"Five Beethoven Sonatas"

[Piano Sonata "Pathétique" in C minor (Op. 13)]

01 Grave-Allegro di molto e con brio

02 Adagio cantabile

03 Rondo (Allegro)

[Piano Sonata "Moonlight" in C sharp minor (Op. 27-2)]

01 Adagio sostenuto

02 Allegretto

03 Presto-Agitato

[Piano Sonata in D minor "The Tempest" (Op. 31-2)]

01 Largo-Allegro

02 Adagio

03 Allegretto

["Walstein" in C major ("Dawn") Piano Sonata (Op. 53)]

01 Allegro con brio

02 Introduzione:Adagio molto

03 Rondo:Allegretto moderato

[Piano Sonata in F minor "Passionate" (Op. 57)]

01 Allegro assai

02 Andante con moto

03 Allegro ma non troppo

"Six Sonatas by Beethoven"

The Tempest

Passion

Moonlight

Dawn

Pathétique

Farewell

Comparison of versions of 32 sonatas

Comparison of versions of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas

Alex Morin< /p>

Up to now, 117 pianists have recorded Beethoven’s piano sonatas, and 20 CD records of complete works have been released.

Some major record companies have taken the trouble to release various versions of Beethoven's sonatas. For example, "Moonlight" has been played by Philippe

by four pianists, and three by DG.

As you can imagine, the choice of Beethoven piano sonata records is quite large, but it is impossible for anyone, even the most die-hard Beethoven fans, to record all of them. Listen to the recording over and over again. All I have to recommend is the version of the recording that I think is excellent. My evaluations are all based on my own judgment, and I will never follow anyone else's opinions.

Complete recordings

Beethoven’s sonatas span a long historical stage, from elegant classicism to dramatic romanticism.

His late works It also has abstract and mysterious characteristics. Therefore, even the greatest pianists cannot perform every piece to the same high level. It can be said that every complete recording has flaws. No version is as exciting as the first song. But pianists are still working tirelessly, and some have achieved good results.

The first thing to talk about is of course Schnabel's version (published by EMI, PEARL). Schnabel is considered the most outstanding scholar and performance expert on Beethoven in this century. His recordings in the 1930s have been used as instructional materials by students and performers since their release. In terms of the creation of a meditative atmosphere and the handling of dynamics, this set of recordings is indeed worthy of imitation. Its shortcomings are: Schnabel's technical deficiencies, the sound is not natural enough, and the record is too noisy. We can learn from it, but from the perspective of appreciation, we have to consider other versions.

German pianist Kempf recorded the complete set of Beethoven's piano sonatas (DG cheap version) in Hannover in the mid-1960s. His

playing sound is bright, and the sonatas in the middle period are a little soft, but they are bright, fast and smooth.

The latest recording of the complete Beethoven sonatas by Richard Goode, recently published by ELECTRA.

Goode is a Romantic artist with extraordinary skills. His playing was gentle and meaningful. Even Beethoven's provincial works in his later years were still played with brilliance and enthusiasm. The highlight is Sonata Nos. 12-18.

Jean-Bernard Beaumier's Complete Beethoven Sonatas (ERATO) has been published in three volumes (***four volumes). As a

French pianist, Beumier accurately grasped the characteristics of Beethoven's Viennese Romanticism. Similar to Kempf, his playing in the middle sonatas also lacked dynamics, but his cool, balanced and elegant playing sounded beautiful. The recording of this album

is excellent, with the first ten tracks being the most exciting.

Gino Jando's NAXOS recording of the complete Beethoven sonatas has been released. His performance adopted a classical approach

and did not give full play to Beethoven's works. the spirit of romanticism. But considering the low price, this set of records is a good deal (the record also includes three sonatas composed by Beethoven when he was 12 years old).

Beethoven sonatas played by some famous pianists are not satisfactory to my ears. Aarau's recording was too laborious, A

Shkenazy's version was too smooth, Barenboying seemed artificial, and Brundle's recent recording in PHILIPS was too cold and too cold.

pedantry. As for the Gould version published by SONY, if you are interested in Beethoven's music rather than trying to find out Gould's views on this music, you should not buy it.

Non-complete recordings

A large number of outstanding pianists have recorded some of Beethoven's piano sonatas, the best of which are Richter and Ji in the former Soviet Union.

