Search - Beethoven, Brendel :: Piano Sonatas Opus 81 & 106

Alfred Brendel is generally considered one of the leading Beethoven pianists of our time. I have found his Beethoven recordings to be intellectually convincing, but emotionally rather bland. I've heard some Brendel concert tapes, however, that carried more emotional conviction. Hence, I was doubly disappointed at this Hammerklavier, which does come from a concert performance but doesn't seem to work up much excitement either. Brendel 's rather detached approach is more effective in the Les Adieux. But Richard Goode's performances in his complete set (Nonesuch 79328-2) or Sviatoslav Richter's thrilling Hammerklavier (Praga PR 254 022) are only some of the recordings that tell me more about these sonatas than Brendel does. --Leslie Gerber