Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. No.1 f-moll op. 2 No. 1: 1: Allegro
2. No.1 f-moll op. 2 No. 1: 2 : Adagio
3. No.1 f-moll op. 2 No. 1: 3 : Menuetto. Allegretto
4. No.1 f-moll op. 2 No. 1: 4 : Prestissimo
5. No.2 A-dur op. 2 No. 2: 1 : Allegro vivace
6. No.2 A-dur op. 2 No. 2: 2 : Largo appassionato
7. No.2 A-dur op. 2 No. 2: 3 : Scherzo. Allegretto
8. No.2 A-dur op. 2 No. 2: 4 : Rondo. Grazioso
9. No.4 Es-dur op.7: 1 : Allegro molto e con brio
10. No.4 Es-dur op.7: 2 : Largo, con gran espressione
11. No.4 Es-dur op.7: 3 : Allegro
12. No.4 Es-dur op.7: 4 : Rondo. Poco allegretto e grazioso

Disc 2:

1. No. 3 C-dur op. 2 No. 3: I. Allegro con brio
2. No. 3 C-dur op. 2 No. 3: II. Adagio
3. No. 3 C-dur op. 2 No. 3: III. Scherzo, Allegro
4. No. 3 C-dur op. 2 No. 3: IV. Allegro assai
5. No. 5 c-moll op. 10 No. 1: I. Allegro molto e con brio
6. No. 5 c-moll op. 10 No. 1: II. Adagio molto
7. No. 5 c-moll op. 10 No. 1: III. Finale. Prestissimo
8. No. 6 F-dur op. 10 No. 2: I. Allegro
9. No. 6 F-dur op. 10 No. 2: II. Allegretto
10. No. 6 F-dur op. 10 No. 2: III. Presto
11. No. 7 D-dur op. 10 No. 3: I. Presto
12. No. 7 D-dur op. 10 No. 3: II. Largo e mesto
13. No. 7 D-dur op. 10 No. 3: III. Menuetto. Allegro
14. No. 7 D-dur op. 10 No. 3: IV. Rondo. Allegro

Disc 3:

1. No. 8 C-moll op. 13 - Pathetique: I. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
2. No. 8 C-moll op. 13 - Pathetique: II. Adagio cantabile
3. No. 8 C-moll op. 13 - Pathetique: III. Rondo. Allegro
4. No. 9 E-dur op. 14 No. 1: I. Allegro
5. No. 9 E-dur op. 14 No. 1: II. Allegretto
6. No. 9 E-dur op. 14 No. 1: III. Rondo. Allegro comodo
7. No. 10 G-dur op. 14 No. 2: I. Allegro
8. No. 10 G-dur op. 14 No. 2: II. Andante
9. No. 10 G-dur op. 14 No. 2: III. Scherzo. Allegro assai
10. No. 11 B-dur op. 22: I. Allegro con brio
11. No. 11 B-dur op. 22: II. Adagio con molta espressione
12. No. 11 B-dur op. 22: III. Menuetto
13. No. 11 B-dur op. 22: IV. Rondo. Allegretto

Disc 4:

1. No. 12 As-dur op. 26: I. Andante con Variations - Beethoven
2. No. 12 As-dur op. 26: II. Scherzo. Allegro molto - Beethoven
3. No. 12 As-dur op. 26: III. Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un Eroe - Beethoven
4. No. 12 As-dur op. 26: IV. Allegro - Beethoven
5. No. 13 Es-dur op. 27 No. 1: I. Andante - Beethoven
6. No. 13 Es-dur op. 27 No. 1: II. Allegro molto e vivace - Beethoven
7. No. 13 Es-dur op. 27 No. 1: III. Adagio con expressione - Beethoven
8. No. 13 Es-dur op. 27 No. 1: IV. Allegro vivace - Beethoven
9. No. 14 cis-moll op. 27 No. 2 Mondschein-Sonate in C sharp minor 'Moonlight': I. Adagio sostenuto - Beethoven
10. No. 14 cis-moll op. 27 No. 2 Mondschein-Sonate in C sharp minor 'Moonlight': II. Allegretto - Beethoven
11. No. 14 cis-moll op. 27 No. 2 Mondschein-Sonate in C sharp minor 'Moonlight': III. Presto agitato - Beethoven
12. No. 15 D-dur op. 28 Pastorale: I. Allegro - Beethoven
13. No. 15 D-dur op. 28 Pastorale: II. Andante - Beethoven
14. No. 15 D-dur op. 28 Pastorale: III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Beethoven
15. No. 15 D-dur op. 28 Pastorale: IV. Rondo. Allegro, ma non troppo - Beethoven

