Alfred Brendel plays the Appassionata (3rd mvmt)

[s1earle]

A good performance for those who like text approaches; Philips never would let Brendel perform as an artist, only a puppet - The earlier Turnabout/Vox recordings depicted Brendel as a personal artist...

[bthvnlovr25]

This is almost THE definitive version of this movement, if only he had taken the PRESTO a little faster it would have been.perfect!

[stefano1980ify]

One of the greatest interpretation of the Appasionata.

Favolous Brendel!

[CuriosityRoads]

There's just not enough aggression or attack here. Too laid back. My favourites for this sonata are Gulda and Brautigam.

[seifermigs]

Though its possible to add more aggression or attack, I think what Brendel did here is logically connected to the Tempo&that he opted to emphasize the "Perpetual Motion nature" of the work. About the tempo: It would have simply be ridiculous if he performed the "Allegro ma non troppo" faster.If he did, then chances are when he will get to the "Coda" he would have performed it slower than the indicated "Presto", or just the same tempo as "Allegro ma non troppo"-it just would not make any sense!

[irynski]

@CuriosityRoads I have to agree with you. You can feel that he has the ability to attack but seems reticent to do so: whether it about about his fear of letting the tempest take over him, or whether it is fear of losing control of technique. There is light and shade, but this piece MUST be played with only glints of light and darkness to be the Appassionata. This feels like technician (and a great one, of course), not a virtuoso!

[pretwik]

Während ich dem 3. Satz lausche, bin ich mir nicht schlüssig, ob Brendels Humor dem Beethovenschen gleichkommt, jedenfalls können die beiden miteinander "arbeiten", ohne dass Beethoven den kürzeren zieht.

[Yurikobd]

SIMPLEMENTE IMPRESIONANTE!!!

[sdfgdsgfsdfg]

My goodness! I have listened to all the masters playing this: Serkin, Barenboim, Cutner, Kempff, Horowitz, Richter etc etc.

But nobody, I say nobody, plays it as marvelous as Brendel.

[Hobott]

@sdfgdsgfsdfg this is only your private opinion, nothing more. You don't have the right to drawing conclusions. Speak for yourself. For me his interpretation isn't indisputable.

[Hobott]

Brendel feels the beauty of the music. Neverthelessр for me, the best interpretation is Richters.

[Hobott]

Brendel feels the beauty of the music

[forto21]

This wonderful rendition, precisely, is the one you can listen to in a quite amazing blog, La belleza de escuchar, while you read the story surroundig the composition.

[RemovdSande11]

awesome interpretation.. But I simply LOVE Claudio Arrau's rendition so much.

[MrMozartman]

Great !!!!!!!!!!

[animumaurarium]

A much more beautiful recording of App. mvt. 3 by Brendel can be listened to at the offi. website of Steinway & Sons

[abucunezzer101]

This rocks.

[akumanation]

Arthur Rubinstein version is nic

[song110beforgiving]

I think this guy plays it better than Horowitz.

[helenagothicangel13]

"This guy" is a marvelous pianist from a different generation and background than Horowitz - don't just base your opinions on the one musician you've heard play!

[khaosande]

Remember that Beethoven never gave the name "Appassionata" to this sonata.... A critic did...

[MarshalGZhukov]

@khaosande No, actually it was Beethoven's name. "Moonlight" was given by a critic.

[Moon0Royalty]

@MarshalGZhukov

No, Appassionata was the publisher's name, but Beethoven liked it, so he went with it. Appassionata is rather fitting though, don't you think? The whole interpretation is wonderful, but my favourite part is from 2:05 to 2:20.

[AntonVonShrodinger]

Brilliant pianist, Brendel, but, the first chords just sounded dead. Nevertheless, his use of dynamics is quite ingenious. Instead of the typical soft-medium-loud range of most pianists I have heard playing this piece, he has subtle changes in volume and intensity which make the sonata live, almost as if it is breathing.

[Sinfoniette]

For me this is definitely not "appassionata"!

