Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G major, Op. 31/1: Allegro vivace
2. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G major, Op. 31/1: Adagio grazioso
3. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G major, Op. 31/1: Rondo, Allegretto
4. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31/2: Largo - Allegro
5. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31/2: Adagio
6. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31/2: Allegretto
7. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: Allegro
8. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: Allegretto vivace
9. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: Meneutto, Moderato e grazioso
10. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: Presto con fuoco

Disc 2:

1. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major ('Waldstein'), Op. 53: Allegro con brio
2. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major ('Waldstein'), Op. 53: Introduction, Adagio molto
3. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major ('Waldstein'), Op. 53: Rondo, Allegretto moderato
4. Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major, Op. 54: In tempo d'un Menuetto
5. Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major, Op. 54: Allegretto
6. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: Etwas lebhaft, und mit der innigsten Empfindung, Allegretto ma non troppo
7. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: Lebhaft, marschmabig, Vivace alla Marcia
8. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll, Adagio ma non troppo, con affetto
9. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101: Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossenheit, Allegro
10. Andante for piano in F major ('Andante favori') WoO 57

Disc 3:

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. 13 in E flat major ('Quasi una fantasia'), Op. 27/1: Andante
6. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major ('Quasi una fantasia'), Op. 27/1: Allegro molto e vivace
7. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major ('Quasi una fantasia'), Op. 27/1: ADagio con espresione
8. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major ('Quasi una fantasia'), Op. 27/1: Allegro vivace
9. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ('Moonlight'), Op. 27/2: Adagio sostenuto
10. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ('Moonlight'), Op. 27/2: Allegretto
11. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ('Moonlight'), Op. 27/2: Presto agitato
12. Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor, Op. 49/1: Andante
13. Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor, Op. 49/1: Rondo, Allegro

Disc 4:

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. 2 in A major, Op. 2/2: Allegro vivace
6. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2/2: Largo appassionato
7. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2/2: Scherzo, Allegretto
8. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2/2: Rondo, Grazioso
9. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2/3: Allegro con brio
10. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2/3: Adagio
11. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2/3: Scherzo, Allegro
12. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2/3: Allegro assai

Disc 5:

1. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ('Path�tique'), Op. 13: Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
2. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ('Path�tique'), Op. 13: Andante cantabile
3. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ('Path�tique'), 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 6:

1. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major ('Cuckoo'), Op. 79: Presto alla tedesca
2. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major ('Cuckoo'), Op. 79: Andante
3. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major ('Cuckoo'), Op. 79: Vivace
4. Piano Sonata No. 24 in F sharp major ('A Th�r�se'), Op. 78: Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo
5. Piano Sonata No. 24 in F sharp major ('A Th�r�se'), Op. 78: Allegro vivace
6. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90: Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
7. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90: Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen
8. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor ('Appassionata'), Op. 57: Allegro assai
9. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor ('Appassionata'), Op. 57: Andante con moto
10. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor ('Appassionata'), Op. 57: Allegro ma non troppo

Disc 7:

1. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: Allegro molto e con brio
2. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: Largo, con gran espressione
3. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: Allegro
4. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: Rondo, Poco Allegretto e grazioso
5. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: Allegro
6. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: Andante
7. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: Scherzo, Allegro assai
8. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: Rondo, Allegro ma non troppo
9. Piano Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op. 49/2: Allegro ma non troppo
10. Piano Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op. 49/2: Tempo di Menuetto

Disc 8:

1. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: Allegro
2. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: Scherzo, Assai vivace
3. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: Adagio sostenuto, Appassionato e on molto sentimento
4. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: Largo, Allegro risoluto / Fuga
5. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major ('Les Adieux'), Op. 81a: Adagio - Allegro
6. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major ('Les Adieux'), Op. 81a: Andante espressivo
7. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major ('Les Adieux'), Op. 81a: Vivacissimamente

Disc 9:

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

Disc 10:

1. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109: Vivace, ma non troppo
2. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109: Prestissimo
3. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109: Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo, Gesangvoll, mi innigster Empfindung
4. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110: Moderato cantabile molto espressivo
5. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110: Allegro molto
6. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110: Adagio ma non troppo
7. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110: Fuga, Allegro ma non troppo
8. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111: Maestoso / Allegro con brio ed appassionato
9. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111: Arietta, Adagio molto semplice e cantabile

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #106484 in Music
• Brand: Philips
• Released on: 1996-11-19
• Number of discs: 10
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: 1.31 pounds

Customer Reviews

Luminous, enchanting...
This collection is one of the finest possessions that any lover of music--classical or otherwise-- could possibly own. Alfred Brendel's interpretation of Beethoven's serious, probing piano works is in my opinion among the greatest interpretive achievements of the 20th century, and these recordings capture Brendel's performance in a luminous, ambient sonic wonderland that I find all but overwhelming. You will be drawn into a poetic and reflective space that will astound, enchant, and disturb you... consider Brendel's statement about the slow movement of the Moonlight Sonata, hideously sentimentalized by most artists: in Brendel's words, it's "a mystic realm of awe and shuddering." Think about this, and listen to Brendel's interpretation, and you'll have a great start on this rich, deep, expansive collection of total artistry. Avoiding bombast, Brendel lays bare the incredible architecture that underlies Beethoven's work, and in so doing Brendel fully unleashes Beethoven's artistic and emotional power, a world of musical romance and argumentation that begins to speak to you with an eloquence ranging far beyond the complexities of speech. With Brendel as your guide, you are ushered into a world in which you fully perceive Beethoven's creative genius; before you opens a world of depth and insight and enchantment and meaning. This recording belongs in the library of any serious lover of classical music--and indeed, of any person who believes that music and its performance speak with eloquence of something that is inexpressably deep and meaningful about human existence, something that only music can fully describe. It's very hard to put into words... just listen. A final note: the overwhelming power of this collection isn't a mere matter of sonic trickery; four of the performances are live performances selected by Brendel himself as superior to the studio recordings, despite the live performances' inferior acoustics; believe me, you won't care. (The audiences are very quiet, which doesn't surprise me; undoubtedly, they were drawn into Brendel's performances to the point of reverence.) Every one of the performances in this collection draws you into a world in which every single note penned by Beethoven matters deeply, and Brendel's artistry is such that, somehow, you understand why.

As good as it gets
Brendel is not the flashiest of pianists: generally, he eschews bombast. There are those who will prefer a greater sense of physical excitement, especially in movements like the finale of the Hammerklavier Sonata (Op. 106). But there is never any exaggeration, or excessive underlining of points: one gets the feeling listening to these that there is no-one standing between yourself and the music.

The piano sound is, generally, very successfully captured, and Brendel's tone and clarity of line are exquisite. He gives the early sonatas their proper weight (listen, for instance, to the tragic intensity of the slow movement of Op. 10 No. 3); gives an absolutely sensational performance of - amongst others - the Pastoral Sonata (Op. 28); and as for those visionary late sonatas... there are several great recordings of these, but none more satisfying than these.

The liner notes, incidentally, are by the distinguished Beethoven scholar William Kinderman, and are excellent. If I were forced to live with only one item from my CD collection, this box would be it.

A classical Pianist from New Hampshire
I have never heard anything like Alfred Brendel's recording. It is absolutely the best Beethoven I have ever heard. Alfred Brendel is the best Beethoven interpreter in the world and this is the definitive recording. The slow movements, in particular, are interpreted beyond comparison. I've heard Barenboim, Schnabel, Ashkenazy, and many others, but none compare to the supreme beauty and passion that Brendel puts into his interpretation. The fact that they're digital makes it all the more worthwhile to buy this glorious cycle. Don't be daunted by the price, believe me, it will be among the very best, if not the best purchace of a recording you will ever make.