Ludwig van Beethoven: Beethoven Rediscovered (Alpha Edition)

Contents

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 /Anima Eterna & Jos van Immerseel

Franz Liszt: Beethoven Symphonies 1-9 /Yury Martynov (fortepiano)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5 /Arthur Schoonderwoerd & Cristofori

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ‘Moonlight’ /Alexei Lubimov (fortepiano)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 ‘Waldstein’ /Alexei Lubimov (fortepiano)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 No. 2 ‘Tempest’ /Alexei Lubimov (fortepiano)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Variations (32) on an Original Theme in C minor, WoO 80 /Olga Pashchenko (fortepiano)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor, Op. 49 No. 1 /Olga Pashchenko (fortepiano)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Fantasia in G minor, Op. 77 /Olga Pashchenko (fortepiano)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op. 49 No. 2 /Olga Pashchenko (fortepiano)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Eroica Variations, Op. 35 /Olga Pashchenko (fortepiano)

Beethoven’s music was initially considered incomprehensible by his contemporaries. Its radical novelty was perceived as disturbing, its uncompromising demands were often irritating and downright repulsive to conservative listeners. It was only gradually recognized that this composer consistently developed the ideals of the classics Haydn and Mozart in all genres. This box set makes this significance particularly clear by means of exemplary complete recordings of his symphonies and piano concertos as well as some selected piano works (all in historical performance practice) from the ALPHA CLASSICS catalog.

Reviews

“You can hardly play Beethoven in a more exciting and thrilling way.” (NDR)

“This has hardly ever been heard as convincingly and clearly as here.” (Spiegel Online)

“Does the world need these recordings? Yes, urgently. They are not all convincing, but where they are strong, they are almost irreplaceable…. Immerseel shapes the Sixth Symphony in F major in an eventful, irresistible and almost definitive manner. The first movement breathes vibrating restlessness, the scene by the stream has treacherous mirages, like a wooded, glittering mirage, and the thunderstorm is finally one that deserves this designation.when the bucolic thanksgiving follows, the horror is still in your bones, and it is Immerseel’s marvelous art that he lets the climatic explosion reverberate when everything is supposedly over.” (Die Zeit)

“The most radical Beethoven experience since Harnoncourt.” (Rondo)

“This is a giftedly beautiful recording, with works that seem to have been waiting to be reassessed and reinterpreted.” Stereoplay: “Beethoven’s democratic message has rarely been experienced in such a sensual, exciting and electrifyingly fresh way as in Arthur Schoonderwoerd’s fantastic Beethoven Museum: Barry Lyndon meets Ludwig van.” (Toccata)

“,… Lubimov’s interpretation can hardly be overrated. (…) He chooses a tempo for the famous (but difficult to “hit”) slow movement of the “Moonlight Sonata” that radiates the necessary calm without seeming burdensome or empty.and he succeeds in shaping even the smallest motifs vividly and imaginatively without ever losing sight of the structure of an entire movement, an entire sonata. The program is similarly convincing (and meticulously accurate) right up to the end, guaranteeing a good hour of great, unretouched “original” Beethoven.” (FonoForum)

“Olga Pashchenko gives an outstanding performance here, with ingenuity and freshness – and you simply want to hear more from her. Bravo!” (Piano News)

“This opens up completely new sound horizons and listening experiences for the listener.” (hr2 on the Liszt transcriptions)