Beethoven's solo keyboard music is some of my absolute favorite not just for keyboard but all of classical. I figured I would write a bit about my favorite cycles and include ones that are incomplete since they are worth hearing. (i) for incomplete, and to make the list they had to have at least recorded a decent number of the 32 sonatas. Otherwise it would just be chaotically long.
Titans:
Andrea Lucchesini
Annie Fischer
Wilhelm Backhaus (earlier mono)
Rudolf Serkin (i)
Exceptional
Claudio Arrau (earlier analog recording on Philips)
Eric Heidsieck
Russel Sherman
Maurizio Pollini
Sviatoslav Richter (i)
Emil Gilels (i)
Solomon (i)
Worth hearing:
Wilhelm Kempff (earlier mono)
Bernard Roberts
Artur Schnabel
If sound quality is of paramount concern Claudio Arrau's is probably the most consistent; Philips recordings that sounds like they could have been recorded yesterday all digital. He also plays with a lovely warm tone which he is rightfully very proud of.
Annie Fischer- no one I have heard plays them with the sheer depth, beauty, and intensity. Really quite a rare thing to have someone so connected to Beethoven's music. I almost wanted to put her in a separate tier altogether. This recently came back into print by Hungaraton, it went out of print for over 10 years and commanded decent amounts when it did come up second hand.
Annie Fischer can currently be had for $12.50 for a FLAC download, wow! https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7974004--beethoven-piano-sonatas-nos-1-32
Also streamable on Tidal.
Backhaus- he was very old when he recorded a complete cycle the first time, yet there are no technical short comings even in the most demanding pieces. There is something I can't quite describe why I like this cycle so much, but it's like he constructs things as a whole instead of focusing your attention; but paradoxically he will also be a bit more elastic with the tempi allowing you to hear all sorts of things. Yeah
Rudolf Serkin- someone truly dedicated to Beethoven and only focused on a handful of composers through his very long career. He also brings tremendous intensity and depth with an angularity to his playing that sounds like he scaling Everest with no oxygen, and no hesitation. One note that he does occasionally "grunt", breath heavily and less commonly hums to the music (never to the extent of say Glenn Gould).
Friedrich Gulda- takes all the sonatas at a blistering speed and frequently omits repeats. I initially wrote him off since he didn't play the Moonlight and Pathetique to my taste which are cardinal sins to miss, but there is so much interesting in the rest of the sonatas. The best way I can describe it is since he plays with such speed the music simply flows like water (his legato); you will never hear any jaggedness or rarely any staccato. This might be one of the cheaper complete cycles to buy on the Brilliant Classics label.
Claudio Arrau- takes slower, deliberate tempi though never laboured and was very concerned about the beauty of music. His tone is to die for. Another one that Philips/Decca have kept in print since it was recorded so should be easy to find. You can hear him breathing through his nose which creates sort of a whistling sound and occasionally hear his fingernails on the keys (not that common on the Beethoven sonatas). I don't think he grunts much at all in the earlier Beethoven cycle. I know it was a bit more common in his later digital recording, which I don't find the performances to be as good as on the earlier one (I have only sampled key pieces from it).
Sviatoslav Richter- what to say about IMHO the greatest pianist that ever lived. Tremendous depth with his interpretations, but unfortunately usually in poor sound quality since he hated being able to see microphones and recorded most of his Beethoven live than in the studio. The Carnegie Hall 1960 series of recordings contains some of the best Beethoven I have ever heard, I can not imagine what it must have been like to by one of those New York audiences that got to hear it live.
Emil Gilels- great recordings as well, he has the same piano teacher as Richter and parallels can be drawn but he plays with a bit more reservation in the studio DGG recordings and sound quality is very good. I would only recommend his live recordings if you don't mind poorer sound quality, I prefer more of his live to studio.
Wilhelm Kempff- performances with clear punctuated lines and wonderful poetry in his playing. Not something I listen to that often, but there is greatness here.
Artur Schnabel- the first person to record a complete set of sonatas, these were done for the Beethoven Society. This set is well loved by many piano connoisseurs but I don't really find that much of great interest in his playing, I like it more for historical reasons.
