Customer Reviews

Beethoven- Music for Cello and Piano: Sonatas & Variations, Opp. 5:1,2;66;69;102:1,2; WoO 45,46

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Apologies for the overly-alliterative title. I have been listening to this 2-CD set intensely for the last couple of weeks and my admiration for Kempff--already considerable--has grown in leaps and bounds. So too has my regard for Pierre Fournier, whose playing on this CD is bold and clearly articulated. Kempff is the most humane and visionary of pianists, and he is remarkable in that he is perfectly prepared to put his undoubted virtuosity on the back burner and let Fournier's cello fully sing and soar. I have noticed on other recordings of cello sonatas (the Kovacevich/Du Pre coupling of Beethoven's 3rd and 5th and the Ax/Ma Brahms for example)that the cello is often overwhelmed. This is definitely not the case here, where the projection of both instuments seems perfectly in balance, and if anything favors the cello. When it first arrived I was a little dismayed to see that these were listed as "Live Recordings," since I am not really a fan of this sub-genre--they usually end up having none of the spontaneity and energy of the concert arena while maintaining all the little annoyances (audience shuffling/flubbed notes). This recording however, is perfect for these pieces. The sound is spacious and you come away with the impression that these musicians are playing just for you in a rather large room.

Beethoven's cello sonatas come from his early, middle and late periods, and they're all masterpieces. I have always felt that Beethoven's earliest work is seriously underrated (the Opus 1 piano trios, the opus 2 piano sonatas and the opus 9 string trios are all glorious, fully realized creations of a composer who has truly arrived) and the two opus 5's here are no exception. They are also interesting in that they both have a two-movement structure. The opus 69 has the storm and stress of so much of Beethoven's middle period, while the two opus 102 sonatas have both the loose, fantasy-like elements and the demonic fugal vistas of Beethoven's later work. The variations that finish off this 2-CD set are light, pleasurable, filler fare that won't move you much, but they certainly won't offend.

The playing though, is simply sublime. This is no one-time, all-star coupling of two prominent soloists either. Kempff and Fournier also recorded, along with violinist Henryk Szeryng, all of Beethoven's piano trios, which I would also highly recommend (the "Ghost" and the "Archduke" are unbeatable), and Kempff also recorded all the Beethoven violin sonatas with Menuhin; one cannot doubt, therefore, Kempff's commitment to Beethoven's chamber music, and it shows time and time again. Just listen to the spiritualized playing of the opus 102/2 adagio, or the fiery exposition of both the opus 69 allegro and the first movement of the 102/1. You won't find better playing anywhere of a dimension of Beethoven that isn't played or listened to enough.

Some performances leave a lasting impression.The Beethoven Cello sonatas are lesser known works not as popular as other well known sonatas.Fournier/Kempff reveal the matchless beauty in these works .The pacing is just right and these two great artists share their part with Grace and Spontaneity .The First sonata opens with a Broad Lyrical theme on the cello and the Piano sets off nimbly.The two parts perfectly complement each other and the playing is incredibly sensitive and evenly matched.

Truly a noble and soul stirring performance.The sound quality is quite good for a 1965 recording.
I recently heard the Maisky/Argerich recordings.The playing is virtuosic but they do not come anywhere close to Fournier/Kempff 's sensitive and poetic reading of these works.Deeply Moving and a perennial joy to listen to!

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As the piano work is at least as important to these pieces as the cello, Kempff is preferred in Beethoven.
Fournier was a great cellist with wonderful tone and great control.
In this set Fournier & Kempff omit excessive repeats.
And since the pieces themselves are rather expansive in air and tone, this reading gives the works a more direct and focused appearance.

Sound is wonderfully spatial. Cited as a "live recording" in Paris, 1965, there is very little noticeable audience noise and NO APPLAUSE--thankfully!
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As an avid collector and amateur cellist I have five recordings of these sonatas. Three are with Fournier. The pianists are Schnabel recorded in the late 1940s, Gulda recorded in 1959, and Kempff recorded in 1965. I am sure that everyone will have different opinions.I thoroughly enjoyed all three performances for different reasons. I think the Schnabel/Fournier combination is the most exciting of the three. Very passionate. The Fournier/Kempff is played with tremendous beauty. The Gulda/Fournier is very enjoyable but I prefer the other two matchups. Gulda can easily bring out the fire in Beethoven's writing for piano as evidenced by his recordings of the piano sonatas. I think in attempt to be a good chamber partner he is holding back here. I also have the Rostropovich/Richter and Ma/Ax recordings. They are also excellent recordings and there are numerous others to choose from. The Fournier/Kempff is a very safe choose if this is your first set and the price is right.

These two fine musicians perfectly balance each other and the cello of Fournier is never overwhelmed by the virtuosity of Kempff. Soaring and Lyrical, these pieces are done justice in this recording. As others have noted this was apparently recorded live in Paris although it doesn't detract at all from the precision and quality of the recording.