IMO, nobody interprets Beethoven as Daniel Barenboim does...

*Other opinions welcome, of course!*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnMLG1BIsHA

Wow, that's wonderful! I do wish I could trill like that, and he has such an amazingly light touch in the softer passages. Interesting how he leans so far back so that his arms are scarcely bent at all.

Mind you, I bet he wouldn't sound like that on my upright! I do think a lovely grand piano makes such a difference - wish I had one!

Here is a wonderful new performance of the Appassionata:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEptNFzLpjk

Edward

I definitely think he has real sensibility when it comes to Beethoven. Did you know that he's on Sky Arts (1 or 2, I forget which) at the moment, doing masterclasses and performances? He's been showing for a couple of weeks!

Thanks for that link..she makes it look so easy.



Yes, I missed the first one, but have recorded the others shown so far. Thank you.

Sorry Daisy, I just dont like Barenboim at all !! His Beethoven is almost as bad as his Mozart !

Well Fred Bach, shocked is what I am!
Barenboim IS Beethoven in a second life!!

Quite so, Ratty!

Who likes beethoven anyway :P:P

*gets coat*

Indeed! Well said!

I like Freddy Kempf!"

NOBODY plays Beethoven properly

So how do we get people banned from the forum?

Then I'm changing my name to nobody - its seems like the only hope I've got

P.S. I, too am deeply shocked at you, Fred Sharp!

I was watching a Glenn Gould video earlier..someone whom my tutor rated very highly for Beethoven performances too.

Just remembered! Its only 306 days to Beethoven's Birthday!

And only 18 years before his 200th Anniversary!

We must start planning the party. 18 years isn't that much time to get everything done.

Of course Barenboim is good. He is marvellous. most of us would be overjoyed to play half as well.

But listen to Brendel's recordings. They are phenomenal. And Artur Rubinstein is even better. And have you heard Glenn Gould's version? I always thought his Beethoven sonatas were all wrong. Too dry, too technical, too fast. but his version of the Emperor Concerto is awesome.

As for who does Beethoven best. Who knows. Nearly everyone wants to play him. There are currently available dozens of different recordings of the complete sonatas by different pianists and countless recordings of partial sets. Barenboim is in contention, but so are Artur Schnabel, Claudio Arrau, Alfredo Perl, Alfred Brendel, Annie Fischer, Robert Taub, Richard Goode, Wilhelm Kempff, and many more ...

Apparently, after his successful performance of all the Beethoven Piano Sonatas at the South Bank in London, Barenboim is going to be performing all the Beethoven Piano Concertos in two days of concerts (again at the South Bank) early next year. I saw it in the Times. Just in case any of you are interested and haven't heard about it already!

Thanks Tom. I have (some) of the Concertos and Sonatas as recorded by Brendel. Yes, they are wonderful recordings. On classic fm the other day, they played the second movement of The Emperor. I listened (as always!) and was blown away by the playing. It just happened to be Lang Lang! Not everyone's cup of tea for other performances, but I would certainly consider buying the full set of his recordings to see how he tackled the rest of the five concertos. I have seen the video of Glenn Gould, and have to agree he is "awesome"!

The boxed set (of the five concertos and nine symphonies) that I play most though is the collaboration between Barenboim and Otto Klemperer. They just have the edge for me....



Thanks for this info! I will try my best to be there!

That will be the 200th anniversary of his death. Before that (2020) we get the 250th anniversary of his birth.

It's actually over 4 days starting 29 Jan 2010. No.2 and 4 are played together but otherwise the concerto will be doubled with a Schoenberg orchestral piece each day (not quite sure why...)

Yes of course...so we only have eleven years to organise the big event...



Oh... I'll see if I can find out a bit more about it. Thanks, Panthera.

The concerts are part of the Shell Internatioanl series. Booking is already opened so there should be details on the Southbank Centre web site. But do let me know if you can't find the info as I have the brochure at home and can give you more details

Thank you. I'd better get in quick. I'll take a look at the site, and get back to you if there's any problems.

Been of line a few days, but my favourites on Beethoven Sonatas are Brendel, John Lill, Bernard Roberts (I have his complete set on Hyperion, perhaps not too well known) and of the older brigade Claudio Arrau, and Rubenstein.

I think the Brendel recordings are great. His recording of Moonlight, Pathetique and Tempest was the first "LP" I ever bought (4 week pocket money - 10/-)!

I would certainly like to get to those concerts, too.

*makes date in dairy*

Great!

Here's the link to the Southbank Centre. I'm interested in 31st Jan and 1st Feb. http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/search...

That sounds a good combination DC, Now to see if I can persuade Mrs Mole...

Good luck!

I have my tickets!!!! Just booked them for the above dates!!! Am sooooooo excited!!!!!

*I'm going to see Barenboim play "The Emperor"...wow.....*faints*

Hurry up. Moley, there doesn't seem to be many left!

