deprogrammed
Active Member
I am looking for all 3 movements. Something available and not a box set. I know there are a lot out there. I dabble in classical music and this song is on a loop in my head.
Thanks In Advance
Thanks In Advance
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Suggestions for a good Moonlight Sonata?
- Thread starter deprogrammed
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Ivan Moravec’s recording is very sensitive and detailed. Perahia’s recording is nice and middle-of-the-road, in modern sound (and comes paired with the best ever recording of the Hammerklavier). The best single cycle of all the Beethoven sonatas is due to Igor Levit, also in modern sound.
Yes, I was going to suggest Moravec as well.
https://www.supraphonline.cz/album/...i-sonaty-pateticka-mesicni-svit-les-adieux/cd
https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Sonatas-Variations-Ludwig-van/dp/B00005UOW0
It's also in Supraphon's recent box set of Moravec recordings for Connoisseur, Supraphon, Vox and Nonesuch:
https://www.europadisc.co.uk/classical/148939/Ivan_Moravec:_Portrait_(CD_+_DVD).htm
https://www.supraphonline.cz/album/...i-sonaty-pateticka-mesicni-svit-les-adieux/cd
https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Sonatas-Variations-Ludwig-van/dp/B00005UOW0
It's also in Supraphon's recent box set of Moravec recordings for Connoisseur, Supraphon, Vox and Nonesuch:
https://www.europadisc.co.uk/classical/148939/Ivan_Moravec:_Portrait_(CD_+_DVD).htm
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I didn’t think about whether it’s still available on a single CD, I think I got my copy about 12 years ago… lol
A problem for the beginning collector of physical CDs, so many single CD issues are out of print and music is only available in some huge box set (which then goes out of print as well).
EDIT: Hurwitz did a video on these Moravec recordings (different CD issue, but same recordings).
OP
deprogrammed
Active Member
- Thread Starter
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I found this.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077TCGG5Q/?psc=1
2 is plenty to get me started.
Thank you gentlemen.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077TCGG5Q/?psc=1
2 is plenty to get me started.
Thank you gentlemen.
Robin L
Master Contributor
Andre Watts made a recording for Angel, fine performance and recording.
My favorite complete set [overall] is Annie Fischer, on Hungaroton. But there are many fine sets. The Igor Levit recording is very much in the manner of Jörg Demus, fleet, sometimes glib, sometimes astonishing in virtuosity, but usually reserved emotionally. Claudio Arrau made two sets, the earlier, analog, set is overall better as performances, sound quality of these 1960's recordings is excellent. Arrau was a student of a student of Lizst, has a more "romantic" inflection than most recordings of this music, but also very idiomatic. Schnabel's set from the 1930's is now on a recently remastered set on Warner, sound quality is about as good as it's going to get [not very], performances are high energy and emotional, sometimes the technical aspects of performance goes off the rails. But there's no editing, seeing as these are 1930's recordings. Annie Fischer is a lot like Schnabel with editing, simply the most powerful as a set. Barenboim has made several sets, all are boring. Barenboim thinks he's Furtwängler, I beg to differ. Brendel can be good, but mostly he's imitation Kempff. Wilhelm Kempff had three cycles. The first is almost impossible to find, the second was recorded in the 1950's in first-rate mono sound and are overall the best performances, but the stereo remakes are almost as good. Various re-masterings have produced a reasonable stereo image from these 1960's recordings. A lot of critics like Richard Goode, I found him always dependably boring and under-inflected. Pollini now has a complete set, critics loved his recordings of the "Late" sonatas when they first came out. I'm not so sure. I do agree that Perahia's Hammerklavier is one of the greats and a lot of what makes that performance great [you can hear everything, nothing is smudged or out of place] makes the Moonlight performance exceptional. Might be the best overall choice particularly as it's still easy to get [if you're into that whole collection thing]. Richter made a lot of great recordings, but I don't remember a "Moonlight". Glenn Gould made a relatively terrible performance, Horowitz made several, all predictably fine in the final movement. Rubenstein made several [mostly ingratiating], so did the Serkins [mostly starker]. There's a host of other fine performances. If you have streaming, check all of the above for yourself.
