Album

As one of the world's leading pianists, Vladimir Ashkenazy offered important interpretations in his recordings for London of Ludwig van Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas; as this 1995 box set reissue shows, his contributions to the catalog still have great staying power. Recorded throughout the 1970s, these performances were originally released as LPs, and listeners following the charismatic pianist were treated to a new album of sonatas nearly on an annual basis. Ashkenazy's Beethoven is recognizably his own, for the dramatic characterizations and assertive style of playing are similar to his recordings of music by other composers, so anyone who knows his Chopin or Scriabin recordings from roughly the same period will recognize the same confidence and bravado in his youthful, vigorous playing. They will also note his typical freedom with dynamics and tempos, as well as some rushing, but his changes are never inappropriate. To this end, these sonatas may not be the most carefully deliberated, sensitive, or refined performances, but because Ashkenazy seems to prefer a forthright approach to an introverted manner of playing, the music is highly communicative and feels completely honest. The predominantly ADD sound of this set is exceptional for its vintage, though the ninth disc is all-digital.

© Blair Sanderson, Rovi

CD 1 of 10
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.1 in F-, Op.2, No.1 Work Recorded 1979 20:31 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
1	1.Allegro	5:30			$0.99
2	2.Adagio	4:21			$0.99
3	3.Menuetto: Allegro	3:24			$0.99
4	4.Prestissimo	7:16			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.2 in A, Op.2, No.2 Work Recorded 1976 23:29 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
5	1.Allegro vivace	6:56			$0.99
6	2.Largo appassionato	7:31			$1.49
7	3.Scherzo: Allegretto	3:01			$0.99
8	4.Rondo: Grazioso	6:01			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.3 in C, Op.2, No.3 Work Recorded 1974 27:10 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
9	1.Allegro con brio	10:09			$1.99
10	2.Adagio	8:33			$1.49
11	3.Scherzo: Allegro	3:16			$0.99
12	4.Finale: Allegro assai	5:12			$0.99
CD 2 of 10
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.4 in Eb ('Grand Sonata'), Op.7 Work Recorded 1979 28:42 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
1	1.Allegro molto e con brio	8:43			$1.49
2	2.Largo con gran espressione	8:32			$1.49
3	3.Allegro	5:01			$0.99
4	4.Rondo: Poco allegretto e grazioso	6:26			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.5 in C-, Op.10, No.1 Work Recorded 1976 18:11 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
5	1.Allegro molto e con brio	5:55			$0.99
6	2.Adagio molto	7:48			$1.49
7	3.Finale: Prestissimo	4:28			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.6 in F, Op.10, No.2 Work Recorded 1976 13:03 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
8	1.Allegro	6:19			$0.99
9	2.Allegretto	4:18			$0.99
10	3.Presto	2:26			$0.99
CD 3 of 10
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.7 in D, Op.10, No.3 Work Recorded 1979 23:04 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
1	1.Presto	6:50			$0.99
2	2.Largo e mesto	9:48			$1.49
3	3.Menuetto: Allegro	2:44			$0.99
4	4.Rondo: Allegro	3:42			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.8 in C-, Op.13 ('Pathétique') Work Recorded 1980 18:12 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
5	1.Grave. Allegro di molto e con brio	8:29			$1.49
6	2.Adagio cantabile	4:57			$0.99
7	3.Rondo: Allegro	4:46			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.9 in E, Op.14, No.1 Work Recorded 1979 11:28 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
8	1.Allegro	5:26			$0.99
9	2.Allegretto	3:09			$0.99
10	3.Rondo: Allegro comodo	2:53			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.10 in G, Op.14, No.2 Work Recorded 1979 15:02 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
11	1.Allegro	6:35			$0.99
12	2.Andante	5:01			$0.99
13	3.Scherzo: Allegro assai	3:26			$0.99
CD 4 of 10
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.11 in Bb, Op.22 Work Recorded 1978 24:40 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
1	1.Allegro con brio	6:58			$0.99
2	2.Adagio con molto espressione	8:37			$1.49
3	3.Menuetto: Minore	3:15			$0.99
4	4.Rondo: Allegretto	5:50			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.12 in Ab, Op.26 ('Funeral March') Work Recorded 1978 18:38 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
5	1.Andante con variazioni	7:20			$1.49
6	2.Scherzo and Trio: Allegro molto	2:29			$0.99
7	3.Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un eroe	6:10			$0.99
8	4.Rondo: Allegro	2:39			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.13 in Eb, Op.27, No.1 ('Quasi una fantasia') Work Recorded 1978 16:03 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
9	1.Andante. Allegro	5:42			$0.99
10	2.Allegro molto e vivace	1:59			$0.49
11	3.Adagio con espressione	3:05			$0.99
12	4.Allegro vivace	5:17			$0.99
CD 5 of 10
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.14 in C#-, Op.27, No.2 ('Moonlight') Work Recorded 1977 15:58 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
1	1.Adagio sostenuto	6:11			$0.99
2	2.Allegretto	2:11			$0.99