[tchebinai71]

horowitz for me, for all the piece ; Gould for the staccato, yokoyama for the power at the end...

i"m not in my "appassionata period .".......

[berlinzerberus]

...and finally ...tchebi..for what?? hehe

regards

[tchebinai71]

tchebi for all the sloppy and out of tune version . bah .

[Keygeneral]

Thank you for this great interpretation :-)

[petie32]

Technical, under control and clear; (see also Bachaus) like Mozart. Van Gennip plays it like Bach.'

Serkin and Richter play it like Beethoven.

[dolce0me]

Alfred Brendel has one of the clearest fingers I have ever heard of. Should definitely listen to him play Schubert's impromptus.

[Romsstar]

the thing is you can REALLY fall asleep with this. I don't feel the force.. (haha michael jackson..) I think it has to be the way Richter plays is to pass all the emotions this piece contains...

[laqin007]

he plays verrry clear! and Richter too!, but he plays more gentle, i think?

[Arganos0]

Fantastic

[mltube]

I could use this at bed time, instead of counting sheep.

[augustkmy]

ritcher is noob....play too fast...it's noisy...i prefer this!!! BRENDEL!!

[templeH81]

I was watching Arrau play this same movement, and it was bugging me how he would pull back in the most odd places. I enjoy Brendel, i have a recording of him playing all 32 sonatas. I do think he plays the first movement a touch too fast, but all in all its very wonderful

[kajohada]

your comment is an odd thing! ;))

[darreostewart]

It sounds like he played this in his sleep like literally played this movement in his sleep.

Its funny.

He was actually teasing beethoven with his interpretation while beethoven was teasing him back through his composition

When you get to this level where you are actually able to communicate with a dead person through their music - you simply cannot get any better that's it its sort of sad and amazing in a way

[hellomate639]

I've never heard it described like that.

That's what happens when people are inspired by what they hear though. They get a magical perception of it. Most of it is practice.

But yes, you can often feel a connection to Beethoven when you play, or even feel like his spirit is critiquing your playing.

Though mostly, the more I enjoy playing a piece, the more grateful I am to the composer.

[maxdesp]

I actually prefer Richter version. More Beethoven-ish.

[mdoub]

disagree with that. go ufck your mother

[kajohada]

...kiddylady,you are primitive and boring.your simple infamy doesnt reach me.probably u have eaten too much dogs!!

you are a little ugly slut:))

[kajohada]

er erfüllt den appassionata-satz nicht mit leidenschaft,indem er die akzente einebnet,wie bei schubert,es klingt alles episch,wie bei schubert,den beethoven impetus des siegens durch kampf,ist ja wohl total verfehlt,sein spiel ist narrativ,wie bei schubert,der klavierton ist zu flach und brendel hat gewiss keinen sinn für das dramatische,so bleibt alles zu harmlos,zu leicht,zu belanglos,es gebricht ihm total am ausdruck,der für eine beethoven interpretation notwendig ist:no spirit in a word!

[kiddylay11]

Kajohada, you know why I was quiet recently?? I have found out that you have mental problems, since you also hate other pianists such as Daniel Barenboim. And what you wrote there in german, I used a translator and says

[kiddylay11]

he fulfils the appassionata sentence not with leidenschaft, while he levels akzente, like with schubert, it everything sounds epic, like with schubert, beethoven impetus siegens by kampf, is probably totally missed, play to be is narrative, like with schubert, klavierton is too level and brendel has indeed nobody reflect for the dramatic one, everything remains too harmless, too easily, too insignificant, it

[kiddylay11]

gebricht to him print out totally in, for beethoven interpretation inevitably ist:no spirit in a word! HOW DARE YOU KAJOHADA! YOU EITHER HAVE MENTAL PROBLEM OR YOUR JUST A RETARTED ASSHOLE!!!!!!

