Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonatas Nos. 8, 14, 26 & 27 (Ivan Moravec)

Information

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

1. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor "Pathétique", Op. 13: I. Grave. Allegro di molto e con brio
2. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor "Pathétique", Op. 13: II. Adagio cantabile
3. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor "Pathétique", Op. 13: III. Rondo. Allegro
4. Piano Sonata No. 14 'quasi una fantasia' in C sharp minor "Moonlight", Op. 27/2: I. Adagio sostenuto
5. Piano Sonata No. 14 'quasi una fantasia' in C sharp minor "Moonlight", Op. 27/2: II. Allegretto (attacca)
6. Piano Sonata No. 14 'quasi una fantasia' in C sharp minor "Moonlight", Op. 27/2: III. Presto agitato
7. 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor, WoO 80
8. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90: I. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
9. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90: II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorzutragen
10. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major "Les Adieux", Op. 81a: I. Das Lebewohl. Adagio - Allegro
11. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major "Les Adieux", Op. 81a: II. Abwesenheit. Andante espressivo
12. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major "Les Adieux", Op. 81a: III. Das Wiedersehen. Vivacissimamente

Ivan Moravec, piano
Date: 1963 (7), 1964 (1-6, 8-9), 1969 (10-12)
Label: Supraphon
http://www.supraphon.com/album/410-beethoven-sonata-in-c-minor-in-c-sharp-minor-in-e-minor-in-e

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Review

Incredible Beethoven Sonatas from Moravec

This disc contains some of the most impressive Beethoven sonata performances in the catalog. Anyone who believes that Moravec's art consists of all touch and no backbone should hear his intensely dramatic opening movement of the Pathétique, or his eruptive accents in the finales of both the Moonlight (a true "Presto agitato") and Farewell sonatas. And God knows there's plenty of room for "touch" in Beethoven: in the Moonlight Sonata's poetic opening movement, the Pathétique's famous central Adagio cantabile, or finale of Sonata No. 27, which is "sehr singbar" indeed. An impressively cogent and exciting account of the C minor variations rounds out a collection that no one who cares about this music can afford to miss. Good quality remastering preserves the rich palette that Moravec conjures up from the keyboard; though a bit of hiss and a touch of hardness in the treble betray the age of the excellently made original tapes (1963-69).

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

More reviews:

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/beethoven-piano-sonatas-nos-8-13-26-27

https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Piano-Sonatas-Vol-2/dp/B000003LK2

https://www.amazon.com/Moravec-Plays-Beethoven-Piano-Sonatas/dp/B00005YP1W

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Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. Beethoven is acknowledged as a giant of classical music, and his influence on subsequent generations was profound. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas and 16 string quartets. Many of his most admired works come from the last decade of his life, when he was almost completely deaf.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven

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Ivan Moravec (9 November 1930 – 27 July 2015) was a Czech concert pianist whose performing and recording career spanned nearly half a century. Moravec studied with Erna Grünfeld, Ilona Štěpánová-Kurzová and attend master classes in Arezzo with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli. Moravec had a reputation for attention to the condition of the pianos he played. Moravec's recordings for the Connoisseur Society were notable for their audiophile quality, and he also recorded for several other labels, including Vox, Nonesuch, Dorian, Hänssler, and Supraphon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Moravec

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ivan-moravec-mn0001644567/biography

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