The Brilliant edition of Gulda's Beethoven Piano Sonatas appearantly has been released in the U.S. Am I correct that this is the 1967 Amadaeo cycle? If so I intend to get it based on Todd's fine reviews (I have had Annie Fischer's cycle for some time now and it is superb, but it sounds like Gulda's Amadaeo cycle is also very fine.)Has anyone listened to the set just released on Brillian?

Both the Brilliant and the DG set are the 1967 recordings. Go ahead and buy it, Oldnslow, you won't regret it.

I wonder what mtuttleb's comments are. He's taken the Brilliant set home, after he was at my house, yesterday.

cheers
Stefan

Thanks. I ordered the Beethoven set on Brilliant. Anyone familiar with the 4 CD set by Gulda on Andante? Contains Schubert, Ravel, and Debussy --- mid 60's material from Austrian Radio. A very expensive set but likely high quality stuff. I don't recall ever seeing it reviewed. I do recall a very favorable review(both performance and sound) of a live recital by Gulda on Aura (Haydn Variations in F, some Mozart, and the Waldstein)which I have ordered.

quote:

Originally posted by Oldnslow:
I don't recall ever seeing it reviewed.

It's a tempting box, to say the least, but only at a lower price. Rob Cowan had some nice things to say about it in Gramophone. In any event, I gotta hear that Schubert . . .

Todd--yes, the Schubert is the mid-60s stuff in the Andante box---the Ravel/Debussy is from 1957, and I'm sure it is good too. Tower(in Seattle) is asking $58 for it and it is hard to find anywhere for much less. I think I'll content myself with the Beethoven Sonata set. It has just been shipped and should keep me busy for awhile.

Well, I am halfway through the 1967 Gulda Beethoven sonata cycle on Brilliant, and it is.....Brilliant! I can't recall such an interesting set, at least up through Opus 31. Completely consistent and commanding playing on the highest interpretative level. I'm also struck by the naturalness of the sound--like Gulda is right in your living room -a warm, full sound that is quite different from the concert hall. I love it. This guy may have been a a bit eccentric----well, yes, I suppose giving a nude recital might qualify as eccentric---, but he was a master musician. This set goes right to the top, along with Annie Fischer and 50's Kempff. Every person who loves these sonatas (and what classical music lover doesn't?)should snap this set up post haste. Absolutely mind boggling playing.

Well, I completed my traversal of Gulda's Beethoven. Overall, this set ranks right up there with the best, including Annie Fischer's. I do agree with Todd that the Appassionata is a little disappointing, with the tempo too fast for even Gulda to convincingly pull off. Op. 54 I also perhaps suffers slightly in comparison to others(a recent Nicolai Lugansky disc of Beethoven has a superb performance of Op.54, and the other performances are interesting as well; even though it received a rather poor Grammophone review I thorougly enjoyed it). On the whole Gulda's 1967 recordings are awe inspiring--a real find for me. Thanks to Todd for bringing them to my attention. By the way, has anyone heard Gulda's 1970 recording of the Diabelli Variations? I think it was an MPS recording, released on CD at one time by Harmonia Mundi France. I'd love to hear it, and perhaps the re-release of Gulda's Amadeo sonatas will lead to its reissue.