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**Gurn Blanston** · 04-20-2004, 05:51 PM

Originally posted by Steppenwolf:
I am currently undergoing an obsession with the first movement of Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata - it's electrifying and thrilling! I can't stop playing it, over and over! I have only recently discovered this piece. Trouble is I only have the first movement (on a compilation CD), so what are your recomendations for the best recording of the whole thing?

Note - I only really like digital sound, so don't worry about recommending some ancient mono recording.

SW,
As a DDD recording with plenty of fire, I enjoy Gidon Kremer and Martha Argerich on DG. It is coupled with a very nice version of Sonata #10 also. As an intro to the VS's, you can't do better than the Kreutzer, but while you are shopping, Kremer and Argerich did the whole cycle, and their Disk 2 which is my favorite, has Op 23 & 24. Op 23 is my favorite sonata hands down, and it might end up to be yours if you give it a try.

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Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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**Amalie** · 04-20-2004, 06:20 PM

Originally posted by Steppenwolf:
I am currently undergoing an obsession with the first movement of Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata - it's electrifying and thrilling! I can't stop playing it, over and over! I have only recently discovered this piece. Trouble is I only have the first movement (on a compilation CD), so what are your recomendations for the best recording of the whole thing?

Note - I only really like digital sound, so don't worry about recommending some ancient mono recording.

Steppenwolf,

I don't think I am quite the connoisseur as Gurn is as far as violinists go. I love Beethoven's violin sonatas and would aslo recommend to you the ' Kreutzer' sonata played by David Oistrakh. and Lev Oborin (pianist). I am listening to it right now.
You can get the box set of Beethoven's violin sonatas by David Oistrakh & Lev Oborin under the Philips label. Each piece is a beautifully sculpted gem!

I don't know about others but I always find it difficult to listen to a CD through headphones in a music shop, when there is already loud music being played in the shop, I remember trying to listen to the Missa Solemnis when they had very loud Jazz playing, I find it ruins the whole effect of trying to listen through the headphones.

[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 04-20-2004).]

**Gurn Blanston** · 04-20-2004, 06:32 PM

Amalie,
Now, girl, don't make me sound like one of those snobby connoisseur guys. I would probably prefer Oistrakh / Oborin if I had them! But I really do like Kremer/Argerich because of their palpable enthusiasm and the little ragged edges that they don't mind showing you every now and then. To me, this is B the way B would have liked to hear it, not as a drawing room refined piece, but rugged "in your face" kind of music making! Oh, sorry, didn't mean to write like them, only describe them Anyway, I have never heard a Kreutzer that I didn't like! "Oh, that sonata..."

------------------
Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Steppenwolf** · 04-20-2004, 07:07 PM

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
SW,
As a DDD recording with plenty of fire, I enjoy Gidon Kremer and Martha Argerich on DG. It is coupled with a very nice version of Sonata #10 also. As an intro to the VS's, you can't do better than the Kreutzer, but while you are shopping, Kremer and Argerich did the whole cycle, and their Disk 2 which is my favorite, has Op 23 & 24. Op 23 is my favorite sonata hands down, and it might end up to be yours if you give it a try.

Thanks for the recomendations, Gurn. I will keep an eye out for the Kremer and Argerich version on my next visit to HMV, as I like the idea of the piece being performed 'with fire'.

**Steppenwolf** · 04-20-2004, 07:10 PM

Originally posted by Amalie:

I don't know about others but I always find it difficult to listen to a CD through headphones in a music shop, when there is already loud music being played in the shop

Amalie, can you recomend a CD shop in the London area where it is possible to sample recordings on the headphones? I usually to to HMV or Virgin on Oxford Street, neither of which have facilities for listening to the CDs, so you just have to take a bit of a risk whenever you buy one. There is one Borders store in Islington, where it is possible to listen to recordings, but the range isn't great ...

**Amalie** · 04-20-2004, 07:21 PM

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
Amalie,
Now, girl, don't make me sound like one of those snobby connoisseur guys. I would probably prefer Oistrakh / Oborin if I had them! But I really do like Kremer/Argerich because of their palpable enthusiasm and the little ragged edges that they don't mind showing you every now and then. To me, this is B the way B would have liked to hear it, not as a drawing room refined piece, but rugged "in your face" kind of music making! Oh, sorry, didn't mean to write like them, only describe them Anyway, I have never heard a Kreutzer that I didn't like! "Oh, that sonata..."

