CD Reviews

[Quijote]

So here's a review of a recent offering of the complete LvB piano sonatas performed by Rudolf Buchbinder. Anybody know him?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013...sonatas-review

[Michael]

Some of his performances turned up in the infamous "Blue Box" of a few years back. This was an ultra-cheap edition of all Beethoven's works (about fifty euro) and it was a good enough investment for anybody who wanted the unfamiliar compositions. The sonatas were a disaster, though - not the performances but the CD mastering: movements in wrong order, bad index points.
Oh, and they lopped off the opening two notes of the First Symphony. (When I sent the compilers an irate email about this, I was informed that it was an artistic decision on the part of the conductor! ).

Anyway, that's beside the point. The name Buchbinder was familiar to me long before that and he was famous enough to have his name used in the adverts for this box set - even though his contributions were some sets of unimportant variations.

[Chris]

I thought he was pretty famous. He has a pretty well-known set of the complete Haydn piano sonatas that he recorded in the 70s.

[Roehre]

.... The name Buchbinder was familiar to me long before that and he was famous enough to have his name used in the adverts for this box set - even though his contributions were some sets of unimportant variations.

But that 1977 6LP set on Telefunken/Teldec from which these blue-box recordings stem, was the very first one to include all (and I mean ALL) variation sets for piano-2-hands bearing Beehoven's name, including "Ich hab' ein kleines Hüttchen nur" WoO Anh.10. Treasured set therefore.

[Roehre]

I thought he was pretty famous. He has a pretty well-known set of the complete Haydn piano sonatas that he recorded in the 70s.

Though I slightly tend to prefer McCabe's on Decca, these Telefunken/Teldec recordings are between good and excellent. There may be some squibbles about some tempi (there is one which always leaves me out of breath after listening to it), but Buchbinder's sets are worth considering if one is looking for complete Haydn sonatas recordings.

[Michael]

But that 1977 6LP set on Telefunken/Teldec from which these blue-box recordings stem, was the very first one to include all (and I mean ALL) variation sets for piano-2-hands bearing Beehoven's name, including "Ich hab' ein kleines Hüttchen nur" WoO Anh.10. Treasured set therefore.

That last work didn't make it into the Blue Box and it sounds very interesting. Beethoven's piano-2-hands work is scarce enough, even if it's in the "may be spurious" category.






.

[Chris]

Though I slightly tend to prefer McCabe's on Decca, these Telefunken/Teldec recordings are between good and excellent. There may be some squibbles about some tempi (there is one which always leaves me out of breath after listening to it), but Buchbinder's sets are worth considering if one is looking for complete Haydn sonatas recordings.

I also prefer McCabe's.

[Quijote]

So, will you all be rushing out to get his latest set (taken from concerts given in Copenhagen in 2010 & 2011) or not?

[Chris]

I don't think so. I'll stick with Brendel for now!

[Peter]

So, will you all be rushing out to get his latest set (taken from concerts given in Copenhagen in 2010 & 2011) or not?

No - I need to de-clutter!