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Most "poetic/stormy" Beethoven piano sonatas since Schnabel ..

97.47.80.38
Posted on July 30, 2011 at 16:31:47
jdaniel@jps.net
 I just can't find more insightful artists since Schnabel but the sound! Polini's late sonatas are far better played but his Hammerklavier slow mov't doesn't hold a candle to Schnabel's

 

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RE: Most "poetic/stormy" Beethoven piano sonatas since Schnabel .., posted on July 30, 2011 at 17:05:31
rbolaw
 Two suggestions: First, and I admit a bias, Ernst Levy. He was a family friend in my early childhood and his wife was my first piano and French teacher. An accomplished composer himself, he wasn't afraid to take considerable poetic license with the score. Not for those who demand note-perfect playing.

Second, Friedrich Gulda. I'm usually not impressed by ultra-fast tempos in Beethoven (though Beethoven himself seemed to want them judging by the metronome markings he put on his music once the metronome was invented) but Gulda is very thoughtful and gets far beyond mere technique.

 

RE: Most "poetic/stormy" Beethoven piano sonatas since Schnabel .., posted on July 30, 2011 at 17:30:09
ahendler
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 I feel Richter is one of the greatest Beethoven interpreters I have ever heard. Many recordings and those from the Phillips series in modern sound
Alan

 

RE: Most "poetic/stormy" Beethoven piano sonatas since Schnabel .., posted on July 30, 2011 at 17:34:16
Chris from Lafayette
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 I believe Firkušný took a similar approach to Schnabel's in the Beethoven Sonatas, and his old Capitol recordings of the Moonlight, Pathetique, Waldstein, and Op. 109 are all excellent IMHO. The trouble is that the sound quality isn't that great, even though a couple of them are in stereo. But frankly, I don't know of a better performance of the Waldstein than Firkušný's.

The Moravec and Richter performances of various sonatas are probably better known and are also excellent, although I would say that neither is as close in approach to Schnabel as FirkušnĂ˝ is. BTW, what an interesting list of musicians that FirkušnĂ˝ studied with: Janáček, Suk (the composer), Schnabel, and Cortot!

 

As far as performance, Rubinstein., posted on July 30, 2011 at 18:52:56
mwhitmore
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 On Moonlight 3rd movement, when he runs that opening riff, then hits the two chords, I sit bolt upright--nothing like it in the piano literature for me. Sound is not the best shaded dog, but it _is_ RCA.

 

Yeah, but have you heard Brautigam play the same movement?, posted on July 30, 2011 at 20:07:27
C.B.
 makes Rubenstein sound as if he's asleep. Sound is phenomenal, too.

-

 

RE: Most "poetic/stormy" Beethoven piano sonatas since Schnabel .., posted on July 30, 2011 at 21:04:08
ahendler
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 Forgot about Moravec. I really like is Pathetique. Wonderful sound on vinyl
Alan

 

(You can hear a minute and a half clip of it at iTunes), posted on July 30, 2011 at 22:35:07
Chris from Lafayette
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 Too bad about the instrument he's using - nice performance otherwise! ;-)

 

Agree re Moravec, posted on July 31, 2011 at 06:12:59
rbolaw
 and Benno Moiseiwitsch, especially for his Waldstein. Mediocre mono sound, though.

 

Aside from Firkušný. . . , posted on July 31, 2011 at 16:23:29
Chris from Lafayette
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 . . . there's probably no question in the entire piano literature where a babe pianist doesn't have the answer!

-Or, in this case, demi-babe (I'm not sure she should be accorded full babe status!). This is an amazing in-competition performance by the Croatian pianist, Martina Filjak, of the last movement fugue of the Hammerklavier Sonata. First of all, it's kind of crazy to be playing the Hammerklavier in a piano competition - but she said in a separate interview that she's loved this sonata ever since she first heard it at the age of 12. Second of all, this is, quite simply, an amazing performance: her tempo is on the fast side compared to most other pianists (not as fast as Schnabel however!), and the fact that it's also expressive at this tempo and that she actually makes coherent sense of this music to a greater degree than do most other pianists. . . well. . . it just gives me goose bumps! As I say, she isn't quite as fast as Schnabel, but then again, she's not just grabbing for notes like Schnabel did either - all the more amazing, given the pressures of a competition situation. As I say, I love it:



It's very interesting actually to see this piece being played, especially via the overhead shot - it really makes you appreciate the horrifying difficulties of this music! (BTW, Martina won this particular competition!)

 

Wilhelm Backhaus, Solomon. Controlled ferocity, though very different. nt, posted on July 31, 2011 at 18:06:45
tinear
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 d

 

I would say she's very "spank me." Incredible Bach-like style...., posted on July 31, 2011 at 21:58:37
jdaniel@jps.net
 Thanks.

 

RE: Most "poetic/stormy" Beethoven piano sonatas since Schnabel .., posted on July 31, 2011 at 23:50:05
learsfool
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 You might try Schnabel's student, Alfred Brendel. For me, he is probably the only one I like even better than Schnabel.

 

Try Eschenbach's EMI recording of the, posted on August 1, 2011 at 11:22:45
jult52
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 Hammerklavier. All around very good; his slow mvt is a massive, very beautiful interpretation. Sound on the EMI doubledecker is Non-Audiophile Grade (NAG) but don't worry about it, it's a performance you'll want to hear.

 

Yes - her articulation is VERY clear (partly the way it's recorded too) [nt], posted on August 1, 2011 at 12:12:44
Chris from Lafayette
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NAG is OK with me. What I like about Schnabel's slow mov't is the almost "conversational" intimacy. Will try , posted on August 1, 2011 at 20:49:35
jdaniel@jps.net
 Eschenbach. I passed up a box set of his Mozart a couple of months ago and it unsurprisingly disappeared. I only know Eschenbach via his Philly SACD recordings....

 

Kovacevich on EMI, posted on August 2, 2011 at 07:39:43
Kas
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The sound is certainly better than for Schnabel, but not quite as good as it should/could have been.

Pretty sure the complete set is OOP, but the individual discs ought to be available pretty easily via Amazon, and EMI has issued a 3 CD set of the more popular sonatas.

 

I'm a big fan of Bishop-Kovacevich, but on Philips? I believe. nt, posted on August 2, 2011 at 08:14:21
jdaniel@jps.net
 .

 

No, the Philips isn't complete, posted on August 2, 2011 at 08:22:19
Kas
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Location: Eastern Massachusetts
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Kovacevich recorded a number of sonatas for Philips early in his career, but EMI recorded his complete traversal during the 1990's. The Philips recordings have been collected and issued, together with his recordings of the concertos with Colin Davis.

The sonics are better for Philips, but I prefer the performances on EMI.

 

RE: Most "poetic/stormy" Beethoven piano sonatas since Schnabel .., posted on October 18, 2016 at 06:09:41
r17
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 Yves Nat,and a Schnabel admirer-Glenn Gould.

 

From 2011?!? I thought I had a blackout last night. , posted on October 18, 2016 at 07:13:45
jdaniel@jps.net
 Always been curious about Gould's Sonatas. Maybe a sign.

 

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