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116 of 122 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Luminous, enchanting..., July 9, 1999
This review is from: Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas (Audio CD)
This collection is one of the finest possessions that any lover of music--classical or otherwise-- could possibly own. Alfred Brendel's interpretation of Beethoven's serious, probing piano works is in my opinion among the greatest interpretive achievements of the 20th century, and these recordings capture Brendel's performance in a luminous, ambient sonic wonderland that I find all but overwhelming. You will be drawn into a poetic and reflective space that will astound, enchant, and disturb you... consider Brendel's statement about the slow movement of the Moonlight Sonata, hideously sentimentalized by most artists: in Brendel's words, it's "a mystic realm of awe and shuddering." Think about this, and listen to Brendel's interpretation, and you'll have a great start on this rich, deep, expansive collection of total artistry. Avoiding bombast, Brendel lays bare the incredible architecture that underlies Beethoven's work, and in so doing Brendel fully unleashes Beethoven's artistic and emotional power, a world of musical romance and argumentation that begins to speak to you with an eloquence ranging far beyond the complexities of speech. With Brendel as your guide, you are ushered into a world in which you fully perceive Beethoven's creative genius; before you opens a world of depth and insight and enchantment and meaning. This recording belongs in the library of any serious lover of classical music--and indeed, of any person who believes that music and its performance speak with eloquence of something that is inexpressably deep and meaningful about human existence, something that only music can fully describe. It's very hard to put into words... just listen. A final note: the overwhelming power of this collection isn't a mere matter of sonic trickery; four of the performances are live performances selected by Brendel himself as superior to the studio recordings, despite the live performances' inferior acoustics; believe me, you won't care. (The audiences are very quiet, which doesn't surprise me; undoubtedly, they were drawn into Brendel's performances to the point of reverence.) Every one of the performances in this collection draws you into a world in which every single note penned by Beethoven matters deeply, and Brendel's artistry is such that, somehow, you understand why.
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81 of 88 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As good as it gets, January 29, 2000
This review is from: Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas (Audio CD)
Brendel is not the flashiest of pianists: generally, he eschews bombast. There are those who will prefer a greater sense of physical excitement, especially in movements like the finale of the Hammerklavier Sonata (Op. 106). But there is never any exaggeration, or excessive underlining of points: one gets the feeling listening to these that there is no-one standing between yourself and the music. The piano sound is, generally, very successfully captured, and Brendel's tone and clarity of line are exquisite. He gives the early sonatas their proper weight (listen, for instance, to the tragic intensity of the slow movement of Op. 10 No. 3); gives an absolutely sensational performance of - amongst others - the Pastoral Sonata (Op. 28); and as for those visionary late sonatas... there are several great recordings of these, but none more satisfying than these. The liner notes, incidentally, are by the distinguished Beethoven scholar William Kinderman, and are excellent. If I were forced to live with only one item from my CD collection, this box would be it.
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41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classical Pianist from New Hampshire, November 10, 1999
This review is from: Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas (Audio CD)
I have never heard anything like Alfred Brendel's recording. It is absolutely the best Beethoven I have ever heard. Alfred Brendel is the best Beethoven interpreter in the world and this is the definitive recording. The slow movements, in particular, are interpreted beyond comparison. I've heard Barenboim, Schnabel, Ashkenazy, and many others, but none compare to the supreme beauty and passion that Brendel puts into his interpretation. The fact that they're digital makes it all the more worthwhile to buy this glorious cycle. Don't be daunted by the price, believe me, it will be among the very best, if not the best purchace of a recording you will ever make.
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