PURPOSE OF THIS YAHOO GROUP - BEETHOVEN SONATAS The purpose of this Yahoo group is to discuss recordings of the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas in order to identify...
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Dec 13, 2008 6:04 pm
Preliminary Rankings: Recordings of Beethoven Sonata #1, Op. 2, No. 2 The first recording ("01") is considered to be the "best" recording, the second one is...
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pbarach1
Dec 14, 2008 1:08 pm
... I don't see the point of this mere list of what you liked, because I have no idea how you chose the ordering. Some descriptions of the recordings, and why...
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Dec 15, 2008 3:26 pm
Your question is a good question. I have only a moment right now to attempt a very quick answer. I'll try to answer your question at greater length by...
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dmanildi
Dec 15, 2008 8:21 pm
To this new group: Mr. Mathisen and I had a lengthy, in-person conversation about his objectives just before the group was launched. I raised a number of ...
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Dec 16, 2008 3:59 pm
Don, Thank you for your excellent questions! (And thank you for the benefit of your knowledge and wisdom.) I summarize each of your questions below and offer...
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NEIL WALKER
neil335667
Dec 16, 2008 4:25 pm
I don't think we're going to get 'proper' answers to any of these questions, probably because there aren't any. What I hope we shall get are some interesting...
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dmanildi
Dec 16, 2008 6:09 pm
Dick, thanks for your responses - they definitely help to carry the discussion further. For the moment I would be interested in seeing you pursue the mentioned...
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Dec 16, 2008 7:11 pm
Don, The person who mentioned Van Cliburn's Op 2, No 1, was someone named D. B. Rathbun from the Washington DC area in an Amazon review of Ashkenazy's...
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Dec 17, 2008 7:52 am
Database -- Timings and Repeats I have maintained a database of information about each of the recordings of Beethoven sonatas. One subject of interest is the...
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dmanildi
Dec 17, 2008 3:58 pm
... D. B. Rathbun from the Washington DC area in an Amazon review of Ashkenazy's Beethoven cycle. He mentions it in passing. ... His comments about Beethoven...
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Dec 17, 2008 5:06 pm
Don, Very interesting! Thanks for the information. At least I won't spend any more time or effort looking for these recordings! Dick Mathisen ... From:...
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Dec 17, 2008 6:35 pm
My methodology has been to listen to recordings consecutively in a single sitting. For Op 2-1, my records indicate I did this seven separate times, making...
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dmanildi
Dec 18, 2008 4:02 pm
I wouldn't rank Schiff anywhere in the top fifteen. In the opening statement and its recurrences he pecks at the music with a prissy stacatissimo. He employs...
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NEIL WALKER
neil335667
Dec 18, 2008 4:27 pm
I am not at all sure that you can 'do rankings' in this way. In my thirties I sat down to try and list the 50 'Greatest' Composers'. I found after about two...
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Dec 18, 2008 7:59 pm
Don, Before I comment on Schiff's recording of Op 2-1, I want to thank you for your careful use of subject headings. These make the archives more helpful and...
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Dec 19, 2008 7:58 pm
Neil, You raise an interesting question in your latest note. You say "Some of the most interesting comparisons I think will be found in recordings of pianists...
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gerricollins2001
gerricollins...
Dec 19, 2008 10:47 pm
... By accident, I heard the Schiff recording of 2/1 on a Classics Channel on Direct TV Tuesday or Wed. nite. Whereas I liked overall his performance, I too...
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mauricio1850
Dec 20, 2008 1:25 pm
I would be helpful if you could upload the sonata so that all of us could appreciate it also. He is one of my favorite pianists....
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gperkins151
Dec 25, 2008 2:15 am
... the second one is the second best recording, etc. When a pianist has recorded more than one complete sonata cycle, they are distinguished by numbers....
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gperkins151
Dec 25, 2008 2:17 am
... I have written elsewhere that Schiff is much more adept at studying and lecturing on the sonatas than actually playing them....
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gperkins151
Dec 25, 2008 2:33 am
I just read the post that asks for explanations so I will add some thoughts about why I chose each performance (where I can recall the reason) 1. A Tie - Artur...
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Dec 25, 2008 11:17 pm
Thank you very much for the list of your top 10 recordings of Op 2-3! I also really appreciate the listing of the recordings you considered but which did not...
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gperkins151
Dec 26, 2008 4:48 pm
Nice to hear from you Richard! First of all, you said Op.2-3 below. I was referring to Op.2, No.1. Was yours simply a typo? With the Richter, which performance...
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NEIL WALKER
neil335667
Dec 29, 2008 3:46 pm
Richard - Â Â Â Â Â Well, the former, really. I've never done this sort of thing with Beethoven Sonatas, or indeed with any Beethoven, but I did once try to...
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NEIL WALKER
neil335667
Jan 4, 2009 1:09 pm
Just wondering where one of my favoured Beethoven pianists, John Lill, features in your ponderings. I've always thought his performances of the Beethoven and...
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dmanildi
Jan 4, 2009 6:29 pm
In my opinion the absence of Bruce Hungerford's recordings from consideration here is significant. Before his death in 1977 that prevented the completion of...
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gperkins151
Jan 4, 2009 6:49 pm
I must say that I am not a fan of Mr. Lill's. I own his Rach 3 and Sonata 2 and neither are among my favorites for either works. As a result, I haven't sought...
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gperkins151
Jan 4, 2009 6:58 pm
I haven't ignored him, he just is not among my favorites for this work. The third movement is played too slowly for me and the finale lacks excitement....
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Richard Mathisen
richardmathisen
Jan 5, 2009 6:17 am
Neil, I've been away on vacation for a week and I'm trying to catch on these notes. Regarding Lili Kraus, the only Beethoven sonata recordings I have are from...
