Beethoven / Brendel,Alfred Brilliant Classics Piano Library: Sonatas 1-32 CD

These early recordings illustrate clearly all the characteristics that would become a hallmark of Brendel's playing. A refusal to fall back on 'flashy' bravura, and the intellectual rigor he brings to the Beethoven sonatas marked him out even in these early recordings as one of the very great pianists of the 20th century. Brendel retired from the musical scene in 2009 at the height of his powers, leaving a recorded legacy without parallel in the music of Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert. Principally it is the earlier sonatas which are included here, and these benefit very much from Brendel's strong attack. But the slow movements, too, seem more fully satisfying now than they did in the last box: those of the C major and E flat Sonatas, particularly, take their rightful place as forerunners of Beethoven's adagio style to come. Again Brendel is generous with repeats. This was the set that first put Brendel on the road to international recognition.

1. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B Flat Major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: 1. Allegro 2. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B Flat Major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: 2. Scherzo: Assai Vivace 3. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B Flat Major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: 3. Adagio Sostenuto 4. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B Flat Major ('Hammerklavier'), Op. 106: 4. Largo - Allegro Risoluto 5. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111: 1. Maestoso - Allegro Con Brio E Appassionato 6. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111: 2. Arietta: Adagio Molto, Semplice E Cantabile 7. Piano Sonata No. 28 in a Major, Op. 101: 1. Allegretto Ma Non Troppo 8. Piano Sonata No. 28 in a Major, Op. 101: 2. Vivace Alla Marcia 9. Piano Sonata No. 28 in a Major, Op. 101: 3. Adagio Ma Non Troppo Con Affetto - Presto 10. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: 1. Vivace Ma Non Troppo - Adagio Espressivo 11. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: 2. Prestissimo 12. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: 3. Tema Con Variazioni 13. Piano Sonata No. 31 in a Flat Major, Op. 110: 1. Moderato Cantabile, Molto Espressivo 14. Piano Sonata No. 31 in a Flat Major, Op. 110: 2. Allegro Molto - 3. Adagio Ma Non Troppo - 15. Piano Sonata No. 31 in a Flat Major, Op. 110: Fuga. Allegro Ma Non Troppo 16. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90: 1. Mit Lebhaftigkeit Und Durchaus Mit Empfindung Und Ausdruck 17. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90: 2. Nicht Zu Geschwind Und Sehr Singbar Vorzutragen 18. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor ('Appassionata'), Op. 57: 1. Allegro Assai 19. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor ('Appassionata'), Op. 57: 2. Andante Con Moto 20. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor ('Appassionata'), Op. 57: 3. Allegro Ma Non Troppo 21. Piano Sonata No. 22 in F Major, Op. 54: 1. in Tempo D'un Menuetto 22. Piano Sonata No. 22 in F Major, Op. 54: 2. Allegretto 23. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E Flat Major ('Les Adieux'), Op. 81A: 1. Les Adieux: Adagio - Allegro 24. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E Flat Major ('Les Adieux'), Op. 81A: 2. L'absence: Andante Espressivo 25. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E Flat Major ('Les Adieux'), Op. 81A: 3. Le Retour: Vivacissimamente 26. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31/1: 1. Allegro Vivace 27. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31/1: 2. Adagio Grazioso 28. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31/1: 3. Rondo: Allegretto 29. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31/2: 1. Largo - Allegro - Adagio 30. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31/2: 2. Adagio 31. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31/2: 3. Allegretto 32. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E Flat Major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: 1. Allegro 33. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E Flat Major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: 2. Scherzo: Allegretto Vivace 34. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E Flat Major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: 3. Menuetto: Moderato E Grazioso 35. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E Flat Major ('Hunt'), Op. 31/3: 4. Presto Con Fuoco 36. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major ('Waldstein'), Op. 53: 1. Allegro Con Brio 37. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major ('Waldstein'), Op. 53: 2. Introduzione 38. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major ('Waldstein'), Op. 53: 3. Rondo: Allegretto Moderato - Prestissimo 39. Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor, Op. 49/1: 1. Andante 40. Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor, Op. 49/1: 2. Rondo: Allegro 41. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2/1: 1. Allegro 42. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2/1: 2. Adagio 43. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2/1: 3. Menuetto: Allegretto - Trio 44. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2/1: 4. Prestissimo 45. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G Major ('Cuckoo'), Op. 79: 1. Presto Alla Tedesca 46. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G Major ('Cuckoo'), Op. 79: 2. Andante 47. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G Major ('Cuckoo'), Op. 79: 3. Vivace 48. Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10/1: 1. Allegro Molto E Con Brio 49. Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10/1: 2. Adagio Molto 50. Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10/1: 3. Finale: Prestissimo 51. Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10/2: 1. Allegro 52. Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10/2: 2. Allegretto 53. Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10/2: 3. Presto 54. Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, Op. 14/1: 1. Allegro 55. Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, Op. 14/1: 2. Allegretto 56. Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, Op. 14/1: 3. Rondo: Allegro Comodo 57. Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 14/2: 1. Allegro 58. Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 14/2: 2. Andante 59. Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 14/2: 3. Scherzo: Allegro Assai 60. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E Flat Major ('Quasi Una Fantasia'), Op. 27/1: 1. Andante - Allegro - Andante 61. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E Flat Major ('Quasi Una Fantasia'), Op. 27/1: 2. Allegro Molto E Vivace 62. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E Flat Major ('Quasi Una Fantasia'), Op. 27/1: 3. Adagio Con Espressione 63. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E Flat Major ('Quasi Una Fantasia'), Op. 27/1: 4. Finale: Allegro Vivace 64. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp minor ('Moonlight'), Op. 27/2: 1. Adagio Sostenuto 65. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp minor ('Moonlight'), Op. 27/2: 2. Allegretto 66. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp minor ('Moonlight'), Op. 27/2: 3. Presto Agitato 67. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: 1. Allegro 68. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: 2. Andante 69. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major ('Pastoral'), Op. 28: 3. Scherzo: Allegro Vivace - Trio / 4. Rondo: Allegro Ma Non Troppo 70. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10/3: 1. Presto 71. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10/3: 2. Largo E Mesto 72. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10/3: 3. Menuetto: Allegro 73. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10/3: 4. Rondo: Allegro 74. Piano Sonata No. 2 in a Major, Op. 2/2: 1. Allegro Vivace 75. Piano Sonata No. 2 in a Major, Op. 2/2: 2. Largo Appassionato 76. Piano Sonata No. 2 in a Major, Op. 2/2: 3. Scherzo: Allegretto - Trio 77. Piano Sonata No. 2 in a Major, Op. 2/2: 4. Rondo: Grazioso 78. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2/3: 1. Allegro Con Brio 79. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2/3: 2. Adagio 80. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2/3: 3. Scherzo: Allegro - Trio 81. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2/3: 4. Allegro Assai 82. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ('Path?tique'), Op. 13: 1. Grave - Allegro Di Molto E Con Brio 83. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ('Path?tique'), Op. 13: 2. Adagio Cantabile 84. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ('Path?tique'), Op. 13: 3. Rondo: Allegro 85. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B Flat Major, Op. 22: 1. Allegro Con Brio 86. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B Flat Major, Op. 22: 2. Adagio Con Molto Espressione 87. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B Flat Major, Op. 22: 3. Menuetto 88. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B Flat Major, Op. 22: 4. Rondo: Allegretto 89. Piano Sonata No. 12 in a Flat Major ('Funeral March'), Op. 26: 1. Andante Con Variazioni 90. Piano Sonata No. 12 in a Flat Major ('Funeral March'), Op. 26: 2. Scherzo: Allegro Molto - Trio 91. Piano Sonata No. 12 in a Flat Major ('Funeral March'), Op. 26: 3. Maestoso Andante 'Marcia Funebre Sulla Morte D'une Eroe' 92. Piano Sonata No. 12 in a Flat Major ('Funeral March'), Op. 26: 4. Allegro 93. Piano Sonata No. 24 in F Sharp Major ('A Th?r?se'), Op. 78: 1. Adagio Cantabile - Allegro Ma Non Troppo 94. Piano Sonata No. 24 in F Sharp Major ('A Th?r?se'), Op. 78: 2. Allegro Vivace 95. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E Flat Major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: 1. Allegro Molto E Con Brio 96. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E Flat Major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: 2. Largo Con Gran Espressione 97. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E Flat Major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: 3. Allegro 98. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E Flat Major ('Grand Sonata'), Op. 7: 4. Rondo: Poco Allegretto E Grazioso 99. Piano Sonata No. 20 in G Major, Op. 49/2: 1. Allegro Ma Non Troppo 100. Piano Sonata No. 20 in G Major, Op. 49/2: 2. Tempo Di Menuetto 101. Box Set