Kempff: Schubert – The Piano Sonatas (7 CD box set, APE)

Performer: Wilhelm Kempff
Composer: Franz Schubert
Audio CD
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 7 CD box set
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 1.5 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Disc 1:
01. Piano Sonata No.21 in B flat, D.960 – 1. Molto moderato
02. Piano Sonata No.21 in B flat, D.960 – 2. Andante sostenuto
03. Piano Sonata No.21 in B flat, D.960 – 3. Scherzo (Allegro vivace con delicatezza)
04. Piano Sonata No.21 in B flat, D.960 – 4. Allegro ma non troppo
05. Piano Sonata No.3 in E, D. 459 – 1. Allegro moderato
06. Piano Sonata No.3 in E, D. 459 – 2. Scherzo (Allegro)
07. Piano Sonata No.3 in E, D. 459 – 3. Adagio
08. Piano Sonata No.3 in E, D. 459 – 4. Scherzo con trio (Allegro)
09. Piano Sonata No.3 in E, D. 459 – 5. Allegro patetico

Disc 2:
01. Piano Sonata No.19 in C minor, D.958 – 1. Allegro
02. Piano Sonata No.19 in C minor, D.958 – 2. Adagio
03. Piano Sonata No.19 in C minor, D.958 – 3. Menuetto (Allegro)
04. Piano Sonata No.19 in C minor, D.958 – 4. Allegro
05. Piano Sonata No.20 in A, D.959 – 1. Allegro
06. Piano Sonata No.20 in A, D.959 – 2. Andantino
07. Piano Sonata No.20 in A, D.959 – 3. Scherzo (Allegro vivace)
08. Piano Sonata No.20 in A, D.959 – 4. Rondo (Allegretto)

Disc 3:
01. Piano Sonata No.18 in G, D.894 – 1. Molto moderato e cantabile
02. Piano Sonata No.18 in G, D.894 – 2. Andante
03. Piano Sonata No.18 in G, D.894 – 3. Menuetto (Allegro moderato)
04. Piano Sonata No.18 in G, D.894 – 4. Allegretto
05. Piano Sonata No.17 in D, D.850 – 1. Allegro vivace
06. Piano Sonata No.17 in D, D.850 – 2. Con moto
07. Piano Sonata No.17 in D, D.850 – 3. Scherzo (Allegro vivace)
08. Piano Sonata No.17 in D, D.850 – 4. Rondo (Allegro moderato)

Disc 4:
01. Piano Sonata No.16 in A minor, D.845 – 1. Moderato
02. Piano Sonata No.16 in A minor, D.845 – 2. Andante, poco mosso
03. Piano Sonata No.16 in A minor, D.845 – 3. Scherzo (Allegro vivace) – Trio (Un poco più lento)
04. Piano Sonata No.16 in A minor, D.845 – 4. Rondo (Allegro vivace)
05. Piano Sonata in C, D.840 – 1. Moderato
06. Piano Sonata in C, D.840 – 2. Andante
07. Piano Sonata No.14 in A minor, D.784 – 1. Allegro giusto
08. Piano Sonata No.14 in A minor, D.784 – 2. Andante
09. Piano Sonata No.14 in A minor, D.784 – 3. Allegro vivace

Disc 5:
01. Piano Sonata No.13 in A, D.664 – 1. Allegro moderato
02. Piano Sonata No.13 in A, D.664 – 2. Andante
03. Piano Sonata No.13 in A, D.664 – 3. Allegro
04. Piano Sonata No.11 in F minor, D625 – 1. Allegro
05. Piano Sonata No.11 in F minor, D625 – 2. Scherzo: Allegretto – Trio
06. Piano Sonata No.11 in F minor, D625 – 3. Allegro
07. Piano Sonata No.9 in B, D.575 – 1. Allegro ma non troppo
08. Piano Sonata No.9 in B, D.575 – 2. Andante
09. Piano Sonata No.9 in B, D.575 – 3. Scherzo (Allegretto)
10. Piano Sonata No.9 in B, D.575 – 4. Allegro giusto

Disc 6:
01. Piano Sonata No.7 in E flat, D. 568 – 1. Allegro moderato
02. Piano Sonata No.7 in E flat, D. 568 – 2. Andante molto
03. Piano Sonata No.7 in E flat, D. 568 – 3. Menuetto (Allegretto)
04. Piano Sonata No.7 in E flat, D. 568 – 4. Allegro moderato
05. Piano Sonata No.5 in A flat, D557 – 1. Allegro moderato
06. Piano Sonata No.5 in A flat, D557 – 2. Andante
07. Piano Sonata No.5 in A flat, D557 – 3. Allegro
08. Piano Sonata No.6 in E minor, D566 – 1. Moderato
09. Piano Sonata No.6 in E minor, D566 – 2. Allegretto

Disc 7:
01. Piano Sonata No.4 in A minor, D.537 – 1. Allegro ma non troppo
02. Piano Sonata No.4 in A minor, D.537 – 2. Allegretto quasi andantino
03. Piano Sonata No.4 in A minor, D.537 – 3. Allegro vivace
04. Piano Sonata No.2 in C, D279 – 1. Allegro moderato
05. Piano Sonata No.2 in C, D279 – 2. Andante
06. Piano Sonata No.2 in C, D279 – 3. Menuetto: Allegro vivace – Trio
07. Piano Sonata No.1 in E, D157 – 1. Allegro ma non troppo
08. Piano Sonata No.1 in E, D157 – 2. Andante
09. Piano Sonata No.1 in E, D157 – 3. Menuetto: Allegro vivace – Trio

Indispensable, at a great price

All of Schubert’s piano sonatas, fragments, and the completed masterworks, together in a neat box; 7 discs worth of pure listening pleasure, allowing one to see how the composer grappled with the keyboard sonata form, and along the way created several masterpieces of the genre. Kempff recorded these works over a period of several years, and whilst the recorded sound quality varies from good to excellent, the quality of interpretation is uniformly high to my ear. This is gorgeous playing, evocatively capturing the shifting moods of this often elusive composer. Are these the greatest of interpretations? Perhaps..perhaps not. Either way, in an increasingly crowded market of recordings, this set has to be highly recommended for many reasons, not the least of which is the utter committment of Kempff to this music and the manner in which he convinces us, the listeners, of the ‘rightness’ of his choices. Oh, and need I mention again that ALL the sonatas are here, in one very beautifully priced box set