Claudio Arrau ❤

Schnabel, Kempf, Arrau, Gulda and Brendel. This are the ones I listen to the most.

For me Kempff is THE Beethoven pianist.

Barenboim, Andras Schiff, Arrau, Kempff, Brendel

Schnabel
Kempff
Backhaus(mono)
Arrau
Goode

Fantastic description of Richard Goode’s performances. He is just so phenomenal..no words

Wilhelm Backhaus, Wilhelm Kempff, Claudio Arrau, Friedrich Gulda, Richard Goode

Not just Beethoven, but in everything, Kempff never played one ugly, or ill-judged note. He could make the most preternaturally beautiful sound, and combined intellect with emotional intelligence. His noble and aristocratic reserve tempered by a refined, poetic sensibility lend to his Beethoven something of this greatest composer's heroic and monumental stature.

Very solid list of complete sets. Schnabel, Kempff, Arrau and Goode are locks for me.
Asked today, my fifth set would be the one done by the young Barenboim.

Alfred Brendel's 70's cycle
Gulda, Arrau, Kempff and Backhaus.

A complete Richter cycle is one of those great “what ifs” in my opinion.  I wish we had one, but I love your list and echo Kempf!

Kovacevich is my go-to Beethoven pianist and I'm glad to see so many nods to him. I'd like to put in a word for the understated and elegant cycle by the French pianist Eric Heidsieck, a good complement to Kovacevich.

Not heard every pianist in your brilliant exposition of the strengths of the respective artists. Backhaus , i thought, defined Beethoven and his piano spirit. But , definitely will listen  afresh .

Schnabel, Backhaus, Kempff, Arrau, Gulda.

I had the immense pleasure of hearing Arrau in the mid-70s play op 57 and op 111 (and the Liszt sonata after the interval). Unforgettable.

I completely agree with you on Richard Goode. He is definitely my favorite Beethoven Sonata interpreter and has been since the 1980s. Thanks for mentioning him!

Annie Fischer!

She alway wanted to do a label Beethoven cycle, but was too much of a perfectionist to say "I am ready, let's go". What we have is her legacy of all Beethoven sonatas recorded mostly at her home studio, with some parts maybe recorded between stuffing the chicken leg and smoking another half box of cigarettes; but oh my they are so DENSE!

She played everything, she kept only the "actually best" versions, and yes she was always uncontented with what she had, but it is so marvellous.

She was kind of a "super-Arrau" in her concept. I can liten to only one sonata recordings of her at a time, it is so - dense, that is the word I can find again. When I listened to her Hammerklavier I literally got extrasytoli by the end, so yes these recordings really have that impact on the listener.

Definitelly and absolutelly worths hearing through. It was edited and issued by Hungaroton on 9 CDs, but maybe other publishers also have issued them since then.

I admit that I really enjoyed the Jeno Jando's Naxos cycle.  He also includes the earlier sonatas.  He has a certain amount of detachment in his performances but overall they're quite good and well recorded.  (His Haydn, Schubert, and Mozart sonata cycles are likewise very similar and consistent.)

1 Schnabel
2 Kempf
3 Arrau
4 Brendel
5 Baremboim

Gulda and Backhaus would have to be on my list.