3	3.Presto agitato	7:36			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.15 in D, Op.28 ('Pastoral') Work Recorded 1976 26:26 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
4	1.Allegro	10:42			$1.99
5	2.Andante	8:05			$1.49
6	3.Scherzo: Allegro vivace	2:29			$0.99
7	4.Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo	5:10			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.16 in G, Op.31, No.1 Work Recorded 1977 22:27 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
8	1.Allegro vivace	6:29			$0.99
9	2.Adagio grazioso	9:22			$1.49
10	3.Rondo: Allegretto	6:36			$0.99
CD 6 of 10
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.17 in D-, Op.31, No.2 ('Tempest') Work Recorded 1976 23:41 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
1	1.Largo. Allegro	8:31			$1.49
2	2.Adagio	8:09			$1.49
3	3.Allegretto	7:01			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.18 in Eb, Op.31, No.3 ('The Hunt') Work Recorded 1977 22:19 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
4	1.Allegro	8:41			$1.49
5	2.Scherzo: Allegro vivace	5:08			$0.99
6	3.Menuetto: Moderato e grazioso	3:55			$0.99
7	4.Presto con fuoco	4:35			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.19 in G-, Op.49, No.1 Work Recorded 1980 7:33 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
8	1.Andante	4:16			$0.99
9	2.Rondo: Allegro	3:17			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.20 in G, Op.49, No.2 Work Recorded 1980 7:59 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
10	1.Allegro ma non troppo	4:43			$0.99
11	2.Tempo di menuetto	3:16			$0.99
CD 7 of 10
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.21 in C, Op.53 ('Waldstein') Work Recorded 1973 25:24 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
1	1.Allegro con brio	11:21			$1.99
2	2.Introduzione: Molto adagio	4:34			$0.99
3	3.Rondo: Allegro moderato	9:29			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.22 in F, Op.54 Work Recorded 1973 11:13 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
4	1.In tempo d'un menuetto	5:54			$0.99
5	2.Allegretto	5:19			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.23 in F-, Op.57 ('Appassionata') Work Recorded 1978 23:49 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
6	1.Allegro assai	9:42			$1.49
7	2.Andante con moto (attaca)	6:38			$0.99
8	3.Allegro ma non troppo	7:29			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.24 in F#, Op.78 ('For Therese') Work Recorded 1979 10:05 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
9	1.Adagio cantabile. Allegro ma non troppo	7:20			$1.49
10	2.Allegro vivace	2:45			$0.99
CD 8 of 10
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.25 in G, Op.79 ('Cuckoo') Work Recorded 1979 9:48 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
1	1.Presto alla tedesca	4:38			$0.99
2	2.Andante	3:16			$0.99
3	3.Vivace	1:54			$0.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.26 in Eb, Op.81a ('Les Adieux') Work Recorded 1973 17:39 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
4	1.Adagio. Allegro ('Les Adieux')	7:35			$1.49
5	2.Andante espressivo ('L'Absence')	4:00			$0.99
6	3.Vivacissimamente ('Le Retour')	6:04			$0.99
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.27 in E-, Op.90 Work Recorded 1978 13:42 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
7	1.Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchhaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck	5:55			$0.99
8	2.Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorzutragen	7:47			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.28 in A, Op.101 Work Recorded 1976 20:57 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
9	1.Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung (Allegretto ma non troppo)	4:34			$0.99
10	2.Lebhaft, marschmäßig (Vivace alla marcia)	6:00			$0.99
11	3.Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll (Adagio ma non troppo, con affetto)	10:23			$1.99
CD 9 of 10
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Andante favori in F, WoO57 Work Recorded 1976 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
1	Andante favori in F, WoO57	9:07			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.29 in Bb, Op.106 ('Hammerklavier') Work Recorded 1980 45:02 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
2	1.Allegro	11:09			$1.99
3	2.Scherzo: Assai vivace	2:48			$0.99
4	3.Adagio sostenuto	19:25			$3.49
5	4.Largo. Allegro risoluto	11:40			$1.99
CD 10 of 10
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.30 in E, Op.109 Work Recorded 1974 20:25 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
1	1.Vivace, ma non troppo	4:17			$0.99
2	2.Prestissimo	2:29			$0.99
3	3.Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo (Variations 1-6)	13:39			$2.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.31 in Ab, Op.110 Work Recorded 1972 20:26 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
4	1.Moderato cantabile, molto espressivo	6:44			$0.99
5	2.Allegro molto	2:08			$0.99
6	3.Adagio ma non troppo: Arioso dolente	4:06			$0.99
7	4.Fuga: Allegro ma non troppo	7:28			$1.49
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer Piano Sonata No.32 in C-, Op.111 Work Recorded 1971 27:34 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
8	1.Maestoso: Allegro con brio ed appassionato	10:08			$1.99
9	2.Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile (Theme and Variations)	17:26			$2.99