Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos [Box Set]

Customer Rating :

List Price : $111.98 Price :

Amazon.com

Claudio Arrau played with seriousness of purpose that could make other pianists seem like dilettantes and with respect for the composer's score that bordered on veneration. He had nothing but scorn for pianists who played the opening of Beethoven's Opus 111 with two hands instead of one because there were fewer risks. If something was technically difficult, Arrau assumed that the composer had written it that way because the difficulties had an expressive value that it was the interpreter's duty to find.

Arrau's devotion to Beethoven is memorialized by this budget-priced, 14-CD collection of his recordings, mostly from the 1960s, of the composer's 32 sonatas, five concertos (with Bernard Haitink conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam), and most important sets of variations. His Beethoven is not always successful. His sometimes ponderous seriousness keeps early works, such as the Sonata No. 3 and the Concerto No. 2, from smiling, and his lack of spontaneity makes the whimsy in Sonata No. 26 and the "Diabelli Variations" sound labored. But in the composer's weightiest works, Arrau can produce revelations. Certainly, no one plays Sonata No. 32 better. The first movement sounds like thunder that comes ever closer and the finale's chains of trills, played with exquisite finish and expressive perfection, transport the listener to a higher realm. If Arrau could be single-minded in his devotion to the composer's score, he also believed that music could encompass everything. When Arrau was at his best--as he frequently is in this set--it does. --Stephen Wigler

Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos [Box Set] Reviews

Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos [Box Set] Reviews

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

 ( 27 customer reviews)

27 Reviews

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful: One of many Beethoven 32+ you could call "The Best", April 4, 2004 By  R. Lane (Tracy, CA USA) - See all my reviews    This review is from: Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos [Box Set] (Audio CD) "Great Music!" can sound equally stunning and magnificent in the hands of many diverse interpreters. Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas certainly make a good case to be classified as "Great Music!", and the variety of recordings of the entire 32 is more than ample evidence for such a classification. This set features recordings made in the 1960s by the Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau, and supplements the sonatas with the complete concertos and some variations. Arrau is very thought provoking and exploratory in his readings. This is not Beethoven for the light hearted. The readings feature a wide dynamic range and emotional expressiveness. You are ever aware that it is not just Beethoven's thoughts that are being expressed in the playing; Arrau's own feelings are as ever present as the composer's. I agree with one reviewer who finds Arrau a little lacking in the scherzos. But, I can easily dismiss the shortage of "playfulness" in some moments when I get interpretations that fathom some of... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  Report abuse | Permalink   Comment 33 of 33 people found the following review helpful: Essential Arrau, essential Beethoven, March 9, 2004 By A Customer Amazon Verified Purchase( What's this?) This review is from: Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos [Box Set] (Audio CD) I have been living with the Arrau/Beethoven sonatas for over 30 years beginning with lp's pressed in the U.S., then imported from Holland, then the initial cd's & now this remastered cd box set. The latest technology brings additional life and timbre to Arrau's miraculous sound so I highly recommend this latest incarnation of what are indisputably great Beethoven recordings. As other reviewers have observed, not all of Arrau's treatments are equally inspired; but the overall level of playing & interpretation is so remarkable that there isn't much to quibble with. The primary complaint that one reads about Arrau is that he frequently played too slowly. (Conversely it can be said that Schnabel, the yardstick by which all Beethoven pianists have been measured for 75 years, often played too fast. His slow movements were divine, his fast movements could obliterate the music.) While Arrau did sometimes sound too deliberate in certain pieces of music which his temperament seemed... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  Report abuse | Permalink   Comment 31 of 32 people found the following review helpful: UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED, July 13, 2004 By  Wade Nelson (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews This review is from: Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos [Box Set] (Audio CD) This set should be considered indispensable by all lovers of the piano and/or Beethoven. I won't bother anyone with a review of any particular performance. It is enough to list a few of the many virtues of this set. VALUE It may seem like a lot of money but consider that you get over 1,000 minutes spread over 14 CD's. INTERPRETATION In my view, Arrau was the greatest interpreter of Beethoven of his generation. I will never forget seeing him perform the Emperor. Some may object to the languid tempi but to my ear, they are just right. The arietta of op.111 is sublime. RECORDING There is some faint background noise and hissing, but pay no attention. For the age of the recordings, the Philips' engineers have done an outstanding job. My only complaint (and it is very small) is that the liner notes do not do the set the treatment it deserves. Barely 5 pages with few insights seems odd, to be charitable about it. Nevertheless, a treasure to enjoy over and over... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you?  Report abuse | Permalink   Comment

Share your thoughts with other customers:

›  See all 27 customer reviews...