Howdy

Am looking for opinions on which Beethoven sonata box set to get. I am a 55 year old beginner just getting my feet wet in the piano world. When I wanted to get a set of Mozart sonatas and Bach Well Tempered I listened to some samples at CD Now and liked the Andras Schiff the best. If I like the Schiff sound, which Beethoven would I like. Or is this question not appropriate here?

Your opinions on or offlist will be appreciated. Or is this kind of question not appropriate here?

-- ray hanrahan (razorio@aol.com), February 21, 2002

Answers

Alfred Brendel is my favorite.

-- Arlene Steffen (asteffen@fresno.edu), February 22, 2002.

Ray,

I am wondering why you want to buy this. If it is to familiarize yourself with the sonatas, why not attend as many live performances of them as possible instead? The trouble with making major purchases like this, I think, is that you listen to them often enough that the recordings begin to define for you *how* the sonatas should go, instead of allowing you to find out the *how* for yourself.

I remember when I was young having listened often to a recording of one of the sonatas by a famous pianist. Unknowingly I adopted his mannerisms when I began to study the piece - I just thought that was how the piece was supposed to sound. It was very difficult to unlearn what I had unconsciously picked up from the record.

It is especially troublesome when you listen to it over and over, or if you are relatively inexperienced and do not have the tools to understand everything that is being done by a performer--that is, to recognize how personal mannerisms may or may not support the music.

If you are rich, then buy the set by several different pianists, listen to each recording only once and then give them away. But by all means, don't listen to the same pianist play the sonatas over and over! Spend your time with a good teacher learning to play one well instead. Good luck.

-- Alan (noname_poster@yahoo.com), February 23, 2002.

Combined both responses above by getting Vol 2 & 3 of Brendel's version Beet sonatas. All for under 25 bucks. I already had Ashkenazy's Moonlight, Appassionata & Pathetique.

Thanx-- Ray

-- ray (razorio@aol.com), March 02, 2002.

I know this post is coming much later but my favorite set of boxed CD's of Beethoven is done by Richard Goode. Richard is today's leading expert on Beethoven. I have heard him perform and he is outstanding. He has recorded ALL of the Beethoven Sonata's in a 6 CD set. It is quite pricey - $130.00 at Tower Records (special order only), yet worth the investment. You will have many years of enjoyment from this set. And, go hear him in concert. He comes to the Civic Opera House in Chicago every March.

-- Audrey Dobbs (rytenote@ameritech.net), September 06, 2002.