Wilhelm Kempff – Beethoven: The 32 Piano Sonatas (1965/2016) [HDTracks FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

A selection of Beethoven Piano Sonatas performed by Wilhelm Kempff, and a part of DG’s “Virtuoso” series.

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. Kempff was a classicist by nature, and his approach to Beethoven was clear and poised rather than impulsive, but it was 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 a dud in the lot.

… the classic among Beethoven sonata cycles … Kempff convinces through subtlety and superb accounts of all the lesser known and ‘little’ sonatas … he can even be quite playful. Solid, in the best, most empathetically positive sense of the word. -MusicWeb International

Tracklist:
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Piano Sonata No.1 In F Minor, Op.2 No.1
1 1. Allegro 6:36
2 2. Adagio 4:42
3 3. Menuetto (Allegretto) 3:02
4 4. Prestissimo 5:03
Piano Sonata No.2 In A, Op.2 No.2
5 1. Allegro vivace 7:13
6 2. Largo appassionato 6:40
7 3. Scherzo (Allegretto) 3:23
8 4. Rondo (Grazioso) 6:31
Piano Sonata No.3 In C, Op.2 No.3
9 1. Allegro con brio 9:53
10 2. Adagio 7:04
11 3. Scherzo (Allegro) 3:19
12 4. Allegro assai 5:24
Piano Sonata No.4 In E Flat, Op.7
13 1. Allegro molto e con brio 9:04
14 2. Largo, con gran espressione 8:08
15 3. Allegro 5:19
16 4. Rondo (Poco allegretto e grazioso) 7:12
Piano Sonata No.5 In C Minor, Op.10 No.1
17 1. Allegro molto e con brio 6:14
18 2. Adagio molto 7:28
19 3. Finale (Prestissimo) 4:14
Piano Sonata No.6 In F, Op.10 No.2
20 1. Allegro 4:28
21 2. Allegretto 3:32
22 3. Presto 4:07
Piano Sonata No.7 In D, Op.10 No.3
23 1. Presto 7:06
24 2. Largo e mesto 8:44
25 3. Menuetto (Allegro) 2:46
26 4. Rondo (Allegro) 3:56
Piano Sonata No.8 In C Minor, Op.13 “Pathétique”
27 1. Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio 7:19
28 2. Adagio cantabile 4:57
29 3. Rondo (Allegro) 4:35
Piano Sonata No.9 In E, Op.14 No.1
30 1. Allegro 5:13
31 2. Allegretto 3:33
32 3. Rondo (Allegro comodo) 3:53
Piano Sonata No.10 In G, Op.14 No.2
33 1. Allegro 5:55
34 2. Andante 5:19
35 3. Scherzo (Allegro assai) 3:33
Piano Sonata No.11 In B Flat, Op.22
36 1. Allegro con brio 7:31
37 2. Adagio con molto espressione 7:12
38 3. Menuetto 3:04
39 4. Rondo (Allegretto) 6:26
Piano Sonata No.12 In A Flat, Op.26
40 1. Andante con variazioni 7:19
41 2. Scherzo (Allegro molto) 3:02
42 3. Marcia funebre sulla morte d’un Eroe 5:35
43 4. Allegro 3:18
Piano Sonata No.13 In E Flat, Op.27 No.1
44 1. Andante – Allegro – Tempo I 4:15
45 2. Allegro molto e vivace 2:12
46 3. Adagio con espressione 2:34
47 4. Allegro vivace – Tempo I – Presto 5:34
Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 “Moonlight”
48 1. Adagio sostenuto 6:01
49 2. Allegretto 2:20
50 3. Presto agitato 5:36
Piano Sonata No.15 In D, Op.28 “Pastorale”
51 1. Allegro 7:12
52 2. Andante 6:21
53 3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace 2:17
54 4. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo 5:05
Piano Sonata No.16 In G, Op.31 No.1
55 1. Allegro vivace 6:25
56 2. Adagio grazioso 9:57
57 3. Rondo (Allegretto) 6:37
Piano Sonata No.17 In D Minor, Op.31 No.2 “Tempest”
58 1. Largo – Allegro 8:22
59 2. Adagio 7:07
60 3. Allegretto 7:08
Piano Sonata No.18 In E Flat, Op.31 No.3 “The Hunt”
61 1. Allegro 8:30
62 2. Scherzo (Allegretto vivace) 5:22
63 3. Menuetto (Moderato e grazioso) 4:16
64 4. Presto con fuoco 4:55
Piano Sonata No.19 In G Minor, Op.49 No.1
65 1. Andante 4:06
66 2. Rondo (Allegro) 3:52
Piano Sonata No.20 In G, Op.49 No.2
67 1. Allegro ma non troppo 4:32
68 2. Tempo di Menuetto 3:51
Piano Sonata No.21 In C, Op.53 “Waldstein”
69 1. Allegro con brio 10:56
70 2. Introduzione (Adagio molto) 3:05
71 3. Rondo (Allegretto moderato – Prestissimo) 9:52
Piano Sonata No.22 In F, Op.54
72 1. In Tempo d’un Menuetto 5:45
73 2. Allegretto 6:22
Piano Sonata No.23 In F Minor, Op.57 “Appassionata”
74 1. Allegro assai 9:54
75 2. Andante con moto 6:01
76 3. Allegro ma non troppo 8:53
Piano Sonata No.24 In F Sharp, Op.78 “For Therese”
77 1. Adagio cantabile – Allegro ma non troppo 5:05
78 2. Allegro vivace 3:02
Piano Sonata No.25 In G, Op.79
79 1. Presto alla tedesca 3:11
80 2. Andante 2:41
81 3. Vivace 2:06
Piano Sonata No.26 In E Flat, Op.81a “Les adieux”
82 1. Das Lebewohl (Adagio – Allegro) 7:05
83 2. Abwesenheit (Andante espressivo) 2:57
84 3. Das Wiedersehen (Vivacissimamente) 4:21
Piano Sonata No.27 In E Minor, Op.90
85 1. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck 5:18
86 2. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen 8:53
Piano Sonata No.28 In A, Op.101
87 1. Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung (Allegretto ma non troppo) 3:33
88 2. Lebhaft, marschmäßig (Vivace alla marcia) 5:52
89 3. Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll (Adagio ma non troppo, con affetto) 2:32
90 4. Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossenheit (Allegro) 5:51
Piano Sonata No.29 In B Flat, Op.106 “Hammerklavier”
91 1. Allegro 8:52
92 2. Scherzo (Assai vivace – Presto – Prestissimo – Tempo I) 2:44
93 3. Adagio sostenuto 16:31
94 4. Largo – Allegro risoluto 12:07
Piano Sonata No.30 In E Major, Op.109
95 1. Vivace, ma non troppo – Adagio espressivo – Tempo I 3:20
96 2. Prestissimo 2:28
97 3. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung (Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo) 11:13
Piano Sonata No.31 In A Flat Major, Op.110
98 1. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo 6:18
99 2. Allegro molto 2:16
100 3. Adagio ma non troppo – Fuga (Allegro ma non troppo) 9:51
Piano Sonata No.32 In C Minor, Op.111
101 1. Maestoso – Allegro con brio ed appassionato 8:58
102 2. Arietta (Adagio molto semplice e cantabile) 15:25

Personnel:
Wilhelm Kempff, piano

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