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Wilhelm Backhaus plays Haydn, Beethoven & Chopin

Aura Classics

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1. Keyboard Sonata in E flat major, H. 16
   52: Allegro (moderato)
2. Keyboard Sonata in E flat major, H. 16
   52: Adagio
3. Keyboard Sonata in E flat major, H. 16
   52: Finale. Presto
4. Andante with variations for piano in F minor, H. 17
   6
5. Fantasia (Capriccio) for piano in C major, H. 17
   4
6. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31
   2: Largo - Allegro
7. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31
   2: Adagio
8. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ('Tempest'), Op. 31
   2: Allegretto
9. Etude for piano No. 13 in A flat major, Op. 25
   1, CT. 26
10. Etude for piano No. 14 in F minor, Op. 25
    2, CT. 27
11. Etude for piano No. 15 in F major, Op. 25
    3, CT 28.
12. Etude for piano No. 18 in G sharp minor, Op. 25
    6, CT. 31
13. Etude for piano No. 20 in D flat major, Op. 25
    8, CT. 33
14. Etude for piano No. 21 in G flat major, Op. 25
    9, C. 34
15. Etude for piano No. 5 in G flat major, Op. 10
    5, CT. 18
16. Nocturne for piano No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27
    2, CT. 115
17. Waltz for piano No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 18, CT. 207

Average customer rating:

masterful

This cd is superb. Listeners can experience Backhaus at his best.
Backhaus was one of the supreme artists of the 20th century (we may fix the beginning of his careeer around 1905) and I would deeply disagree with those who like to define him as the bearer of a gruff, iningratiating style. I do disagree also with those who put down his 1960's recordings as those of a stodgy old pianist. Masterful Beethoven and Haydn by Backhaus is not a surprise for most listeners (except some British critics). The Chopin in this cd is not a surprise as well, at least for those who have been careful listeners of Backhaus. Not only he was a renown interpreter of Chopin in his earlier career, but he went back to Chopin in the late 1940's and in the 1950's. In fact his later Beethoven, permeated by wider tempo fluctuations than in the past, may be the outcome of this renewed acquaintance with Chopin. It should also be taken into account that in the concert hall Backhaus allowed himeself a freedom which only rarely entered in his studio work (though go back to his Bach and Mozart and you could see how much freedom he would introduce if he thought it was the case). In these recordings, expecially in Beethoven, you may experience some of the poetic freedom that Backhaus allowed himself in the concert hall. Here you have a master at work. I would strongly reccomend this cd to anybody as I would reccomend to anybody to acquire his live recordings on Orfeo and the box set of Beethoven sonatas that he recorded in mono for Decca in the 1950's. There you will find one of the most compelling performances of the Hammerklavier (which was also included in the stereo box set of the 1960's ever recorded).

Outstanding performances!

I have never been a fan of Wilhelm Backhaus. But I must recognize his impeccable performance and unbeatable reading of this overwhelming piano work of Joseph Haydn: Andante with variations has never treated with such masterful level.

The Piano Sonata is admirably well played. It owns humor, grace, ingenious musicality and fineness.

Conceptually speaking his Chopin is excessively intellectual and somehow the emotion never emerges. It lacks of this special light and shadow images.

Excellent and admirable musical tresure.

Backhaus at his best-particularly in Chopin!

If you think of Backhaus as the stodgy old painist on those London recordings of the 60's, you're in for a surprise here, Except for the Haydn F minor variations, which clearly bores Backhaus, everything here is brilliantly performed and exciting. As expected, the big Haydn sonata and the Beethoven "Tempest" sonata are excellent (though the performance of the latter on the Phillips "Great Pianists" series is better still). The biggest surprise is the Chopin, a composer one doesn't normally associate with Backhaus (though he made the first complete recording of the Etudes, I believe). The Chopin works are played with beguiling grace and charm. These items alone are worth the modest price of this fine disc.