Lieers. Richter recorded 24 of the 32 sonatas, and these recordings are distributed among various companies. Among them

"Sonata No. 7" was recorded nine times in his lifetime. Richter's performance of Beethoven's sonatas is highly authoritative and unparalleled in its beauty. No matter how familiar the music is, people can hear something new every time they listen to his performance. Gillels

has recorded 26 Beethoven sonatas, most of which were published by DG. His skills are dazzling, showing a deep understanding of the works and the repertoire. The overall structure is also well grasped.

The Austrian pianist Rudolf Serkin’s recording of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas (published by SONY) is also worth recommending. His

playing was engaging and sincere, and the effect was moving, even if it seemed labored at times.

British pianist Solomon recorded some Beethoven sonatas at EMI in the 1930s. These recordings have rare power and noble temperament, especially the late works. Even though the sound quality of the record is terrible, it's well worth listening to.

Czech pianist Ivan Moravec is one of the best Beethoven players. He was almost as respected

as Schnabel. VAI Recording Studio released two albums he recorded in the 1960s. These include some of Beethoven's most famous piano sonatas. If you're looking to buy a recording of the first Beethoven sonatas, this is the one to buy. It allows you to get in touch with the best interpretation of Beethoven in the first step

.

Some people compare Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier to the Old Testament, and Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas to the New Testament. This comparison is almost unpopular among piano enthusiasts. No one knows. These two massive piano masterpieces by Two "B" have been recorded numerous times to date. Among them, since Schnabel's first complete set of recordings of Beethoven's piano sonatas in the 1930s, how many masters and how many recording companies have produced versions? With so many records, how do you choose?

Since the invention of the piano, the "King of Musical Instruments", the most wonderful masterpieces that humans have written for this instrument, embodying the deepest wisdom of mankind, are Bach's two volumes of "Well Tempered". "And Beethoven's 32 sonatas. Although throughout the history of music, we cannot say that these two works are incomparable, because after "Well Tempered", there were masterpieces written by Chopin, Shostakovich and others following this genre (Chopin and Shostakovich ’s Prelude), and Schubert’s Piano Sonata is no less impressive than the “Music Saint”.

However, as great pioneers and symbols of the highest artistic achievements of their times, these two piano masterpieces by Bach and Beethoven are like a pair of brilliant twin stars, complementing each other and lasting forever.

As of 2000, 117 pianists have recorded Beethoven's piano sonatas, and 20 CDs of complete recordings have been released. Some major record companies have taken the trouble to release various versions of Beethoven's sonatas. For example, "Moonlight" has been played by four pianists in philips and three in DG.

As you can imagine, the selection of Beethoven piano sonata recordings is quite large, but it is impossible for anyone, even the most die-hard Beethoven fans, to listen to all of these recordings. What I want to recommend here are only the recording versions that I personally think are excellent. My evaluations are all based on my own judgment, and I will never follow anyone else's opinions.

1. Complete recordings

Beethoven’s sonatas spanned a long historical period, from elegant classicism to dramatic romanticism, and his late works also had abstract and mysterious elements. Features. Therefore, even the greatest pianists cannot perform every piece to the same high level. It can be said that every complete recording has flaws. No version is as good as the first one. But pianists are still working tirelessly, and some have achieved good results.

First of all, if you don’t care about sound quality, then Schnabel’s classic version is a must-listen. This set of old records, which came out 70 years ago, still has people insisting that it is the "greatest version" today. This fact itself is worth marveling and pondering. Schnabel is considered the most outstanding Beethoven scholar and performance expert of this century. His recordings in the 1930s have been used as instructional materials by students and performers since their release. In terms of the creation of a meditative atmosphere and the handling of dynamics, this set of recordings is indeed worthy of imitation. From a modern perspective, Schnabel's playing is full of personality and does not belong to the type of smoothness and perfection. Sometimes, you may feel that his compositions are too fast, and his technique is a little rough, and some parts are passed by in a flash, not as delicate and in-depth as other later famous artists, but sometimes he will burst out exciting inspirations, which make Beethoven's character Jump out. In contrast, many rookies are too polished and lose the charm of Le Saint. The slow movement is where Schnabel shows his greatest skill, full of profound thoughts and intoxicating beauty. My advice is, don't touch Schnabel right off the bat. First listen to other people's interpretations, think more about it, and then ask the master for advice after you are familiar with the work. Only then will he make you feel why his performance is superior to others and why so many people think he is the only true successor of Beethoven.