[gigie555]

Brendel's Beethoven is as Gould's Bach. The best interpreter. IMO

[kajohada]

that´s,the badest joke i ever heard ;))))))

[gigie555]

Hey no joke. Arrau, Richter, Kempff, Horowitz, Barenboim, all top notch pianists and I've heard them all, but on balance, Brendel I prefer. But you may have your own opinions, that's fine.

[kajohada]

...i´m sorry but it´s very clear that brendel´s relation to beethoven is pretty problematic.most it sounds like schubert,listen to this appassionata mouvement and additionally he has no sound to hit the spirit of beethoven.thus u cannot say brendel plays beethoven like glenn gould bach,because glenn was a very singular and unique artist,he had this certain passion for bach and nobody could play bach like him,that´s the difference:))

[gigie555]

I don't quite understand what you mean by schubert-like, but if you mean does he overplay his piece? No he does not. He is neither too loud or to soft, too fast or too slow. Yet he still expresses the music without adding his own "flavor". I can understand how some people like that sort of thing, but I'm not one of them.

[callenishss]

this interpretation is smooth

[hellomate639]

Whats wrong with kajohada, ytpiano7, z666z666z, etc. etc. etc. etc...

Clearly all of them are the same person, and he made a bunch of accounts a year ago just to make it look like multiple people share the same stupid veiwpoint.

Seriously, what do you take us for, retards? We all listen to classical music, criticize it, and even though a great number of the people on here are pretentious, or mild listeners, they're usually intelligent enough to make it obvious that you're the same person.

[kiddylay11]

kajohada, every time I see the comment area of Alfred Brendel videos, you and your clone (obviously z666z66) are putting up shit.

GET THE HELL OUT OF ALFRED BRENDEL VIDEOS KAJOHADA AND Z666Z666!!!!!!!!!!!1

[kiddylay11]

FUCK OFF YOU RETARD!! AND WITH YOUR FUCKING SHIT z66z666

FUCKING RETARTED ASSWIPES!!

[kiddylay11]

Everybody, let's get the crap out of kajohada!!!!1

[abcvasdf]

My most favourite interpretation of the Appassionata sonata in youtube

[genovesachx]

Problem with youtube is that we can't be sure of the original recording. This version sounds muddled and occasionally incoherent. He misplaces sforzandos and completely ignores the pedal markings. I'll take Gould any day over Brendel.

[kajohada]

...yea,it sounds like a musical clock,passionato in brendel-style,but shouldnt it be a sort of "win by struggle",a "per astera ad astra",but mr.brendel isnt a hero on the piano at all,i would say he plays even perhaps amateurish in here :))

[malditocalvo]

el TEMPO es perfecto; en la partitura dice "allegro ma non troppo". Luego, el presto es un presto que se entienden las corcheas, en lugar de tocarlo como hacen muchos, incluido Barenboim, tan rápido, carente de sentido. Para mi es una interpretación magistral.

[z666z666z]

haha FABrendel wrote something like i belong to a Brendel´s haters army.. :-) haha LOL.

Completely false.

I donñt hate Brendel. to be sincere, he looks so funny personality to me. What i want to say is: Don´t make a mistake wot my comments. One thing is to say what do you thing about his playing and other very different is to say "You hate"....i don´t hate him. That´s completely true.

He always look funny to me. His gestures, His funny technique ( not bad at all, of course not very good->

[hellomate639]

Yeah, thats false, because there is none. You are an army of one. Good thing our military abandoned that slogan.

[z666z666z]

I am an army of one in this fanatic´s place.

Go outside to the real world instead to be closed in your room.

666

[hellomate639]

I want the first movement! lol

He plays that amazingly too.

[englishplayer40]

retiring?? well i am from the uk and i can tell you he was giving a recital in glasgow in january this year. maybe that was his retirement performance. it was called 'legens of the keyboard' so maybe he put in a special appearance. i think he would be 75

[hellomate639]

He retires in January.

[z666z666z]

Hellomate 639......I hope so.

666

[hellomate639]

Yeah, lol, wouldn't cramp your style so much when he's gone, right?

