Late Piano Sonatas

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Charles Rosen (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Charles Rosen
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Audio CD (June 14, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000291P
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #326,834 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90: 1. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck

2. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90: 2. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen

3. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: 1. Etwas lebhaft, und mit der innigsten Empfindung. Allegretto ma non troppo

4. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: 2. Lebhaft, marschmäßig. Vivace alla Marcia

5. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: 3. Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll. Adagio ma non troppo, con affetto

6. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: 4. Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossenheit. Allegro

7. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109: 1. Vivace, ma non troppo

8. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109: 2. Prestissimo

9. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109: 3. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung

10. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110: 1. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: 1. Allegro

2. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: 2. Scherzo. Assai vivace

3. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: 3. Adagio sostenuto. Appassionato e con molto sentimento

4. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: 4. Largo - Allegro risoluto

5. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111: 1. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato

6. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111: 2. Arietta. Adagio molto semplice e cantabile

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this set., June 15, 2000

By 

K-wacky (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Late Piano Sonatas (Audio CD)

These are loving, beautiful performances of a great universe of music. Rosen lets Beethoven speak straight to our hearts in song, the spirit of the dance, irony, rude joke, melancholy, and the conquest of the tragedy that is the lot of all humankind. A great value at any price. Buy this set and also treat yourself to Rosen's books: The Classical Style (available in hardbound with a CD of Rosen's more recent interpretations of the Ops. 106 (Hammerklavier) and 110 Sonatas), Critical Entertainments, The Romantic Generation, and others.

No one has written more acutely about the Beethoven piano sonatas than Charles Rosen. As he says, for Beethoven, the exploration of the tonal universe is an act of introspection. Deep introspection that, in Rosen's analyses and performances, penetrates from Beethoven's heart to the listener's. Rosen's performances of the late Beethoven piano sonatas reflect his incomparable knowledge, comprehension, and appreciation of these compositions, of the "classical style" of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and Schubert, and of the history of the performance of these works. Built on this foundation, his playing is immediately engaging and remains completely satisfying when heard again and again.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deep into Beethoven's personal universe., February 26, 2002

By 

David J. Friedlander "Play it with heart" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Late Piano Sonatas (Audio CD)

This set is incredible, and it's a bargain to boot. Rosen has spent years studying and writing about this unique music and it is immediately apparent in these magnificent recordings. His interpretation is peerless and his mastery and technique infallable despite the rugged difficulty of Beethoven's late piano music. The "Hammerklavier" performance is wonderful, and every nuance is shaped logically and artistically despite the extreme challenges found almost everywhere in this profound work. Rosen is able to do the near impossible, which is to "own" this unusual and deeply expressive music. He doesn't just play it, he lives it as though every impulse in his mind and body is focused on expressing this "symphony" for piano. The sound is top notch, and Rosen's instrument has a very rich and present sonority. Recommended without any reservation whatsoever. If you are interested in Beethoven, here is his music played in such a manner that you will find yourself completely absorbed in his unique and powerful musical world.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comparison between Rosen's and Brendel's, April 25, 2007

By 

Johnson Lee (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Late Piano Sonatas (Audio CD)

Both Rosen's and Brendel's are great recordings which testify their unquestionable musicianship. But their views of these monumental works couldn't be more different. Rosen tries to bring the emotion and meaning of every bar to light. Brendel on the other hand chooses to hide inside Beethoven's subconscious. Rosen is explicit. Brendel suggestive.
The first thing I noticed in Rosen's is his bright, immediate tone. This tonal quality serves his voluptuous interpretations well. Loud passages are thunderous and percussive. Quiet ones are unmistakably lyrical. Transition from piano to forte (or from forte to piano) is sudden and dramatic. His piano shouts, stomps, moans, and sighs with the music. And you are right - Rosen here reminds us of the great Horowitz in every way.
Brendel is on the other end of the interpretative spectrum. He never bangs on the keys. His careful voicing of certain chords always makes them sound just the way he wants. His fortes are incisive rather than explosive. In slow passages, you get to meet Brendel the hypnotist. He truly knows how to create long arch-like lines while expressing the hidden nuances. Unlike the ever flexible Rosen, he keeps his pulse rock steady. Combine all these qualities with his delicately veiled tone and you are taken to the world of the subconscious.
There is no point in trying to choose between the two recordings. The lights they shed on these works are so different they are like two different movies based on the same story. Stick to only one then you will miss a lot.