The sound quality of this set of old records is not ideal. Several record companies have used original fast-transfer records from different sources to produce several CDs (only EMI versions can be found in China). Among them, the one with the best sound quality is the British Pearl Produced by.

For those who don’t care much about sound quality, the versions of Kempf and Backhouse, two other senior masters of the German school, are certainly worthy of attention. The two masters, one warm and poetic, the other cold and concise, are in perfect contrast. Their records were published by DG and DECCA respectively. Which set to choose depends entirely on personal preference. Among them, the complete set of Beethoven's piano sonatas (DG cheap version) recorded by Kempf in Hannover in the mid-1960s has a bright sound. The sonatas in the middle period are a little weak, but they still have bright and smooth characteristics.

If you pursue high-fidelity record sound quality (there are many more such fans), of course you will exclude the legacy of the previous masters and focus on recordings made after the 1960s. The versions of Gilels, Aarau, and Brendel can all give us dual satisfaction in terms of sound quality and art. What about newer digital recordings? As noise interference is eliminated, the sound quality becomes purer. It is a pity that the most famous set among the recent versions is still nowhere to be found in China, and there are very few performers who know it. This is the version (10 CDs) released by American pianist Richard Goode (not to be confused with Gould) in 1993. It is the latest complete recording of Beethoven's sonatas.

Goode is one of the most outstanding pianists born and raised in the United States. He has won a Grammy Award. Since 1986, he has been famous in the music world for his performance of Beethoven's works and is one of the "top five" orchestras in the United States. of regular customers.

His collection of Beethoven sonatas, published by Electra Nonesuch Company, a subsidiary of Warner Group, fully reflects his outstanding achievements, and his emotional depth and intensity are rare. This is also the first complete set of Beethoven sonatas recorded by an American-born pianist. Critics highly praised Goode, calling him the most successful person after Schnabel. His playing was gentle and meaningful. Even Beethoven's introspective works in his later years were still played with brilliance and enthusiasm. The highlight is Sonata Nos. 12-18. The use of modern technology has made the sound quality of records perfect and impeccable.

Erato, a French record company also owned by Warner Group, recorded a set of Beethoven and Goude versions for the French pianist and conductor Jean Pommier. Beumier has the unique marks of the French school: agility, delicacy, and rich expressions, which are different from Goude's romantic treatment. Beumier accurately grasped the characteristics of Beethoven's Viennese Romanticism. Similar to Kempf, his playing in the middle sonatas also lacked intensity, but his cold, balanced and elegant playing sounded very beautiful. The recording of this set is excellent, with the first ten tracks being the most exciting. The recording technology is excellent, which adds to the charm of this set of records. This set of CDs took 7 years from the release of the first episode in 1991, and was finally completed in 1998. There are 4 episodes and 11 CDs. Unfortunately, I have not found it in China.

The complete version of Beethoven’s sonatas recorded by Hungarian pianist Jeno Jando in 1988, owned by Naxos Records, has the most advantage in terms of price and is also the easiest to buy. Bought domestically, it is the most cost-effective and value-for-money version available domestically. The overall performance is of a very high standard, with impeccable technique and musicality. Even compared with the best classic versions, it is only slightly inferior in certain places. When inspiration strikes, he is as good as any master. Yando's style tends to be classical, with clear lines and straightforward techniques, and is full of the vigor and vitality of a young performer (only 36 years old at the time of recording). Although sometimes he is a bit cold and sometimes he is a bit out of breath and not calm enough, but which performer can be perfect! In the performance of individual pieces, his handling is even more charming than that of Goode. The sound quality is very lifelike, the reverberation is loud and the piano sound is full. It is also worth mentioning that in addition to the 32 pieces, the Jando edition also includes 4 rarely heard sonatas (of which only a fragment remains) and 2 sonatas written by Beethoven when he was 12 years old. Increased value.

Beethoven sonatas played by some famous pianists are not satisfactory to my ears. Arrau's recording was too laborious, Ashkenazy's version was too slick, Barenboying seemed artificial, and Bledel's recent Philips recordings were too cold and pedantic. As for the Gould version published by SONY, if you are interested in Beethoven's music rather than trying to understand Gould's views on this music, you should not buy it.

