedalboard [Alkan was said to have been its greatest master]; on a modern instrument, Schumann's pedal-piano music thus takes two pianists), but -- shame on Nuova Era! -- Shetler gets no credit as the second pianist. If you'd like a fine but inexpensive tour of the four-hand output, try the three-disc VoxBox ("Schumann Complete Works For Piano 4-Hands") featuring Peter Frankl, Andras Schiff, et al.

(2) The CD set lacks the superb MHS album notes by Douglas Townsend. Also missing is Demus's own illuminating statement about recording these works across a span of about three years. These are thoroughly digested interpretations: Demus not only memorized every note but also played every last work in concert. Complete recordings like this one are not necessarily commercial gimmicks, as some so carelessly assert. A serious and sensitive musician who takes on such a task will uncover secrets and interconnections that only exposure to a composer's full output in a given area can progressively disclose. As Demus explains (in Herman Adler's translation from the German), "Only by knowing Schumann's creative output in its totality has it been possible to uncover fresh facets in overfamiliar standard works. [. . .] In the music of no other composer do we find as many cross-relations and associations throughout his work. Schumann likes to quote himself as well as other composers, as did, later, his French brother-in-spirit, Claude Debussy. [. . .] Only knowledge of this entire universe will result in something I would call *Stilsicherheit* (stylistic assurance)."

But let's not dwell on what's *not* here. As WTA observes, this is a deeply rewarding collection that every serious Schumann-lover will want to explore. Are these performances the last word on Schumann's poetic realm? Of course not: no such "last word" exists. The essential thing is that throughout this enormous journey, Demus never falsifies the music, and he plays with an honesty that can be far more illuminating than flashier approaches.

So, Schumann-lovers, get this set as cheaply as you can -- but one way or another, get it while you can!

Mystery meat.......2006-04-10

I don't think I've ever before experienced such frustration in trying to assess a product. Here a well-regarded and fairly well-known pianist sits down and records all (even that's up for grabs) the piano music of a pretty well-known and well-regarded composer and barely a peep out there in Internet land.

What I did encounter after a lot of searching, and according to different reviewers who deigned to barely mention this bulky and hard-to-ignore boxed set, was this dopey basketful of professional opinions:

1) The recording quality was poor according to one guy
2) The piano was out of tune according to some editor who happened to also be a piano tuner
3) The music was criminally recorded using a piano with beat hammers and strings
4) Demus may or may not have recorded the set with a period instrument that also may have had beat hammers and strings
5) Nobody should record Schumann on a period instrument according to another expert (without really letting us know if this was the case here)
6) The interpretations were wooden
7) The interpretations were fabulous despite the crappy sound and beat up old out-of-tune piano
8) Nobody was sure if this was his complete Schumann recorded in the 1970s and released on Musical Heritage or these were new DDD recordings as listed

OK--as the notes with this set absolutely stink and no one out in Internet land seems to have any consistent and coherent thing to say about it, this then is my judgement, based on careful listening and a few intelligent guesses.

1) The interpretations are great, wonderful, really enjoyable, idiomatic--some might consider them slightly wooden because there's next-to-no pedal which leads me to believe it is a period instrument he's recorded on. This isn't Argerich slamming away at these so don't expect that. Yamaha fans will be disappointed. Demus clearly knows his Schumann and plays crisply and accurately.
2) The sound quality, while hardly SACD, is just fine and, again if this is a period instrument and I sure tend to think so, what I'm hearing would be about right. I rather like the engineering as the result is intimate and warm
3) Honestly, did Demus record all these in the 1970s without them getting any attention and then do it all over again in the 1980s just to get ignored again? I hear distinct tape hiss if I listen closely, this doesn't sound like a 1989 DDD recording (which the box claims it to be) which is probably why the recording has some warmth and (audible tape hiss)
4) Who am I to argue with an editor/piano tuner but if this piano is out of tune I'm not noticing it one zot. Also, didn't they tune pianos a little differently way back in 1850 or so?

SO--I'll guess this is the complete piano music of Robert Schumann (perhaps minus one small piece according to yet another miffed commentator, although he keeps talking about a 12 CD set and this has 13 discs!)recorded in the 1970s with Jorg Demus playing a piano built around 1850 or so with everything that implies. I'll also guess that a lot of reviewers out there, left to fend for themselves without some promotional sheet from the label, maybe without even free promo copies, were really reaching a bit. Even if I'm wrong I seem to be doing better than the second-guessing I found elsewhere and anyway the result is really enjoyable. I simply like this set a lot even if someday I may discover it is, in fact, Ernest Borgnine playing a badly tuned pool hall upright in 1953. Less than no stars to Nuovo Era for never seeming to get the presentation of this delightful set right--license it to Brilliant and they'll do it up properly for Pete's sake and maybe you'll actually sell a few. They might even be able to kick down that DDD tape hiss a bit. It's also too danged expensive given even the putative late recording date--it shouldn't be more than $120 under any circumstances. I got mine for less than $40 at a classical cut-outs and deletions place.

Conclusion: This whole situation is sad. Jorg Demus is a great pianist and he obviously loves Schumann. Schumann's piano music is worth the effort. This should be a well-known and highly-regarded set and I'm happier with this than with any other big box of piano I may own, short of a Brahms set.

Mozart: Sonatas for piano No18; Sonatas for piano No4

Average customer rating:

Mozart: Sonatas for piano No18; Sonatas for piano No4

Manufacturer: Melodiya
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001HBU
Release Date: 1996-02-27

Tracks:

Largo From Son No. 5 in C, BWV 529/2
Choral-Prelude: Allen Gott In Der Hoh Sei Ehr, BWV 711
Choral-Prelude: Allein Gott In Der Hoh Sei Ehr, BVW 662 From 'Leipzig' Chorales (1. Version 1952)
Choral-Prelude: Allein Gott In Der Hoh Sei Ehr, BWV 662 From 'Leipzig' Chorales (2. Version 1962)
Choral-Prelude: Wer Nur Den Lieben Gott Labt Walten, BWV647 From 'Schubler' Chorales
Choral-Prelude: Allein Gott In Der Hoh Sei Ehr, BVW 663 From 'Leipzig' Chorales
Son In E-Flat, K.282: Adagio
Son In E-Flat, K.282: Menuetto
Son In E-Flat, K.282: Menuetto
Son In D, K.576: Allegro
Son In D, K.576: Adagio
Son In D, K.576: Allegretto
Fant And Fugue In C, K. 394
12 Variations On An Allegretto In B-Flat, K. 500

Music Track:

Music Track

music track

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