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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I love the music of Beethoven and especially his piano sonatas, symphonies and string quartets. Also I have listened to a LOT of different interpretations and can with certainty say that Brendel is among the absolute winners. And here I'm first of all thinking about the overall performance; it really has depth, musicality and transcendence - in other words; here is a man who understands Beethoven's music.
This is not to say that everything is "perfect" - maybe sometimes one is missing a little clarity - a little more extra technical brilliance, but I believe that it doesn't really matter, because he really tells the story and that is the most important thing. Just listen to the famous 1'rst movement of the "Moonlight Sonata" - a piece that have been played to death, but in Brendel's hands it is a sheer joy - deep and profound, it cannot be any better.
It is a shame that they haven't reissued he's complete performances from the 70's, with an updated mastering, because he's new rerecording of all the sonatas is definitely not as good as the ones from the 70's. You will not regret buying these selected sonatas (from the 70's) - it's just great.
This is not to say that everything is "perfect" - maybe sometimes one is missing a little clarity - a little more extra technical brilliance, but I believe that it doesn't really matter, because he really tells the story and that is the most important thing. Just listen to the famous 1'rst movement of the "Moonlight Sonata" - a piece that have been played to death, but in Brendel's hands it is a sheer joy - deep and profound, it cannot be any better.
It is a shame that they haven't reissued he's complete performances from the 70's, with an updated mastering, because he's new rerecording of all the sonatas is definitely not as good as the ones from the 70's. You will not regret buying these selected sonatas (from the 70's) - it's just great.
171 of 175 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Alfred Brendel is well known and well respected by the musical community as a great interpreter of Beethoven, but the recordings on this cycle are second to none. Alfred Brendel brings the discipline of perfect precision to the music in a way that I have never experienced before; regardless of speed or complexity, each note stands on its own and yet is perfectly part of the whole. One might expect there to be some reduction in expressiveness as a result of such amazing precision, but quite the reverse is true. The feeling that runs through the pieces is wholly genuine, and Brendel never allows technical ability to compromise artistic integrity. Consider the 3rd movement of the Waldstein sonata. The subtlety of the rendition is second to none, and one feels intimately attached to the music, as though Beethoven himself were playing through him. The shifts in velocity, tempo, colour and just the general feeling of the piece are simultaneously uplifting and captivating. Despite this wonder of expressiveness there is never any inappropriate enrichment or thickening of tone, a trap that so many great performers seem unable to escape.
This is what it must have been like to hear Liszt perform Beethoven - Alfred Brendel is at the same time a master of precision and expression, one for whom technique and form are as one.
62 of 64 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The original recordings may be over thirty years old,but the combination of first-rate transfer to CD and Alfred Brendel's superb interpretation of Beethoven's piano sonatas,make this collection,in my opinion,the benchmark by which other recordings should be judged. The price is amazing value.For me,the Moonlight especially the challenging Presto was simply wonderful.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Genius at work
Beethoven has always been my favourite composer, and Alfred Brendel my favourite pianist. These recordings were made at the height of Brendel's career. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Derek Rainbow
Musical purity
I have lots of Beethoven piano music and several of the pieces on this disc by other musicians, but having read the glowing reviews of this Alfred Brendell recording I decided to... Read more
Published 7 months ago by DOMINIC
I love decca recordings
Another fantastic CD from Decca featuring a set of amazing recordings by Alfred Brendel, absolutely masterful stuff that sounds great at high volumes, something digital downloads... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Jon
Bargain.
For [] pennies only, you get a lot of Beethoven piano music, all in one compact 2CD-package; it really is a no-brainer. Read more
Published 14 months ago by adamix
Brendel and The Master
Who better than Brendel to dip into the Beethoven Sonatas - this twin pack is a good selection from all 32 Piano Sonatas by the Great Master and it has persuaded me to seek out... Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2010 by Der Gaffer
A must for any Beethoven fan
I recently brought this CD of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas and haven't taken it out of my CD player since. Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2010 by Sm Schwetje-peters
Great starting point for piano
Recently decided to build a decent classical collection - the Philips duo series are a great value way to start. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2010 by sean neville
Brendel playing Beethoven
Alfred Brendel is often known as the pianist with the golden touch. These performances of some of the sonatas certainly sound great. Read more
Published on 9 July 2009 by Mr. Alan Massey
The Perfect Recording
Brendel sets the mark for other performers for seven of Beethoven's finest piano sonatas.
Although brendel sticks to the notes, he still manages to leave his mark on the... Read more
Although brendel sticks to the notes, he still manages to leave his mark on the... Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2008 by OK13
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