Here's Annie Fischer:
Murray Perahia:
My favorite complete set [overall] is Annie Fischer, on Hungaroton. But there are many fine sets. The Igor Levit recording is very much in the manner of Jörg Demus, fleet, sometimes glib, sometimes astonishing in virtuosity, but usually reserved emotionally. Claudio Arrau made two sets, the earlier, analog, set is overall better as performances, sound quality of these 1960's recordings is excellent. Arrau was a student of a student of Lizst, has a more "romantic" inflection than most recordings of this music, but also very idiomatic. Schnabel's set from the 1930's is now on a recently remastered set on Warner, sound quality is about as good as it's going to get [not very], performances are high energy and emotional, sometimes the technical aspects of performance goes off the rails. But there's no editing, seeing as these are 1930's recordings. Annie Fischer is a lot like Schnabel with editing, simply the most powerful as a set. Barenboim has made several sets, all are boring. Barenboim thinks he's Furtwängler, I beg to differ. Brendel can be good, but mostly he's imitation Kempff. Wilhelm Kempff had three cycles. The first is almost impossible to find, the second was recorded in the 1950's in first-rate mono sound and are overall the best performances, but the stereo remakes are almost as good. Various re-masterings have produced a reasonable stereo image from these 1960's recordings. A lot of critics like Richard Goode, I found him always dependably boring and under-inflected. Pollini now has a complete set, critics loved his recordings of the "Late" sonatas when they first came out. I'm not so sure. I do agree that Perahia's Hammerklavier is one of the greats and a lot of what makes that performance great [you can hear everything, nothing is smudged or out of place] makes the Moonlight performance exceptional. Might be the best overall choice particularly as it's still easy to get [if you're into that whole collection thing]. Richter made a lot of great recordings, but I don't remember a "Moonlight". Glenn Gould made a relatively terrible performance, Horowitz made several, all predictably fine in the final movement. Rubenstein made several [mostly ingratiating], so did the Serkins [mostly starker]. There's a host of other fine performances. If you have streaming, check all of the above for yourself.
Here's Annie Fischer:
Murray Perahia:
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I guess the difference in our preference mostly comes down to the fact that I don't consider many of Beethoven's piano sonatas to be good or important compositions. In the op. 10 sonatas, for example, I'd have more fun listening to Gould clowning around than to Arrau playing reverently. But thanks for pointing out Annie Fischer, I guess I need to give her records more attention.
Robin L
Master Contributor
Glenn Gould is great in op. 10, better [or at least more entertaining] than Arrau in this music. On the other hand, do you recall Glenn Gould's "Appassionata"? And Arrau is all that in a work that Gould deliberately trashes. Arrau's op 10 #3 does pull out pathos that Gould doesn't seek]. I can think of only a few of Beethoven's piano sonatas I don't return to often. Everything from #21 on up is gold, far as I'm concerned. #19 & 20 don't really belong, #16 never did all that much for me [though Annie Fischer at least does something]. And one might say that some of the early sonatas aren't really all that. Then again, when Schnabel or Fischer or [yup] Gould play these early works, they are.
Robin L
Master Contributor
I remember hearing Yevgeny Kissin playing the Moonlight sonata, it was on the local classical FM station. I tried to hunt it down in Amazon Music [you have to trick the search engine to find anything that's not top 10], found [in YouTube] there was a new, live recording on DGG [what I heard before was an older recording for RCA Victor], went back with Kissin's first name at Amazon ["Kissin" + "Moonlight" will get you garbage] and found this very long and very inspired Beethoven solo piano concert, over two hours. I have to wonder if there were inserts afterwards because these performances are note perfect, as far as I can tell. Was very surprised at how fine Kissin's op. 111 turned out:
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His flexible rhythms seem to suit late Beethoven better than early Beethoven.
Yeah, for finding music, Amazon's search engine has gone to hell. The trick is to use google and just add "amazon" to any query. If you know what the cover looks like, switch to the image search.
Horowitz
Saidera
Senior Member
Well, I do like Gould's and Horowitz's playing, but Lang Lang did play the first page or so in 2011 live.
My favorite player of Beethoven is Arrau. However, the first movement is so special to me and I so strongly feel that my approach is right, that since I learned to perform it, I stopped listening to other versions than mine. I don't dare to give a name to this.
restorer-john
Grand Contributor
I like Hiroko Nakamura. 1984. Sony digital. 38DC184.
Getting expensive and rare these days: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/371835086366?hash=item569319261e:g:GnIAAOSw5cNYbaOR
Getting expensive and rare these days: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/371835086366?hash=item569319261e:g:GnIAAOSw5cNYbaOR
Saidera
Senior Member
Well, I'm gonna check all the above out, and also in my own collection:
Finding the best isn’t as easy as one might think.
I have Gould’s ver, Kempff’s ver (from Complete Beethoven CDs set), Horowitz’s, Rubinstein’s, Barenboim’s
Hard to tell which cycle, and I thought Rubinstein only recorded it once.
Based on above comments, all those I have are not the best.
Finding the best isn’t as easy as one might think.
I have Gould’s ver, Kempff’s ver (from Complete Beethoven CDs set), Horowitz’s, Rubinstein’s, Barenboim’s
Hard to tell which cycle, and I thought Rubinstein only recorded it once.
Based on above comments, all those I have are not the best.
Robin L
Master Contributor
I've got it in my head that Rubinstein recorded the Moonlight more than once but only find reference to a 1962 recording. Kempff is one of the best interpreters of Beethoven, Horowitz and Rubinstein are nothing to sneeze at. Have to note that I was comparing Igor Levit's complete set to Frederich Gulda's. Demus was one of the first pianists to drag the fortepiano into the 20th century. Gulda also made a name for himself as a jazz pianist.
Levit seems too fast in the first movement:
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