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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beauty of Form and Substance, April 1 2003
There is a brief scene in the film 'Amadeus' where Salieri, enviously but in sublime awe, comments on the exquisite perfection of a musical phrase composed by Mozart. He could just as well have been describing the sonatas of Beethoven, time shifts aside. I have been listening to Richard Goode's set over and over, and while my personal taste firmly resides in the Romantic school with Mahler at the pinnacle, this set is a revelation, an epiphany of the brillance of Beethoven in a way I had not fully grasped before.Goode may not play at times with the emotional energy or pathos of other interpreters, but what he does so superlatively is illuminate Beethoven's profound understanding and mastery of musical structure and relationships, and above all, to make a phrase or embellishment seem utterly perfect. This is emotion of a different kind - the emotion from sheer beauty of musical architecture, as so wondrously exemplified in the simple, poignant Adagio of Opus 31, No. 1. Goode's approach is made even more compelling by his crisp, impeccable technique and a recording that gives the piano great immediacy with a rich, full sound. In even the most rapid runs, every note remains distinct and live. It borders on folly to assert one set of sonatas as the best - it depends on personal taste, on mood, on one's level of tolerance to the limitations of older recording technology, but if you wish to gain a deeper appreciation of Beethoven's genius and be moved at the same time, you will be amply rewarded by Richard Goode.
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1.0 out of 5 stars
Psychopathic, Jun 1 2004
By A Customer
That is honestly the best word I can think of to describe this playing. It really is a crime againt Beethoven. There is simply no feeling or meaning anywhere; the complete lack of musical empathy is shocking. Ignore the critical hype; there's plently of "technique" to listen to, but no substance. If you want Beethoven that means something, look to Alfred Brendel.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Wow and meh...all in one boxed set, Feb 8 2004
Thus far, I have not yet found a cycle of the Beethoven piano sonatas that I could call definitive. As a result, I'm tempted to say that to own "definitive" Beethoven sonatas one needs two sets: Wilhelm Kempff's and this, Richard Goode's.As an earlier, melodramatic reviewer pointed out, Goode can get a bit too caught up in technical mastery. I agree to an extent; while certain moments are breathtaking in their precise delivery, occasionally I feel there's meat in the music that Goode ignores. This is particularly true of the Appasionata, and...well...most of the later ones, to be honest. It is for this reason that having Kempff's recording is particularly helpful - he, not Goode, knows how to play the later sonatas. However, Goode's take on the earlier sonatas is absolutely spectacular. They are buoyant, lively romps that are an absolute joy to hear. My personal favorite is the Moonlight - I feel too many players get overly dramatic to the point of just dripping with sap. Not Goode. His take brings out the fun other movements, and allows the first movement to be simply a beautiful, serene picture (with some darker undertones). You get the idea. Again, this isn't perfect. And as the price of Kempff's set is so low, it is probably worth buying both. But for the early sonatas, it's hard to do much better than this.
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