Customer Reviews

Piano Sonatas 1-32

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Pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, born in 1946, was a Wunderkind. He began studies at the Vienna College of Music at the age of five and won his first major competition in Munich when he was fifteen. He has since developed into a protean artist, performing on all five continents with the world's most renowned orchestras and conductors.

Buchbinder has recorded the 62 Haydn piano sonatas, the 27 Mozart concertos, and here, the 32 Beethoven sonatas. All these discs are solidly packaged in multiple jewel cases contained by a sturdy hardbound case. There is commentary and background information in German, French and English.

The most striking features of Buchbinder's style are his lively tempo, light touch and absolutely perfect precision. No one will ever accuse Herr Buchbinder of missing a note.

And compared to the emotion laden readings of Rubenstein, Arrau, Kuerti, Gilels, Brendel, et al, Buchbinder would have to be considered a minimalist. He follows the notation on the page and plays the notes with robotic perfection, but there is no probing inwardness, no heavy dramatics. The up side to this is that there is also no sentimentality, no false emotion.

Buchbinder has been criticized for "playing ahead of the note." Perhaps this is just his unique style. He does have a forward sense of motion, almost a sense of urgency in many passages. This gives the impression that the tempo is increasing when it is not. It lends a sense of vitality to his otherwise workmanlike approach.

The first passage that made me sit up and take notice was the third movement of the Appassionata. This old chestnut has almost become trite, sort of pop-Beethoven. Buchbinder plays the entire piece in a dispassionate frenzy, if such a thing is possible. The final movement has a blazing power unequalled in my memory. It woke me up to Buchbinder's incredible virtuosity.

Another highlight is Les Adieux. Here there is a light, ethereal touch that is simply beautiful. It is sheer music, sans depth psychology. And the same can be said of the late sonatas, No, 28, 30 and 31. In each of these I heard new sounds that were freed from the personal and transformed as pure music, into the universal.

I recommend Buchbinder, the masterful virtuoso and purist, to anyone who enjoys the classics.

I have not heard this set, but the price for this on the used market is outrageous now that this has been re-released. Thought you should know.