Well thankyou Uncle Gurn, you see, I always thought that your recommendations are pretty sound. I shall certainly look out for Kremer/Argerich next time I am in Tower Records. It is so nice to be called a 'girl', makes me feel so young again, I think I'll just go slide down the bannister..........

[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 04-20-2004).]

**Rod** · 04-20-2004, 07:30 PM

Hang around for my fantastic recording of the first movement by Jaap Schroder (vn) and Jos van Immerseel (fp) on the mp3 page. Perhaps THEN you have heard this movement!

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

**Gurn Blanston** · 04-20-2004, 07:32 PM

Amalie,
Oh, I don't know, more giddiness than I can handle As a Safety Professional I must recommend against it, as visually appealing as it may appear Anyway, what I was really looking at was SW's need for a digital recording, and I know K/A was done in the mid'90's while O/O was from 1962 or 3. I have a very nice Zukerman/Neikrug from the early '80's that is ADD (odd, so am I! ) but it is exactly as I described what I didn't like so much, very smooth, they would be perfect played in the library on Sunday afternoon, note-perfect but smooth as butter. I like MY "Kreutzer" to expose my insides just a bit, don't you?

------------------
Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Gurn Blanston** · 04-20-2004, 07:34 PM

Originally posted by Rod:

Hang around for my fantastic recording of the first movement by Jaap Schroder (vn) and Jos van Immerseel (fp) on the mp3 page. Perhaps THEN you have heard this movement!

Rod,
2 of my favorite performers. I'm all a'twitter. What? We're only up to Op 36! Damn the bad luck! Let's skip a bit

------------------
Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Amalie** · 04-20-2004, 07:37 PM

Originally posted by Steppenwolf:
Amalie, can you recomend a CD shop in the London area where it is possible to sample recordings on the headphones? I usually to to HMV or Virgin on Oxford Street, neither of which have facilities for listening to the CDs, so you just have to take a bit of a risk whenever you buy one. There is one Borders store in Islington, where it is possible to listen to recordings, but the range isn't great ...

SW,
Tower Records, Piccadilly Circus are very good. You can sit and listen in comfort and civility on a nice black soft leather settee. That's what I do when I go there.
Though Saturday's can be a bit busy. I usually go early on a weekday.

**Peter** · 04-20-2004, 08:03 PM

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
What? We're only up to Op 36! Damn the bad luck! Let's skip a bit

We already have - Op.34 and the wonderful Op.35 Eroica variations.

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'Man know thyself'

**Gurn Blanston** · 04-20-2004, 08:32 PM

Originally posted by Peter:
We already have - Op.34 and the wonderful Op.35 Eroica variations.

Peter,
I'm glad then that I wasn't the only one who missed those, I thought they had slipped by me somehow. What a blow for us! Well, even the best collections can't have everything I guess, for one thing, there may not even BE a fortepiano performance on record, or alternatively Rod was shielding us from a poor performance. But I will admit, I am ready for the Kreutzer!

------------------
Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Rod** · 04-20-2004, 08:40 PM

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
Peter,
I'm glad then that I wasn't the only one who missed those, I thought they had slipped by me somehow. What a blow for us! Well, even the best collections can't have everything I guess, for one thing, there may not even BE a fortepiano performance on record, or alternatively Rod was shielding us from a poor performance. But I will admit, I am ready for the Kreutzer!

It is ironic to me that these pieces in particular (op34 and 35) do not seem to be serviced with a recording using the fortepiano, for I think these pieces in particular would benefit more than most from such a recording. Similarly with the Diabelli Variations.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

**Gurn Blanston** · 04-20-2004, 09:27 PM

Originally posted by Rod:
It is ironic to me that these pieces in particular (op34 and 35) do not seem to be serviced with a recording using the fortepiano, for I think these pieces in particular would benefit more than most from such a recording. Similarly with the Diabelli Variations.

Rod, couldn't agree more, particularly about Op 34 & 35. The Diabelli's, contemporaneous with the "Graf Grand" fortepiano period, would perhaps not sound so different to our ears, but these earlier ones, without a doubt. Perhaps the Walter or maybe the Erard, either way they would be spot on. So it goes.

------------------
Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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