The greatest Beethoven pianist of the 20th century?

[Tod]

...Just out of curiosity: my set takes up ten CDs and is the only set I know that has the sonatas in correct order. Have they changed the layout or remastered them in any way?

Michael, they are still on 10 cds, in the correct order and only appear to have been 'remastered' the one time when they originally went to digital format, so I figure it still sounds the same as your copy.

[Michael]

Oh, right. They still sound great as Decca had the best analogue quality recordings back in the sixties and seventies. Actually, one of the Ashkenazy discs (the Hammerklavier, I think) is fully digital - one of the earliest - and the "Andante Favori" is also included.

[Tod]

Oh, right. They still sound great as Decca had the best analogue quality recordings back in the sixties and seventies. Actually, one of the Ashkenazy discs (the Hammerklavier, I think) is fully digital - one of the earliest - and the "Andante Favori" is also included.

Yes that is a DDD disc from 1980-81, so it certainly was an early digital recording.

[Tod]

After listening to and watching the three part BBC series "The Genius of Beethoven", I've got to add Ronald Brautigam to the list. He played the fortepiano for that series and the BBC series "The Genius of Mozart". Even the jangly fortepiano sound doesn't put me off!

I love his clarity and technical brilliance as much as that of Vladimir Ashkenazy on the Pianoforte.

Currently listening to the Schnabel set...not bad. I like the overall performances though very approximate rendition in areas, many duff notes. My pick is still for Ashkenazy and Brautigam.