2. Non-complete recordings

Among Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, the only ones that are truly “popular” are actually the ones with titles: Moonlight, Pathos, Passion, Farewell, Dawn, Storm, hunting, pastoral, etc. Many music fans have little interest in the complete set and only want to listen to this part of the good stuff. In response to this demand, record companies have planned many albums specifically collecting these "popular sonatas". For example, Philips' DUO mini double series includes a set of Brendel's CDs, which includes some of Beethoven's most famous piano sonatas, and is very popular.

Among the old recordings, there are also one by Gillels (DG) and one by Serkin (Sony, imported and published by Shanghai Audio and Video Publishing House) that are worth recommending. Gillels has recorded 26 Beethoven sonatas, most of which were published by DG. His technique is dazzling, showing a deep understanding of the works and a good grasp of the overall structure of the pieces. Austrian pianist Rudolf Serkin's performance is very dedicated, full of sincerity, and the effect is moving.

As for new films, Yando's complete collection includes the excellent "Moonlight, Pathos, Passion" (No. 550045) and the wonderful "Dawn, Storm, Farewell" (No. 550054). "Moonlight, Pathos, Dawn" (played on an 1806 fortepiano) recorded by rato for the rookie Rubimov is also a rare masterpiece in recent times.

Beethoven’s late sonatas are a unique group.

Those who admire it regard it as the ultimate state of art, while those who don't understand it stay away from it, and there are also many who belittle and ridicule it. Record companies often compile them into a set of records (often a double disc). Music fans who have a special liking for these works can choose from the following famous versions: Pollini (DG), Solomon (EMI), Rosen (Sony), Jando (Naxos).

Except for the British pianist Solomon's version, which was made in the 1950s and has older sound quality, the other three versions all have excellent sound quality. In terms of price, Pollini is the regular-price version, the most expensive, Salomon and Rosen are the mid-price version, followed by Yando, which is the cheapest (thanks to Naxos' low-price strategy). Of course, expensive ones have their own “origins”. Pollini's DG version includes his recording of Beethoven's last five piano sonatas (1975, DG 419 199-2). This disc has topped the 300 list of Japan's "Record Art" for three consecutive years! The "Last Five" also recorded by Solomon (1994 update, EMI 0777 7 64708 25) has rare strength and noble temperament, especially the late works. Although the sound quality of the record is old, it is worth listening to. Won the "Penguin" three-star flower award. The New Record Bible praised the recording, saying it was "as deep as Schnabel, as beautiful as Aarau, as restrained and intense as Kempf, as perfect in piano technique as Pollini, and as majestic as the early of Brendel". By the way, Charles Rosen is not only a pianist, but also a famous musicologist. This record was recorded in the early 1970s, when his famous book "The Classical Style" won the American Book Awards time.

In addition, the popular pianist Murray Perahia, owned by Sony, and the pianist Louis Lortie, owned by the British Chandos company, have also published some sporadic CDs, mostly of early works. sonata. The complete set of Beethoven sonatas recorded by EMI for S. B. Kowacewich is also being released one after another. The British DECCA record company has recorded several films for Romanian pianist Rupp and published them under the "London" trademark. Richter recorded 24 of the 32 sonatas, and these recordings are distributed among various companies. Among them, "Sonata No. 7" was recorded nine times in his lifetime. Richter's performance of Beethoven's sonatas is authoritative and unparalleled in its beauty. No matter how familiar the music is, people can hear something new every time they listen to his performance. These are wonderful and memorable renditions that are worth listening to. Especially the Kovacevic version is enough to compete with famous versions such as Brendel, Goode, and Pomier.

When buying the complete set of Beethoven sonatas, should I buy them piecemeal with multiple performances, or should I just buy one set? This is another common question. In my opinion, if financial conditions permit, you should still buy a set of complete works that you think is the best, and then collect some particularly excellent interpretations by others. It is extremely important that this complete set must be a classic interpretation by the master, so that the benefit of buying the complete set can be shown: to fully understand the ideas of a great performer. If you buy 32 different versions of the 32 sonatas from 32 pianists, you will get 32 ??different styles. How to string them together and understand Beethoven as a whole coherently?