Feel free to ask any questions, or even recommendations for individual works, at some point I plan to compile all my notes and do a detailed break down by sonata.
Edit updated 3/18/20
Titans:
Andrea Lucchesini
Annie Fischer
Wilhelm Backhaus (earlier mono)
Rudolf Serkin (i)
Exceptional
Claudio Arrau (earlier analog recording on Philips)
Eric Heidsieck
Russel Sherman
Maurizio Pollini
Sviatoslav Richter (i)
Emil Gilels (i)
Solomon (i)
Worth hearing:
Wilhelm Kempff (earlier mono)
Bernard Roberts
Artur Schnabel
If sound quality is of paramount concern Claudio Arrau's is probably the most consistent; Philips recordings that sounds like they could have been recorded yesterday all digital. He also plays with a lovely warm tone which he is rightfully very proud of.
Annie Fischer- no one I have heard plays them with the sheer depth, beauty, and intensity. Really quite a rare thing to have someone so connected to Beethoven's music. I almost wanted to put her in a separate tier altogether. This recently came back into print by Hungaraton, it went out of print for over 10 years and commanded decent amounts when it did come up second hand.
Annie Fischer can currently be had for $12.50 for a FLAC download, wow! https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7974004--beethoven-piano-sonatas-nos-1-32
Also streamable on Tidal.
Backhaus- he was very old when he recorded a complete cycle the first time, yet there are no technical short comings even in the most demanding pieces. There is something I can't quite describe why I like this cycle so much, but it's like he constructs things as a whole instead of focusing your attention; but paradoxically he will also be a bit more elastic with the tempi allowing you to hear all sorts of things. Yeah
Rudolf Serkin- someone truly dedicated to Beethoven and only focused on a handful of composers through his very long career. He also brings tremendous intensity and depth with an angularity to his playing that sounds like he scaling Everest with no oxygen, and no hesitation. One note that he does occasionally "grunt", breath heavily and less commonly hums to the music (never to the extent of say Glenn Gould).
Friedrich Gulda- takes all the sonatas at a blistering speed and frequently omits repeats. I initially wrote him off since he didn't play the Moonlight and Pathetique to my taste which are cardinal sins to miss, but there is so much interesting in the rest of the sonatas. The best way I can describe it is since he plays with such speed the music simply flows like water (his legato); you will never hear any jaggedness or rarely any staccato. This might be one of the cheaper complete cycles to buy on the Brilliant Classics label.
Claudio Arrau- takes slower, deliberate tempi though never laboured and was very concerned about the beauty of music. His tone is to die for. Another one that Philips/Decca have kept in print since it was recorded so should be easy to find. You can hear him breathing through his nose which creates sort of a whistling sound and occasionally hear his fingernails on the keys (not that common on the Beethoven sonatas). I don't think he grunts much at all in the earlier Beethoven cycle. I know it was a bit more common in his later digital recording, which I don't find the performances to be as good as on the earlier one (I have only sampled key pieces from it).
Sviatoslav Richter- what to say about IMHO the greatest pianist that ever lived. Tremendous depth with his interpretations, but unfortunately usually in poor sound quality since he hated being able to see microphones and recorded most of his Beethoven live than in the studio. The Carnegie Hall 1960 series of recordings contains some of the best Beethoven I have ever heard, I can not imagine what it must have been like to by one of those New York audiences that got to hear it live.
Emil Gilels- great recordings as well, he has the same piano teacher as Richter and parallels can be drawn but he plays with a bit more reservation in the studio DGG recordings and sound quality is very good. I would only recommend his live recordings if you don't mind poorer sound quality, I prefer more of his live to studio.
Wilhelm Kempff- performances with clear punctuated lines and wonderful poetry in his playing. Not something I listen to that often, but there is greatness here.
Artur Schnabel- the first person to record a complete set of sonatas, these were done for the Beethoven Society. This set is well loved by many piano connoisseurs but I don't really find that much of great interest in his playing, I like it more for historical reasons.
Feel free to ask any questions, or even recommendations for individual works, at some point I plan to compile all my notes and do a detailed break down by sonata.
Edit updated 3/18/20
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