Customer Reviews

Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm fond of Alfred Brendel's Schubert, Haydn and Mozart so when I had the opportunity to pick up this newly reissued set of Beethoven sonatas for just over $30 from an Amazon reseller, I grabbed it. Since I've spent thirty-plus years with the Arrau cycle, starting with the LP's, and also had the Schnabel set in my library, I admit that I have fairly fixed ideas about what the Beethoven sonatas should sound like. Arrau, born in Chile but for the most part trained in Germany, is often called cold, detached and analytical (i.e. "Germanic") in the studio; but I think this is dead wrong. His identification with the mythic-heroic elements in Beethoven is reflected in his playing, which is full of emotional depth - sometimes so much so that it is almost difficult to listen to. Brendel, too, is often referred to as an intellectual pianist, which I suppose implies that his playing lacks emotional depth; but after listening to his survey of Beethoven sonatas, I think this assessment is also wrong. It's true that Brendel may not project the same level of suffering that Arrau sometimes finds in these scores (and this may be a relief at times), nor does he reach the celestial heights scaled by Arrau; he instead, however, favors structure and the working out of various ideas, which doesn't make him any less Beethovenian. Perhaps the best way to differentiate the two is to describe Arrau's orientation as "Romantic" whereas Brendel is more of a "Classicist."

There are many moments in these sonatas where Brendel's playing seems scaled down compared to Arrau's and you often end up thinking he's missed an opportunity to make a statement. Arrau, on the other hand, has often been accused of excessive point-making; and while Brendel too can belabor a point, he doesn't often go to Arrau's length. But it is in the process of reaching for the stars that Arrau, who may occasionally reach too far, reveals more of Beethoven's conflicted/spiritual aspects and no doubt, more of himself as well.

The sound-world of these pianists also comes into play. Arrau is plush and organ-like and while very modern in his playing still incorporates rhetorical flourishes that are reminiscent of the 19th century giants from whom he descended (Arrau's only teacher was Martin Krause, the last pupil of Liszt). This is especially evident in his traversal of the late sonatas, which to my way of thinking, has never been surpassed. Brendel is more compact, if not austere, in his playing which has a bell-like ring to it (if you could call him a descendant of anyone, it would be Kempff). Sometimes he makes a clipped ratta-tat-tat sound, as in the rondo of the Waldstein sonata, where Arrau's pianistic finish is just more sophisticated. And there is a tendency toward the finicky that can be bothersome (opp. 7 and 28 are representative). Yet Brendel's playing can also have an unsettling rattling element which makes his performance of the Moonlight sonata one of the best I've heard. This same rattling effect can be heard in the Tempest sonata, which is also excellent.

Let me say that I was prepared to be disappointed from the outset after listening to the first two sonatas (op. 2 nos. 1 & 2), which are missing the joy of early Beethoven and lend credence to the "cerebral" label so often attached to Brendel. Certainly these sonatas are well thought out, perhaps even a little too well thought out as they have a calculated feel to them. Opus 2, no. 3, on the other hand, sparkles. There are ups and downs from this point on as not everything is equally inspired - indeed, there is no ideal set of Beethoven sonatas. Sonatas no. 5 and 6 are from recitals and both succeed very well (too bad the applause wasn't edited out though). And Brendel really shines in the two op. 14 sonatas and also in op. 22. Perhaps his matter-of-fact treatment of the funeral march from the the op. 26 sonata is a little lightweight, missing the gravitas that Arrau brings to it. Missing too is the contrast that Arrau draws between this movement and the sunlit finale. His insistent finding and/or infusion of meaning is in contrast to Brendel's more straightforward approach, which doesn't lack imagination but sometimes just doesn't reach the same high level of inspiration. A case in point is the second movement of the thirteenth sonata, one of my favorites, which Brendel efficiently dispatches, but which the visionary Arrau transforms into a statement of kaleidoscopic proportions. There is simply no comparison between the two. Having said that, let me point out that Brendel is far from superficial - in fact, his sonatas are for the most part well balanced and sometimes can be a refreshing tonic to Arrau's persistent inwardness.

I was pleasantly surprised by Brendel's readings of the late sonatas. The Hammerklavier, recorded live(!), is outstanding, as is his reading of op. 101. He also turns in a fine op. 111, sounding, in fact, very much like Arrau. I was less taken with op. 109 where some of the phrasing is too plain - but I recall Harris Goldsmith calling Arrau's phrasing in the late sonatas "Furtwanglerish" (which was meant to be a pejorative) and even though his readings may border on overstatement, to me they are infused with an epic grandeur that has never been equaled.

In summary, if you are looking for a Beethoven cycle in digital sound that reflects the Kempff style of playing, then you'll be satisfied with Brendel.

This is the last set of Beethoven piano sonatas recorded by Brebdel and probably the best. It was recorded in digital sound.
It is true it was recorded for Philips (Brendel second set for Philips), but after Universal bought Philips, the time to use "Philips" brand name was limited and it seems all the back catalogue from Philips will appear under Decca lebel (or DG).
This set is excellent and at its time won the best prices from specialised critic.

