Product Description

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Genre: Classical Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 19-MAR-1991

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2/1: Allegro
2. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2/1: Adagio
3. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2/1: Meneutto, Allegretto
4. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2/1: Prestissimo
5. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2/3: Allegro con brio
6. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2/3: Adagio
7. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2/3: Scherzo, Allegro
8. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2/3: Allegro assai
9. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: Allegro molto e con brio
10. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: Largo, con gran espressione
11. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: Allegro
12. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: Rondo, Poco Allegretto e grazioso

Disc 2:

1. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2/2: Allegro vivace
2. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2/2: Largo appassionato
3. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2/2: Scherzo, Allegretto
4. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2/2: Rondo, Grazioso
5. Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10/1: Allegro molto e con brio
6. Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10/1: Adagio molto
7. Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10/1: Finale, Prestissimo
8. Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major, Op. 10/2: Allegro
9. Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major, Op. 10/2: Allegretto
10. Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major, Op. 10/2: Presto
11. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, Op. 10/3: Presto
12. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, Op. 10/3: Largo e mesto
13. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, Op. 10/3: Menuetto, Allegro
14. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, Op. 10/3: Rondo, Allegro

Disc 3:

1. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ('Pathétique'), Op. 13: Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
2. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ('Pathétique'), Op. 13: Andante cantabile
3. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ('Pathétique'), Op. 13: Rondo, Allegro
4. Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op. 14/1: Allegro
5. Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op. 14/1: Allegretto
6. Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op. 14/1: Rondo, Allegro comodo
7. Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14/2: Allegro
8. Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14/2: Andante
9. Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14/2: Scherzo, Allegro assai
10. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B flat major, Op. 22: Allegro con brio
11. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B flat major, Op. 22: Adagio con molta espressione
12. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B flat major, Op. 22: Menuetto
13. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B flat major, Op. 22: Rondo, Allegretto

Disc 4:

1. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major ('Quasi una fantasia'), Op. 27/1: Andante - Allegro
2. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major ('Quasi una fantasia'), Op. 27/1: Allegro molto e vivace
3. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major ('Quasi una fantasia'), Op. 27/1: Adagio con espressione - Allegro vivace
4. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ('Moonlight'), Op. 27/2: Adagio sostenuto
5. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ('Moonlight'), Op. 27/2: Allegretto
6. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ('Moonlight'), Op. 27/2: Presto agitato
7. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: Allegro
8. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: Andante
9. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: Scherzo, Allegro assai
10. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: Rondo, Allegro ma non troppo
11. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: Allegro
12. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: Allegretto vivace
13. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: Meneutto, Moderato e grazioso
14. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: Presto con fuoco
15. Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor, Op. 49/1: Andante
16. Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor, Op. 49/1: Rondo, Allegro

Disc 5:

1. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A flat major ('Funeral March'), Op. 26: Andante con Variazoni
2. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A flat major ('Funeral March'), Op. 26: Scherzo, Allegro molto
3. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A flat major ('Funeral March'), Op. 26: Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un Eroe
4. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A flat major ('Funeral March'), Op. 26: Allegro
5. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G major, Op. 31/1: Allegro vivace
6. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G major, Op. 31/1: Adagio grazioso
7. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G major, Op. 31/1: Rondo, Allegretto
8. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31/2: Largo - Allegro
9. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31/2: Adagio/ Allegretto
10. Piano Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op. 49/2: Allegro ma non troppo
11. Piano Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op. 49/2: Tempo di Menuetto

Disc 6:

1. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major ('Waldstein'), Op. 53
2. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major ('Waldstein'), Op. 53
3. Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major, Op. 54: In tempo d'un Menuetto
4. Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major, Op. 54: Allegretto
5. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor ('Appassionata'), Op. 57
6. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor ('Appassionata'), Op. 57
7. Piano Sonata No. 24 in F sharp major ('A Thérèse'), Op. 78: Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo
8. Piano Sonata No. 24 in F sharp major ('A Thérèse'), Op. 78: Allegro vivace
9. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major ('Cuckoo'), Op. 79: Presto alla tedesca
10. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major ('Cuckoo'), Op. 79: Andante Vivace

Disc 7:

1. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major ('Les Adieux'), Op. 81a
2. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major ('Les Adieux'), Op. 81a
3. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: Etwas lebhaft, und mit der innigsten Empfindung, Allegretto ma non troppo
4. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: Lebhaft, marschmabig, Vivace alla Marcia
5. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: Adagio ma not troppo / Allegro
6. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: Allegro
7. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: Scherzo, Assai vivace
8. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: Adagio sostenuto, Appassionato e on molto sentimento
9. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: Largo, Allegro risoluto / Fuga

Disc 8:

1. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90: Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
2. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90: Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen
3. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109: Vivace, ma non troppo
4. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109: Prestissimo
5. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109: Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo, Gesangvoll, mi innigster Empfindung
6. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110: Moderato cantabile molto espressivo
7. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110: Allegro molto
8. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110: Adagio ma non troppo / Fuga, Allegro ma non troppo
9. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111: Maestoso / Allegro con brio ed appassionato
10. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111: Arietta, Adagio molto semplice e cantabile

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70316 in Music
• Brand: SCHANABEL,ARTUR
• Released on: 1991-03-15
• Number of discs: 8
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .92 pounds

Amazon.com
Dating from 1932-35, this was the first complete cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas ever recorded. It has remained available almost continuously since it was first issued, a testimonial to the staying power of these legendary performances. Other pianists may have approached Beethoven with more secure technique, and there are certainly other conceptions of this music that deserve our attention. But the intellectual comprehension and--especially!--the intense emotional projection of Artur Schnabel's performances will remain treasures as long as listeners love Beethoven's music. Competing editions of these recordings on other labels generally cost more and don't improve on EMI's transfers. Treat yourself to this set, ignore some technical struggles in the late sonatas, and you're in for a great voyage of Beethoven discovery. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews

Seek out the Dante set
I first bought Schnabel's complete Beethoven Sonatas in a big Angel LP box set back in 1963 - paying for it with the proceeds from many a high school lawn mowing allowance. Later on I got the mono Kempff set from the 1950's on DG - which I still have. Then came the Phillips set by Arrau - these three sets gave me many hours of fascinating comparisons, with the Schnabel my over-all favorite.

