BEETHOVEN

Favourite Piano Sonatas

CD1

Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 27 No. 2 ‘Moonlight’

1 I. Adagio sostenuto

2 II. Allegretto

3 III. Presto agitato

Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor Op. 13 ‘Pathétique’

4 I. Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio

5 II. Adagio cantabile

6 III. Rondo: Allegro

Piano Sonata No.3 in F minor Op.57 ‘Appassionata’

7 I. Allegro assai

8 II. Andante con moto

9 III. Allegro ma non troppo

CD2

Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat Op. 106 ‘Hammerklavier’

1 I. Allegro

2 II. Scherzo: Assai vivace

3 III. Adagio sostenuto

4 IV. Largo – Allegro risoluto

Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat Op. 81a ‘Les Adieux’

5 I. Les Adieux: Adagio – Allegro

6 II. L’Absence: Andante espressivo

7 III. Le Retour: Vivacissimamente

CD3

Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor Op.1 No. ‘Tempest’

1 I. Largo – Allegro – Adagio

2 II.Adagio

3 III.Allegretto

Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Op. 53 ‘Waldstein’

4 I. Allegro con brio

5 II. Introduzione: Adagio molto

6 III. Rondo: Allegretto moderato – Prestissimo

Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Op. 28 ‘Pastoral’

7 I. Allegro

8 II. Andante

9 III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace – Trio

Alfred Brendel

Alfred Brendel may have disowned these recordings made for Vox Records in the dawn of his long career, but they still have the power to touch and to move, with a freshness of response that inevitably comes from a young man’s Beethoven, illuminated of course by the sovreign technique and musical intelligence that would only broaden and deepen as the years went by. Brendel has retired from performance now, but we can count ourselves lucky to have these mementoes of a performer for whom perfection and inspiration were never to be considered contradictory qualities or aims. Included in this set of superb value are the ‘named’ piano sonatas that anyone who comes to Beethoven, and to his piano music, quickly grows to love, and perhaps later to know and understand: The ‘Moonlight’ ‘Appassionata’ ‘Hammerklavier’ ‘Pathétique’ ‘Les Adieux’ ‘Tempest’ ‘Waldstein’ ‘Pastoral’.

Alfred Brendels first recording of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas are a landmark of youthful exuberance, a typically young man’s Beethoven, full of vigour, virtuosity and spontaneity. This set offers a generous selection of famous piano sonatas, all with nicknames, and therefore known by a wide audience.

Brilliant Classics 3cds 94272