You tube have clips of Rubenstein, Horowitz, Ashkenazy and Gould playing Beethoven, as well as Barenboim. To add another to the mix, I just got Angela Hewitt playing Beethoven sonatas on CD, and was very impressed. A little slower and more romantic perhaps, so along the lines of Barenboim rather than Gould.

Well the time has flown by and Pianissimole and I are off to see Barenboim tomorrow and Monday! It seemed forever away when I booked my tickets.

Will feed back after the concerts.

Have a wonderful time! Looking forward to hearing all about it soon.

Simply Brilliant!.

There is a write-up on the Telegraph website. The performance of fourth concerto in particular last night was quite impeccable . Altogether a superb couple of evenings.

And thanks also to DC for her company it's always nicer to have company to go with!

Mole

Had missed this thread completely, glad to hear that you had a great time.

ET

PianissiMole,

Stop beating about the bush! - Did you enjoy it?

Seriously, it sounds as though they were the sort of concerts that remain in one's memory for a long time. It's wonderful when that happens.

Do you know that Radio 3 is broadcasting the concerts over this week and next?

This week:

Wed: Beethoven Pno Conc No 1 and Schoenberg Pelleas & Melisande (this is Schoenberg in ultra romantic mode in case anyone wonders)

Thu: Beethoven Pno Conc Nos 2 and 4 plus Schoenberg Five Orchestral Pieces

Both start at 7pm

It would be worth recording the broadcasts to keep as a memento (I certainly intend to record them).

(If you do want the memento but have trouble recording them - get in touch.)

Glad you enjoyed it, Pianissimole! I love a really good concert - it lives on in one's mind for months.

Well....wow, wow and thrice wow! What a brilliant two evenings!

On Sunday evening we had the Emperor piano concerto . I'm pleased the piano was placed face on to the orchestra rather than sideways to the audience. I had an excellent seat and could see Barenboim playing and conducting. He puts lots of energy into it, but makes it all look so easy.

On Sunday we had the second piano concerto as well as the fourth. I agree with Moley..the fourth was beautifully performed.

It's amazing to hear these pieces live..I heard magical moments in all three concerti that I hadn't taken much notice of on CD's...the lovely oboe passage in the second movement of the second concerto for instance. And yes, I had to bite back the tears for the second movement of the Emperor!

An amazing memory to treasure.

The first of the Schoenberg pieces on Sunday night was quite melodic and calming..the second was...just noise! It must have meant something to someone, but I'm afraid it did nothing for me or Moley!

For anyone who wants to watch it, the Emperor concert was being filmed for BBC4 to be shown sometime in the summer.

Thanks very much to Moley too for your very good company!

Glad you enjoyed the concerts too, DaisyChain.

Sounds like you've both had the concert of a lifetime

I really do not like Barenboim playing Beethoven, either Sonatas or Concertos.
It's boring and has no character. Far too mechanical !

I like Brendel, personally. I have a great recording of him playing the Hammerklavier..

I think that is a little bit harsh.

I certainly have no sympathy for the view that he is the ultimate authority on Beethoven's piano works or, for all his master classes, the definitive performer of them.

Like you I find that for all his great skill, and research, and knowledge there is something not quite right about much of his Beethoven playing - at least on his recordings. [Of course I wish I could play them so "badly"!]. But he still surprises with quite a few sonatas that are beautifully played. For example, I think he plays Op 14 No 1 really beautifully.

But I don't think anyone has played all 32 sonatas equally well. Schnabel, Arrau, Gould, Barenboim, Brendel, Taub, Schiff, Goode and all the other 100+ pianists that have recorded the full set ... some they play magically, others you think "What IS he doing".

I was at the Emperor Concerto concert in Birmingham on Saturday night, so Daisy Chain only got it secondhand!
It took me 6 hours to get there (body on line at Ealing) but would have been worth it if it had taken twice as long.

I'm sure Mad Tom wouldn't be surprised that I would champion Valentina Lisitsa , who is (apparently) currently recording the sonatas for, I think, Naxos. Her YouTube channel is a fabulous resource with some superb renditions - she's recently put up her "Hammerklavier" which I think might be of interest here (she has already put up Op 10 No 3, "Moonlight", "Appassionata")

I wonder - would Edwardo be quite to keen on VL if she was a middle aged, balding man?

I'd never considered her looks, to be honest. Frankly, in any case, not only is she not my type (I go for petite brunettes, or I would if I weren't married ), but I listen to her with my ears, not my eyes, though I do look at her hands which are the size of shovels but possessed of the most incredible lightness of touch. I first encountered her DVD of Chopin Etudes which are quite breathtaking - not perfect, but utterly fearless and mesmerising. Her Rachmaninov Etude Tableau Op 39 No 6 still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, despite having listened to it hundreds of times.

Sorry Edwardo, I know that you really admire LV but I hate that performance. To me it is very brash and ugly.

I confess that the piece isn't the sort of music that does much for me, but perhaps you should listen to Rachmaninov's own recording to get an idea of how he intended it to be played - far more controlled, with much more subtlety and much more effective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP4kn5vFyCg

[Edit:] Just my opinion. Just as well we all have different tastes!