[z666z666z]

Good information englishplayer40. I hoped he really retire. An about 'legens of the keyboard' ...i hope the music history will take the job to analize seriously the bluff he was. Great pianists use to retired later than that age, but he looks smart. I just went two times to his concerts many years ago, and then i decided to don´t pay money for such a thing. His dimension neve was big and never it will be. What is possibel he will be for many years a kind of parameter or reference------>

[z666z666z]

------> for the "Theorists" "Musiclogists" and "Media scholars" and of course the "Beloved" SNOB music lovers......a kind of people who think always in not too much forte, not too much piano, not much "Everything", and individuality as a mayor crime....They always mistake elengance, sober, etc. with untestfullness. He retires...so.. good for music, and good for him to pass away with a "Good impresion" by his fans. Not like Badura Skoda, who instead to retire at time insists ----------->

[z666z666z]

---------> in continue playing, and sometimes he make it really bad, despite he was a very good pianist ( not great of course ) and fine.

5 years ago i listen exactly this sonata played by him. It was really bad. But many years ago he use to play it beautifully. SOme musicians are smarter than others at this respect. I remember the great Heifetz when he retires at 80 years old. In an interview he was asked: Why do you retired, if you are playing like a God? he answer :

--------->

[z666z666z]

------> exactly thatás the reason..you get the answer. I still did it, and i want to be remember by my fans as a God, and not as a jerk... athing which could happen if ai continue playing more years ahead.....( he smiled ) That was a very interesting interview. Brendel wil do that not because he plasy as a God ( an impossibel thing), but before he make it worst.

666

[devnation]

Awe-inspiring

[znanto]

marvellous pianism.

[hellomate639]

He's retiring?

That is depressing.

What an easy retirement to have after such a life of performance.

Go home to your nice Steinway and play till you die. Nice.

[HawaiianTropicZone]

Wow, this is really quite wonderful! Let's not argue who's better or worse, this performance is definitely up on the top of tops without subterfuge.

Wonder why only 1,500 viewed so far.

[smithsherman]

Go to truecrypt site at Youtube and listen to all the historic pianists play this repertoire that you haven't heard.Report back in a year.

[smithsherman]

And then Schnabel would point to Halle or Reinecke,who would point to Czerny...and so on & so on.But then to whom as a better Beethovenist before him,would Beethoven point? Uh Oh...

[Mimameior]

Well, I would agree that Brendel is wonderful, outstanding, and a living legend. However, I'm always wary of unquestioning worship of any one pianist - there are so many ways of interpreting the classics. (And if you were to ask Brendel himself who the greatest Beethovenian was, he would say Schnabel...)

[FABrendel]

I think the other way round. There are so many ways to interprete the romantic. Not that many ways for the classics.

Of course one may say that every interp. is unique, therefore a new "way". But things are not like that, in music, where lots of "ways" can be purged.

However, i said: "[Brendel] the greatest Beethoven interp.". So i take total responsibility for that. Also, i don´t believe that older pianists (the ones who lived in the same/near period of a composer) mean quality/reference.

[nico22059]

brendel wasn´t the best beethoven interpreter... you have listened arrau´s beethoven for example, haven´t you? It´s as good as this is, not better, not worse

[Mimameior]

I don't understand your first comment: I spoke of 'the classics' not 'works from the classic era'...(I suppose it's the fault of the terminology.) What I enjoy most is honest insightful music-making, whether that's from Brendel, Argerich, Arrau, Rubinstein, or others.

As to your last comment, what gives? If you're referring to Schnabel, there's no waaay he was contemporary to Beethoven...:D

[FABrendel]

Oh, i´m sorry, then. I also enjoy and love classical music in general, but i just stated that Brendel is the best to me. Not a crazy statement , isn´t it? I can say that, because i´ve heard every interp. from a famouse-wise pianist. Just my pianistic opinion.

As for Schnabel he was born in 1882, so he belonged to the "near period" i pointed out.

However, Smith seems to believe

"same/near[period]=quality/ref­erence", i thought you too.