Disc 5:

1. No. 16 G-dur op. 31 No. 1: I. Allegro vivace
2. No. 16 G-dur op. 31 No. 1: II. Adagio grazioso
3. No. 16 G-dur op. 31 No. 1: III. Rondo. Allegretto
4. No. 17 d-moll op. 31 No. 1 - Sturm - Sonate: I. Largo - Allegro
5. No. 17 d-moll op. 31 No. 1 - Sturm - Sonate: II. Adagio
6. No. 17 d-moll op. 31 No. 1 - Sturm - Sonate: III. Allegretto
7. No. 18 Es-dur op. 31 No. 3: I. Allegro
8. No. 18 Es-dur op. 31 No. 3: II. Scherzo. Allegretto vivace
9. No. 18 Es-dur op. 31 No. 3: III. Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso
10. No. 18 Es-dur op. 31 No. 3: IV. Presto con fuoco
11. No. 19 g-moll op. 49 No. 2: I. Andante
12. No. 19 g-moll op. 49 No. 2: II. Rondo. Allegro

Disc 6:

1. No. 20 G-dur op. 49 No.2: I. Allegro , ma non troppo
2. No. 20 G-dur op. 49 No.2: II. Tempo di Menuetto linkerkant
3. No. 21 C-dur op. 53: I. Allegro con Brio
4. No. 21 C-dur op. 53: II. Introduzione. Adagio molto - attacca:
5. No. 21 C-dur op. 53: III. Rondo. Allegretto moderato
6. No. 22 F-dur op. 54: I. In tempo d'un Menuetto
7. No. 22 F-dur op. 54: II. Allegretto
8. No. 23 f-moll op. 57 - Appassionata: I. Allegro assai
9. No. 23 f-moll op. 57 - Appassionata: II. Andate con moto - attacca:
10. No. 23 f-moll op. 57 - Appassionata: III. Allegro, ma non troppo - Presto
11. No. 24 Fis-dur op. 78: I. Adagio cantabile - Allegro, ma non troppo
12. No. 24 Fis-dur op. 78: I. Allegro vivace

Disc 7:

1. No. 25 G-dur op. 78: I. Presto alla tedesca
2. No. 25 G-dur op. 78: II. Andante
3. No. 25 G-dur op. 78: III. Vivace
4. No. 26 Es-dur op. 81a - Les Adieux: I. Das Lebewohl (Les Adieux). Adagio - Allegro
5. No. 26 Es-dur op. 81a - Les Adieux: II. Abwesenheit (L'Absence). Andante espressivo
6. No. 26 Es-dur op. 81a - Les Adieux: III. Das Wiedersehn (Le Retour). Vivacissimamente
7. No. 27 e-moll op.90: I. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
8. No. 27 e-moll op.90: II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorzutragen
9. No. 29 B-dur op. 106 - Grosse Sonate fur das Hammerklavier: I. Allegro
10. No. 29 B-dur op. 106 - Grosse Sonate fur das Hammerklavier: II. Scherzo. Assai vivace
11. No. 29 B-dur op. 106 - Grosse Sonate fur das Hammerklavier: III. Adagio sostenuto. Appassionato e con molto sentimento
12. No. 29 B-dur op. 106 - Grosse Sonate fur das Hammerklavier: IV. Largo - Allegro risoluto

Disc 8:

