32 Piano Sonataas

[Roehre]

LVB's number 4 is magnificently captured by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli on Deutsche Grammophon but I am not sure if he has recorded the whole 32?

No, he hasn't, I've got only this opus 7, an early 1970s recording, and in terms of LP playing time no value for money.

A set which shouldn't be overlooked IMO is the Ashkenazy one, with the Hammerklavier's 2nd recording of his on Decca.
If a complete set of the 32 is desired, either Kempff set is recommendable IMO, for a more HIP performance Binns would be a good choice.
I think that the Brautigam on BIS is developing to a recommendable cycle as well.

[djmomo17]

My favorite interpreters of B's sonatas haven't been mentioned yet in this thread so I thought I'd throw in a couple groschen.

For speed and assurity of execution Friedrich Gulda's 2nd complete cycle (1967) is my favorite. For "interesting" and exploratory I like Eric Heidseick. For period keyboards, Paul Badura-Skoda's set on 4 different fortepianos, each one matched to the time period of the composition.
Overall tho, despite some misgivings about sound quality and recording techniques (multiple punch-ins, spliced together from different takes and released posthumously) my favorite is Annie Fischer. Her playing carves out all the various gradings of dynamics and feeling in B's piano sonatas and renders them with complete clarity without calling attention to itself.