[Mimameior]

Fair enough - I am happy to say that I agree Brendel is fabulous; I just wouldn't even want to go into who is the best ever, or questions like that. It will be a great loss to music when Brendel retires in December. Have you ever seen him live? His final concert is in Vienna, I believe, playing Mozart.

[FABrendel]

Yes, a huge one, indeed.

I´ve never had the privilege. However, i will try at least during this year´s period.

Yes, i believe it´s concerto no 9. His favourite.

You have seen him, haven´t you? Living in the UK and attending none of Brendel´s concerts is a quasi-crime to me.

[Mimameior]

You live in the U.K.? Your channel page says 'Argentina', so I assumed you lived there... Well, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting to a recital, but BOOK SOON! I just ordered my ticket to his last concert at the Royal Festival Hall, in June, and there were like only two seats left - I was only just in time!

[FABrendel]

Yes, i live in Argentina. I´ll probably book for a concert in the USA, not in Europe.

The thing is that his last one in the USA is in Washington March the 17th and i can´t really travel right now.

I hope that he goes to the USA on the second half of the year, otherwise i´ll have to go to Europe.

Do you live in London? do you know where Brendel lives?

[Mimameior]

Oh, I see what you meant - it would have been a crime for ME never to have seen Brendel, as I live in the U.K.; sorry for that misunderstanding! Yeah, I live in Kent, just outside London. Brendel lives in North London, and in fact I used to live quite nearby, until my family moved. Hampstead is great! Well, I wish you luck with the tickets, but book SOON!

[timelessartloving]

As per Brendel's essays every piece or even a theme has its own character which would have to be clearly exposed and he really mastered this approach. Other great pianists like Rubinstein or Arrau were able to create with each keystroke any tone colour and character. If they have not played as AB it is not because they were unable, rather they didn't want to point a finger at details, preferred just natural playing and considered the dramaturgy in the whole instead of sophisticated refinement.

[z666z666z]

timelessartloving. To do the thing you wrote, Brendel needs a technique he has not.

666

[timelessartloving]

Like your extensive comments since with 100 letters the reasons for a point of view gets never clear...

Would like to know your opinion who are/were great pianists and your favorite one, if any.

[z666z666z]

ood your qeustion timeesasrtsflowing...

basically my heroe pianist is Rubinstien for many reasons. Then it comes Michelangelli, Pollini, Horowitz, Goulda, Gould ( in very specific music) , so then it comes Argerich, Klein, and some pisnist not very well known but superb, like Arturo Moreyra Lima, Jorge Luis Pratts, ROberto Szidon, Yablonskaya, etc.

666

[timelessartloving]

Okay Rubinstein. He cultivated a personal style what was not unusual among the great performers during the golden age of piano. His Appassionata was exciting but times have changed. Interpreting art of timeless art is flowing. Today I prefer Brendel's approach even he looks odd and may not be regarded as a great pianist. He is properly reading the score and that is difficult enough. After a recital Rubinstein used to go to a party and rather tinkled than played on the available out-of-tune...

[timelessartloving]

... you know, Horowitz had to interrupt career for ten years due to symptoms of distonia and Gould badly suffered from this disease probably mainly because of the too deep chair he used. However, this was a reason why he died quite young. Michelangeli and Pollini are great but no B. players. If the King enters the room Brendel surely jumps up from the chair, B. did not get up. Brendel's temperament is softer, however for me he still is a straight tip at least for B's lyric sonatas.

[timelessartloving]

...for me Claudio Arrau survived. His technique is still far above bench marking, he had personal style and looked at the score with the magnifying glass. His exertion of the whole body should animate young musicians. Watch his video Beethoven's op.111 then you see how he is moving the shoulders and stirring his fingers to permanently uncramp muscles. The young pianists exercise 12 hours per day become perfect technicians then get the dystonia to retire immediately from this profession. Did...

