Sébastien Melmoth | Hôtel d'Alsace, PARIS | 01/16/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These are great recordings. Gould realizes Beethoven: he sees what's there, not merely playing the notes, but understanding the vision. He takes some movements very briskly; others, he expands to a heavenly length.
Frequently, these earlier works of Beethoven are marginalized by his later, greater works; still, these pieces are works of pure art, and Gould sees this and brings them to vivid life.
About the sound: these tracks were recorded over a 15-year period. Sony has done a wonderful job with its "Super Bit Mapping" techne; still, there are a few quirks embedded in the recordings which cannot be removed: specifically, a little "ticking" from Gould's Steinway on the '60s tracks. At that time, Gould was tinkering with his piano to achieve a certain feel to the keys--a kind of immediacy and tactile ease of stroke--by removing the bushings which padded the key mechanism. As a result, he got the feel he wanted, but was also stuck with "ticking" keys. This doesn't bother me, as the results speak for themselves: an aesthetic vision of unparalleled ecstasy. Nevertheless, the "ticks" are audible sometimes: it's part of the art and vision."
The genius of Glenn Gould
Thomas C. Nagy | Ebensburg, PA USA | 04/26/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Beethoven may not have approved of these interpretations, but can only admire the technical facility and perfection that Glenn Gould offers. Unconventional in his life and his musicianship, Glenn Gould plays these sonatas with stunning clarity and accuracy that can only be defined as pure genius!"
Piano playing in its ultimate guise.
camstrings | south eng | 01/03/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Gould & Beethoven..hmm, but it's simply superb in terms of control, interpretive originality & beauty of sound. Gould's mastery allows him an expressive range that leaves other pianists grounded: try the final movement of the Pathetique or the opening of op.14 no1. Either you'll view him as a showman or a genius. Be thankful he loved the recording studio!"
Incredible !
David | Boston, MA | 12/29/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Although these recordings may not seem so faithful to the composers wishes, Gould seems sincere in his interpretations of these pieces. Yes, there may be parts in these recordings which people familiar with the pieces disagree with. However, there are far more moments of sheer ingeniousness, brilliance, and one of a kind defiant inspiring playing. Even if people prefer more faithful recordings of these pieces, like pollini, these recordings are worth owning for those moments. The technical side of his performance is almost flawless- as always. The voicing in the music, the crescendos and decrescendos, and the general use of the pianos dynamic range are almost inhuman. Also he has possibly the best ability to play in tempo I've ever heard. These are some of the cleanest and most musical performances of Beethoven ever recorded."