1. No. 28 A-dur op. 101: I. Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung. Allegretto ma non troppo afdruk
2. No. 28 A-dur op. 101: II.Lebhaft, marschm�ssig. Vivace alla marcia
3. No. 28 A-dur op. 101: III. Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll. Adagio, ma non troppo, con affetto - attacca:
4. No. 28 A-dur op. 101: IV. Geschwinde, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossenheit. Allegro
5. No. 30 E-dur op. 109: I. Vivace, ma non troppo
6. No. 30 E-dur op. 109: II. Prestissimo
7. No. 30 E-dur op. 109: III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung (Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo) gevlekt
8. No. 31 As-dur op. 110: I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo
9. No. 31 As-dur op. 110: II. Allegro molto
10. No. 31 As-dur op. 110: III. Adagio, ma non troppo - Fuga. Allegro ma non troppo
11. No. 32 c-moll op. 111: I. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato
12. No. 32 c-moll op. 111: II. Arietta. Adagio molto semplice e cantabile

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #87811 in Music
• Released on: 1997-10-28
• Number of discs: 8
• Format: Box set
• Running time: 597 minutes

From Amazon.com
Wilhelm Kempff was the premier German pianist of the postwar period, so it's no surprise that he was considered one of the supreme interpreters of Beethoven. He recorded complete sets of the sonatas and concertos twice, and just about all the rest of the chamber music with piano as well. A classicist by nature, his approach to Beethoven was clear and poised rather than impulsive, but never lacking in sheer power or virtuosity when necessary. His last cycle of Beethoven sonatas is rightly regarded as his musical testament. Even if the mono recordings offered a few more exciting moments in a couple of works, you can't go wrong here--there isn't dud in the lot. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

Dollar for Dollar, the Best Beethoven Sonatas on CD
Beethoven's piano sonatas were one of humanity's great achievements. They have been recorded by many pianists including Artur Schnabel, Alfred Brendel, Richard Goode, and John O'Connor--and nearly every pianist of note has recorded at least a few of the most popular sonatas.

What makes the Kempff set work best for me is the lack of a dogmatic, cookie cutter approach to the music. Kempff approaches each piece as a masterwork in its own right. The tempos are more sensible than those adopted by most other pianists, particularly in the slower movements. For example, in the Hammerklavier Sonata, most pianists cannot resist the urge to play the Adagio almost as a Largo--ignoring the fact that such a tempo would have made the movement incomprehensible on a piano of Beethoven's time--which had a quick tonal decay. Speaking of tone, Kempff has an especially beautiful sound--a product of his 19th century training. The phrasing is more flexible than today's "red light, green light" stop and go approach, and Kempff, unlike so many of today's pianists, never lets musical point making get in the way of the big picture, structually.

Although Kempff was getting along in years when these recordings were made--the 1960s--he is fully up to the technical hurdles these sonatas contain. The only disappointment on this set is in the "Appassionata" Sonata, where Kempff's clear headed approach does not suit this rage filled piece. For that particular piece, it's best to go with Richter's RCA recording. On the whole, this is the best set of Beethoven Sonatas currently available on CD--and it's at bargain price!

A great set, but...
the mono set is clearly preferable, both as to performance and sound. All the attributes ascribed to the stereo set are present in even greater abundance in the mono set from the early 50s and the sound is more natural and warm than here. Problem is, it is difficult to find now. But do seek it out. This stereo set is probably still a "5" on an absolute scale, but the earlier set is just that much better.

The Definitive Beethoven Sonatas
Kempff recorded the complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas no fewer than three times. This, his last, is quite possibly the most refined set of Beethoven sonatas as far as overall consistency and polish. Many other sets show great promise in either the most popular sonatas or else in one particular period. (Richard Goode's late sonatas, for instance, are stellar, but some of the earlier works come across as dry and pedantic). From the Haydn-esque op. 2, to the Sonate Pathétique, the thunderous Hammerklavier and intense opp. 109, 110 and 111, all of the sonatas are executed with extreme clarity, authority and thoughtfulness. (Actually, the clarity is one of my few complaints in this set as occasionally passages feel a little detached, but rarely). Even the two "easy" sonatas of op. 49 are excellent; intermediate student pieces no longer. Some of the slow movements are taken a little faster than I would prefer, although there is hardly ever a sense of urgency. Kempff's dynamic range and large capacity for every imaginable articulation is also exploited to its very finest. There is no clearer Waldstein available, period. Even the so-called "warhorses" like the Moonlight are not tiresome in this set; some other recordings sound like the pianist has played them too many times and is sick to death of it, but you will never feel that here. For freshness and detail in all of these monuments of the piano sonata, this is the set to have.