[timelessartloving]

...piano and party animals may asked him in turn: "play it again, Sam". At the end of his life he could pat himself on the back having been a bon vivant. But what counts now are the pure results fixed on CD. Horowitz is totally antediluvian. He played faster than he mastered what no serious pianist of today would risk and just represents the opposite of so-called historically informed performance. Brendel contributed to a more differentiated and delicate image of Beeth. Among the old stars...

[z666z666z]

Hi timelessartlover.

Well you amd a very interesting explanation. I really respect it, becuase is lots of commom sense into it.

I think a littel different: I will try to explain ina kind of Summary:

1) I tired of "Correct" readings of the score. I studied composition too, and i don´t need an analisis lesson and pedantic listening of the correct reading.

-------------->

[z666z666z]

----------->2)Rubinstein (probably the greatest pianist of all times in general terms [not in everithing of course]) never was worried of correct readings, and he himself declares he considered beethoven more romantic than Classic (his peronal point of view) of course i love some of his Beethoven versions, and some of those renditions i don´t like either.

3)The reasons for Horowitz retirement (not onñy once) were more wider than that. He also lost his unique doughter.

------------>

[z666z666z]

------>4)It has nothing to do with his bench heigth. basically lower bench allows you to hang on keyboard. Higher bench allows you to push you fingers on the keyboard. usaually pianists with the poorest technique use to play very high, like Brendel.

5)Claudio Arrau was one the most honest musicians ever ( despite he never was my favorite), his technique was completely emphirical, but it works with him. His Beethoven versions remain up today as one of the best ever.

----------------->

[z666z666z]

-------------->

6) Most pianists now and before too ( is the same nosense story) practice 28 hours a day BUT not to be geat technicians, just to don´t play wrong notes. They traind themselves in the way you train a dog to give you the leg, after 1,000 times of repetition.

Great technique is not that, and here finally come the real great technicians: Rubinstein, Pollini, Argerich, Horowitz, Michelangelli maybe the greatest of all them.

------------->

[z666z666z]

-------------->You also have a kind of pianists like Volodos or Hamelin, but despite they play the most difficult things, their respectives technical aproaches are rational, but not as much as the people i mentioned before. And pianists as the pig lang lang are just a kind of over extremely gifted, but they have not idea how they play technically ( horribel tecnique) and musically sometimes they do nice things, but mostly ugly and out of any mucial deep understanding.

-------------->

[ilovescarlatti]

i dont'remember Appassionata played by Michelangeli. Anymway the beethoven concertos and sonatas (2) (4,op7) (111) are at the top absolutely at the top.. Don't yoiu think so? Regards from Como kake italy

[MI6MI5]

I have not heard one positive comment from you yet.

[chris27489]

excellent! along with arrau is the best beethoven player.

[smithsherman]

This is enjoyable...on the other hand...he who thinks him,"The Greatest Beethoven Interpetor" has not heard Hess

Gieseking,Schnabel,Kempf,Serki­n,Reinecke,

Lamond,Fischer,Moiseiwitsch and those born even around the time of Beethoven's death.

[FABrendel]

I really don´t know if that comment was meant to me Smith, but as i said "the greatest Beethoven interp." i should answer.

I´ve heard most of the pianists you mentioned and they are certainly among the greatest.

Haven´t you read Steinberg´s article entitled "[Brendel]The new Schnabel"?

As for Kempff and Serkin, you have here on youtube Moonlight and Waldstein played respectively. Compare to Brendel. I consider his renditions better in many ways.

[FABrendel]

As for Fischer, he was Brendel´s teacher. Their recordings have lots of similarities in every way, though i think Brendel understands music best.

All in all you seemed to underestimate Brendel´s name which in fact is among the giants at least in Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn and Mozart.

[smithsherman]

No my dear,I don't underestimate him...You overestimate him.Just to put him in this category with these others concerning the repertoire you mention is the highest achievement attainable.Leave it at that.

[apisuqui]

I agree, Alfred Brendel is the greatest Beethoven interpreter. A genius!