When I decided to get the Schnabel set on CD, I first did a few comparisons. I was frankly appalled when I heard this EMI set - it is distinctly inferior even to my Angel LP's (which in turn I suspect were inferior to the earlier RCA LPs). Then I had an opportunity to hear the Pearl set. In the main I found the Pearls to be "plain Jane," unfiltered transfers from pretty noisy 78's. Then I chanced to come across the 14-disc Dante set, which also includes all the miscellaneous Beethoven piano music recorded by Schnabel (bagatelles, variations, etc.) PLUS the 5 concertoes with Malcolm Sargent AND the later Emperor with Galliera. I was lucky: the 14-disc set was selling as a discontinued remainder item for just $28. The sound is superb - vastly superior to anything else I have heard.

Schnabel's interpretations are inspired, even when his fingers are hitting a few wrong notes (most notably in the Hammerklavier Sonata - and even there, his Adagio is simply unequalled in my experience). I also treasure a CD box set of the complete sonatas recorded in the 1950's for EMI by French pianist Yves Nat, some of whose performances I even prefer to Schnabel's. These two box sets are the cornerstone of my Beethoven piano collection - they are supplemented by many individual sonatas from the likes of Richter, Levy, Renard, Hungerford, and Gieseking.

My advice: Schnabel's Beethoven Sonata recordings belong in any serious piano collection. However, I would definitely avoid this EMI set and explore the alternatives. My choice is the Dante set.

The Best but...
I had this set and was completely satisfied with it for the longest time, until I wanted more Schanbel playing Beethoven. I did some research on the net and found a set on ebay that not only contained the complete Sonatas but had all the Concertos, Variations and Bagatells that Schnabel did! Let me tell you again. THE COMPLETE SOLO PIANO AND CONCERTO RECORDINGS OF BEETHOVEN BY SCHNABEL!!! This was too good to be true, so I went out on a limb and ordered it. When I got it, I was holding gold my friend! 14 CD's in a slim case boxed set! Okay, so I'm happy eh, but now for the transfer test...I compared the EMI tranfers to the transfers this French label called DANTE did. Absolutely unbelievable! I'm listening to the Dante versions and I hear clarity, volume and depth, and hardly any hiss! I put on the EMI versions and I hear large hiss, muffled clarity and hardly any piano depth from the recordings. I was astounded! I immediatly sold the EMI. Now, I also noticed that in the EMI, they don't always give each movement its own track, they sometimes link 2 movements together in 1 track (weird). But in the Dante they give each movement its own track and present the sonatas in complete chronological order, whereas in the EMI the order of the sonatas are mixed up a bit (which doesnt matter anyway). But I'm just letting you know. The Pearl transfers are better than EMI, and the Naxos are not bad too, except for the full hiss. but these are all available as singles pretty much right now. If you invested in all of these, you'd wind up with no more room in your collection!

If you want "the" Schnabel set, spend the time to look for the DANTE 14 CD slim box set, remember I found it on ebay. I paid full price though, but it's been the best purchase I ever made in my life! (I would still recommend the EMI set to anybody, just because it's Schnabel playing Beethoven).

GOOD LUCK and ENJOY!

A Masterpiece
I feel the last reviewer was overly negative about this set, despite making some legitimate points. First let me say that I do not recommend the present set as a first choice for the complete sonatas, much less as a first choice for a cd purchase of some the sonatas. I recommend either complete version by Kempff over the present one. For an introduction to the sonatas, my main recommendation are the recordings by Solomon. Solomon recorded 18 of the 32 sonatas, including the popular named sonatas and the last sonatas, and these recordings are my prime recommendation.

Having made these recommendations, I point out that for a pianophile, one should have as many recordings of the Beethoven sonatas by as many pianists as possible. Afterall, these are some of the very deepest and most beautiful creations in the piano literature. I recommend having recordings by Solomon, Kempff, Richter, Brendel, Kovacevich, and Schnabel.

The talent of Schnabel lies in his interpretation of the music, his intellectual, musical, and spiritual understanding of the music. Schnabel was never considered a great piano virtuoso and technician in his own day, but rather a musician. Sometimes his technical flaws do distract from the music. Schnabel's genius lies in his ability to capture the essence of the character of the music. I don't agree with the last reviewer's remarks that we've surpassed Schnabel in the years since these recordings. I doubt many pianists nowadays have a better understanding of the music of Beethoven's sonatas than Schabel, or could even approach his understanding. Certainly many people could execute the notes more perfectly, but the same was true in Schnabel's own day. He was never considered a great technician.

I wasn't bothered much by the sound quality of the recording, contrary to some other reviewers. I think recordings of Schnabel belong in any library of Beethoven sonatas, though it really depends on what you can afford and how far you have progressed in your purchases. If you haven't a lot of other recordings already, you might be somewhat disappointed if you make this purchase. But if you've already explored Solomon, Kempff, and Richter, I recommend trying out Schnabel.