"Infamous" means known widely and unfavorably. Which is hardly the case here. Until he retired last year, Brendel's live performances were known widely and favorably for decades, and his studio releases are pretty magnificent, too. Brendel recorded the complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle three times, an early version for Vox, this Decca set and a later Philips version. Although the sonics of this version can be pretty hissy, it's still my favorite. It would have been nice to know whether any remastering was done here to improve the sound. Because Amazon's lsitings are frequently missing such useful information, I guess you could say their editors are infamous. ;)

Your enjoyment of these sonatas depend on how you perceive Beethoven. As Beethoven marked the end of the classical period and the beginning of the romantic era. So if you prefer Beethoven the classicist, Brendel's later interpretations (ie this recording) would be right up your alley. He plays with great care and develops his ideas slowly, always treating the sonatas with great delicacy. When I his sonatas, I'm reminded of a lyrical dance.

The question though is, are you looking for a lyrical dance in Beethoven?

As Beethoven began to descend into deafness, he sought grander themes, seeking out to reach out to the masses. His later compositions were always infused with great power. This, was Beethoven the romantic.

My introduction to Beethoven's sonatas was Brendel. But when I first heard Schnabel, my view of Beethoven changed. Always, you can feel the power of Beethoven bursting forth from his piano. Though his playing contained a number of mistakes, there was no mistaking the sheer magnificence of his recording. However, the sound quality of Schabel's traversal leaves a lot to be desired. For the enthusiast though, this would not be an issue.

So should you get this recording?

It comes down to whether you prefer your Beethoven perfect sound and careful delicacy or filled with power and played without abandon. While people say that Brendel's earlier interpretations might change your mind of Brendel as a Beethoven interpreter (which I have yet to hear), I think I'll stick to Beethoven the romantic.

No need to say how terrific the performances are, the only thing is sound quality of the recordings! I love this set of album and my son (12 years old) basically keep the box next to him in and out. He loves all the pieces and just could not get enough of this. This box collection is for him as a birthday gift and he is more than happy.

I can largely bear with Brendel's recorded outings from the 1960s and 1970s--occasionally even enjoy some of them. However, more often than not, he strikes me as the probably most overvalued pianist of the last century, at least in Beethoven. His followers claim his pianism to be 'intellectual', 'witty' and 'magisterial'. To me, it is ponderous, pretentious, patronising and maddeningly tedious. Brendel's Digital Beethoven Sonatas cycle provides ample evidence to support it, which I believe can be neatly summarised as follows: fast movements sound draggy and slow movements breathless; articulation and phrasing sound slack; dynamics and characterisation lack any degree of imagination; and there is a total absence of forward momentum and excitement in the ubiquitous, laboured self-consciousness.

Before continuing, let's get the facts straight (as opposed to the preceding entry): Brendel recorded three complete cycles--the first for Vox in the 1960s (as part of the first-ever complete survey of Beethoven's piano works), and the second and third for Philips in the 1970s and 1990s, respectively. Philips was incorporated into Decca 10 years ago; even though the original label has commonly been kept for Philips reissues, this 10-disc box-set has now for some reason been reissued under the Decca label, at a supposed bargain price.

I clearly made one of my worst investment decisions some 13 years ago when acquiring this box-set at full price (around $120 at the time). All the same, even at less than half the price, I would not consider it even remotely as a bargain. As a matter of fact, this grim cycle kept me away from some of the lesser-known Sonatas for years, until I got my hands on Goode's lilting Nonesuch cycle--indeed a bargain regardless of price, and the perfect antidote to the gloomy Brendel.

So, what is the point of this pessimistic review? Well, simply to let readers know that their money is better spent on virtually any other complete Beethoven Sonatas box-set--for instance, Kempff, Gulda, Kovacevich, Roberts and Barenboim are all available at even less. Even Brendel's analogue 1970s cycle for Philips at nearly thrice the price is more recommendable than this dreadful reissue.

Lastly: not only is the digital recording of the Bösendorfer instrument generally too close and airless, it also captures far too much of Brendel's uncommonly heavy and audible breathing--which this reviewer initially mistook for a printing defect. It probably more or less goes without saying that the British press almost unanimously lauded this cycle as one of the greatest of all time. Why? Let's just leave it at that.

REFERENCE: Goode (Beethoven: The Complete Sonatas [Box Set]), Ohlsson (not yet complete)

APPENDIX: Of course, I knew in advance that the superficial five-star faction of the Amazon audience would not appreciate my sincerely altruistic objective of this review--that is, helping other listeners avoid wasting their hard-earned money. All the same, even though this set is not worth more than a single star, I've now added a plus as this new budget-price incarnation at least wastes less of genuinely credulous listeners' money.

It's hard to categorize these recording as anything other than completely underwhelming. Other reviewers have categorized Brendel's playing as being from the "weak tea" school; I agree, but would go further and say it is so unimaginative and uniformally bland throughout all 32 pieces, that this makes for a wholly monotonous listening experience.

The proof? Each sonata is played in the same deliberate, ponderous manner that Brendel manages to make them sound nearly the same. It's as if Beethoven wrote them all in the same year. What he's given us is one sonata in 32 movements.

I have many of Richard Goode's recording (though not the complere set) and would strongly recommend his set to Brendel's. There's life to Goode's playing. He's not brilliant, but he brings nuance, deftness, and a musicallity that Brendel lacks.