[Ernesto7608]

Extraordinary. Every detail is brought out. Not falsely as an heroic bravura piece, but as a musical gem.

[gspaulsson]

I love it, except that the code at 7:14-7:43 is a mess, which is too bad since it's the climax of the whole piece. The paired arpeggios need to start off p and get louder and louder, and the intervening melody needs to have increasing urgency - maybe a slight accelerando throughout to keep it driving forward. Brendel is all over the place - it has no shape. Too bad, because I'm a big Brendel fan.

[FABrendel]

I´m sorry, but it is the other way around gspaulsson.

From 7:13-7:18 comes the "urgency". The two chords (7:18-7:19) are F and SF, therefore the second one has the emphasis.

There onwards, the melody is P but for the repetition of those chords.

All that phrase, from 7:13-7:43 is the introduction to the "prestissimo con molta energia" coming afterwards(whatever the spelling is).

I think Brendel does that outstandingly, as every pianist become unclear and crazy before the need of it.

[gspaulsson]

I agree that most pianists (e.g. Arrau) max out long before that ending and thus spoil the effect. Brendel plays the whole movement with admirable restraint, relying on nuance and beauty instead of bravura. But then when the climax comes, the first pair of chords is maybe F-SF but the rest are at best MF the P sections at best MP. There is no forward drive towards the "molta energia". However, de gustibus ...

[mackayde]

Is this recording from Vox, the first Phillips set or the second?

[FABrendel]

This recording is from the 70´s, therefore the first set, as the second was from the

90´s. However, i like the second set´s Appassionata even more.

[FABrendel]

Happy birthday to you Alfred! 77 years of unprecedented musical talent, thank you.

[jero13595]

2 stars? lol. To me it's not that bad but just dull. Check out Valentina Lisitsa's interpretation of this its the best I ever heard!

[mapetite46]

Hello Jero13595,

I've just checked and seen how young you are, which probably explains why you find Valentina Lisitsa's interpretation of this the best you've ever heard. She plays all the notes, but with none of Alfred Brendel's rich depth of feeling, and subtlety of interpretation.

I hope you don't feel I am patronising you - I think that no very young musician can play as well as he or she will play when they are older.

[gspaulsson]

So Dinu Lipatti was not much good then.

[Ernesto7608]

One of the best interpretations of the Appassionata I have heard (and they are many). The tempo is just right (not like some rushing through in a senseless hurry).

In what is typical of him, Brendel provides all the framework for our feelings to develop by listening to his play, instead of corrupting it with the interpreters own sentimentalism.

I think this exactly how this piece should be played.

[musicrecording]

It's incredible how Brendel manages to make the Appassionata sound like a Czerny exercise. At least he's got the tempo right.

[FABrendel]

How do Czerny´s exercises sound like?

[musicrecording]

They sound like two skeletons fucking on a tin roof.

[FABrendel]

Really? and how do two skeleton´s fucking on a tin roof sound like?

[musicrecording]

They sound kind of like Brendel's Appassionata.

[FABrendel]

Wow... they sound in the best way, then.

[singsinsing]

musicrecording: this comment was priceless :]

I don't see what's so great in this interpretation (sorry, FABrendel). it's very much like Arrau's(live performance); starts out well, but ends up being dull.

but I have to admit: this one IS better than Arrau's live performance. Should listen to his (arrau) Appassionata recording.

[FABrendel]

Really? if you say that this interpretation "is dull but better than Arrau´s" (being therefore Arrau´s even duller) i can´t imagine what is better for you. Maybe your favourite is Richter, as he can finish the Appassionata in 4 minutes with that tempo. Hence being less boring, right?

[singsinsing]

Arrau´s even duller

-you got me right there

Maybe your favourite is Richter

-No shit sherlock

I like Richter's App. the most but I also like Friedrich Gulda's and Rubinstein's (hell not the live perf here)Rubinstein's app is quite 'slow'. He plays it 'round this tempo but his nuances and his touch makes it interesting. this one isn't all about speed, but when it's too slow, it's very painful to listen to.