Todd A
pfm Member
I find the piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven to be of slightly above average quality. I have made it a point to try to hear at least a handful of different versions of each of his piano sonatas. If only more pianists would endeavor to record some of these rarely recorded sonatas!
Over my years of collecting, I have never sat down and done what needed to be done: compare all recordings I possess of a given sonata. I figured it was about time. But which sonata? I could have gone late, but I wanted to do something else. I've always been exceedingly fond of the Op 31 sonatas, seeing them as a crucial trio in the composer's development, so I landed there instead. Here, making the choice was easy. The Third. The Hunt. It's the best. So time to give it a go, with fresh ears, abandoning all pre- or even post-conceptions. Given the large number of recordings, I will provide briefer descriptions than I sometimes do, at least in some cases. My ultimate goal is to find The One. There surely must be one that smites all others! (Or not.) So, time to dig into the 125 recordings I possess as of the time I e-scribble these words.
Why start with one version of the sonata from one pianist when one can start with three versions?! The great Arthur Rubinstein, not typically a name I associate with Beethoven sonatas, appears to have dug this sonata, as he recorded thrice.
Rubinstein's first recording from 1946 starts off with a comfortable and fun Allegro. No reason to adopt a too strict approach, and why not let the music breathe a bit. I hate to use the word, but there's a naturalness to the playing. It just feels right. As does the just plain fun Scherzo. Some other pianists bring a more absolute sense of command and tighter playing, but this is 78s era, so it's closer to live. The Menuetto is fairly old school in approach in the outer sections, quite lovely and somewhat gentle, and the Trio is not quite a barnburner, though it’s got pep. The Presto is rather fiery, rambunctious, and nearly reckless. Nice.
The 1954 recording is similar in overall conception, but it is slowed down a bit, and though benefitting from more forgiving studio conditions, has a couple places where one might wish for tighter playing. One might also think the outer sections of the Menuetto are too beautifully played, but then one might think, nope, that's silly, it's wonderful. Overall, this recording is a step down qualitatively.
The 1976 recording, issued twice, comes from an era when Daniel Barenboim waged war on sighted fans by wearing seizure-inducing jackets. Rubinstein takes the opening Allegro at a very pastoral sounding Andante tempo, playing carefully. The Scherzo still has enough pep to satisfy, and the very careful Menuetto holds together slightly better than the '54 recording. The Presto is quite fine. Overall, this is a bit better than the '54, but not as good as the '46.
Over my years of collecting, I have never sat down and done what needed to be done: compare all recordings I possess of a given sonata. I figured it was about time. But which sonata? I could have gone late, but I wanted to do something else. I've always been exceedingly fond of the Op 31 sonatas, seeing them as a crucial trio in the composer's development, so I landed there instead. Here, making the choice was easy. The Third. The Hunt. It's the best. So time to give it a go, with fresh ears, abandoning all pre- or even post-conceptions. Given the large number of recordings, I will provide briefer descriptions than I sometimes do, at least in some cases. My ultimate goal is to find The One. There surely must be one that smites all others! (Or not.) So, time to dig into the 125 recordings I possess as of the time I e-scribble these words.
Why start with one version of the sonata from one pianist when one can start with three versions?! The great Arthur Rubinstein, not typically a name I associate with Beethoven sonatas, appears to have dug this sonata, as he recorded thrice.
Rubinstein's first recording from 1946 starts off with a comfortable and fun Allegro. No reason to adopt a too strict approach, and why not let the music breathe a bit. I hate to use the word, but there's a naturalness to the playing. It just feels right. As does the just plain fun Scherzo. Some other pianists bring a more absolute sense of command and tighter playing, but this is 78s era, so it's closer to live. The Menuetto is fairly old school in approach in the outer sections, quite lovely and somewhat gentle, and the Trio is not quite a barnburner, though it’s got pep. The Presto is rather fiery, rambunctious, and nearly reckless. Nice.
The 1954 recording is similar in overall conception, but it is slowed down a bit, and though benefitting from more forgiving studio conditions, has a couple places where one might wish for tighter playing. One might also think the outer sections of the Menuetto are too beautifully played, but then one might think, nope, that's silly, it's wonderful. Overall, this recording is a step down qualitatively.
The 1976 recording, issued twice, comes from an era when Daniel Barenboim waged war on sighted fans by wearing seizure-inducing jackets. Rubinstein takes the opening Allegro at a very pastoral sounding Andante tempo, playing carefully. The Scherzo still has enough pep to satisfy, and the very careful Menuetto holds together slightly better than the '54 recording. The Presto is quite fine. Overall, this is a bit better than the '54, but not as good as the '46.