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Beethoven: Piano Sonatas | 
 enlarge | Creators: Ludwig Van Beethoven, Claudio Arrau
Label: Philips
Category: Music
List Price: $7.98
Buy New: $3.49
You Save: $4.49 (56%)
New (31) Used (16) from $3.00
Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 9122
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 422970
UPC: 028942297029
EAN: 0028942297029
ASIN: B00000411Z
Release Date: March 29, 1990
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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| Tracks:
| • | Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio | | • | Andante cantabile | | • | Rondo, Allegro | | • | Allegro assai | | • | Andante con moto | | • | Allegro ma non troppo | | • | Adagio sostenuto | | • | Allegretto | | • | Presto agitato |
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| Customer Reviews:
 ugh June 23, 2008
Shawn G. Welch
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
In some places, the playing seems rushed and in others, it sounds uncoordinated. There are better versions of these sonatas out there.
 Excellent collection of favorites November 22, 2007
Tristan Whalen (Texas)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is an excellent recording of the three most well-known and well-loved piano sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven. As an aspiring Beethoven expert (I'm a college student and just recently began really discovering Beethoven), I wanted to hear a masterful, even "definitive" if you will, recording of these sonatas. I listened straight through the entire album, enjoying every minute of it. I smiled as I recognized a piece that I finally got to hear in its proper context, and the whole time I was in awe of Beethoven's work coming through Claudio Arrau. The Pathetique and Moonlight sonatas were especially wonderful to hear, since I've heard parts of them hundreds of times in other arrangements--from Trans-siberian Orchestra to Dance Dance Revolution and other music video games to Schroeder of the Peanuts gang at his piano. Nothing compared to hearing Claudio Arrau play the pieces as Beethoven intended: it was magical. Delightful, masterful, beautiful, fun, timeless...you will love Beethoven's three great piano sonatas.
The best...simply! June 8, 2007
P. A. Mohammad (UK, England)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
What more can I say....
I dont really know much about classical, and I wont pretend that I do, but to me, this is perfection!
Excellent service to as item arrived in good time!
This is not Arrau, this is Beethoven himself July 19, 2006
H. Ruiz (Lansing, MI USA)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
First of all I would like to say, I have to disagree with a reviewer that says Arrau plays "too slow" this I can handle although I consider his speed is fine... but mostly when he says something like "he gives a romantic touch to these sonatas that were dedicated to men".
That is a huge blasphemy and here's why: Beethoven was a passionate man, I guess every Beethoven fan and student knows that, and if you still don't believe it just listen to his piano, violin and cello trios to see how much passion and romance there is involved. So it doesn't matter if he dedicated these sonatar (or any of his works) to a woman, a man or an alien, it is quite clear that whoever it was intended to, Beethoven would have probably execute it with passion and romance.
The execution of the Appassionata sonata is the ultimate execution. I need more words from other universe to describe how you can easly breeze into the composer's mind and actually feel what he felt and thought when he composed this piece. The 3rd movement is to me the best around and the best I've heard (from dozens of dozens), especially the last two minutes when it's clear the composer went drive mad. With other performers you will see that in these two minutes (when the piece reachis its climax) they will normally slow down which obviously a clear mistake and not what Beethoven intended). The last two minutes are to be played with madness, more madness, anger, more anger and all the passion you can put into those 88 keys. You can't slow down the climax of the piece ! That's why it is called Appassionata ! Such a beautiful piece.
The moonlight execution is the best I've heard too (with the exception of the 1st movement). Each one of the three movements take you to a mind state where you can feel how and what Beethoven felt about countess Giuletta Giucardi: love, joy and then hate, respectively. Just like the appasionata, the 3rd movement's performance is stunning. By the time you reach half of it, your mind will think you're listening to Beethoven.
Patetique is a good execution. I haven't really heard a notable performance, probably due to the fact of being one of Beethoven's earlier -more Mozartian/classisist- works. Still it is very good, and the movement that impresses me the most is the second.
Do your self a favor and get this CD. You will trash any other Beethoven Piano sonatas CD, and you will eventually look forward to buy the 32 piano sonata box set by Claudio Arrau -to listen to the man himself playing all his works-, which I proudly own and just like this disc, it is worth every single penny.
A very passionate and serious-minded Beethoven. January 1, 2004
David (AZ)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
Claudio Arrau is not always an easy pianist to listen to. His playing is sometimes very irritating and at times can seem boring. Not everyone will agree with his Beethoven playing, and his playing in general, but many will be fascinated by his complex intellectuality. His Beethoven playing, particularly the sonatas, are some of his best and most interesting work. If anyone was to own one recording of Arrau's playing, I would surely suggest a Beethoven recording. His interpretations of these three popular sonatas are unorthodox but are given very passionate and interesting performances. Anyone studying or interested in these sonatas should listen to Arrau, the Appassionata especially is given an excellent performance. This CD is highly recommended, it's an excellent lesson in Arrau's Beethoven playing.
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