Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10 No. 1 - DVD video

“…Daniel Barenboim is a great teacher. The last two DVDs, of master-classes that he gave in Chicago in 2005, demonstrate that to magnificent effect. It is a master-class above all in teaching, and also a rebuke to easy listening; he really persuades the viewer as well as the player that every note counts, and the balance of every note in a chord, and so on.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2007 ****

“For those seeking a home-video Beethoven cycle featuring an established, internationally acclaimed artist, Barenboim's is the only game in town for now. The musical results synthesise the best qualities of Barenboim's two earlier (audio only) cycles (the EMI from the 1960s and the DG from the early 1980s). More than 20 years on, the 62-year-old pianist revisits many of the rhetorical nuances he favoured in Beethoven Instrumental 157 his youth, but now applies them within a context of greater expressive economy and structural cohesion. This particularly holds true in difficult- to-sustain slow movements such as those in Op 2 No 3, Op 7, the Tempest and the Hammerklavier, along with movements in variation form (Op 26's first movement, the Appassionata's Andante con moto and Op 111's majestically unfolding Arietta).
Notwithstanding tiny inaccuracies, imbalances and occasional pounding in louder moments that are inevitable in a live, minimally edited concert, Barenboim's technique remains never less than solid and world-class. His body language isn't particularly eye-catching, except that he often raises his hands high at the end of big, declamatory phrases, and makes conducting gestures with the left hand while the right hand plays alone.
However, the set's most provocative revelations appear on the final two discs in the form of masterclasses in Chicago in 2005. Six young pianists (including familiar names such as Lang Lang, Jonathan Biss and Alessio Bax) each play a movement from a sonata. Barenboim acknowledges the performances' positive attributes, then gets down to work. He guides the pianists through details of articulation, tempo relationships, dynamics, pedalling and harmonic motion, helping their interpretations attain greater clarity and specificity. Judging from the post-session questions, it's clear that the audience has been listening nearly as well as the teacher. We then return to Barenboim in Berlin and replay that recently dissected sonata movement with the benefit of newly enlightened ears and sharpened insights. Does the pianist practise what he preaches? Well, maybe 90 per cent of the time, yes.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“For those seeking a home-video Beethoven cycle featuring an established, internationally acclaimed artist, Barenboim's is the only game in town for now. …Barenboim's technique remains never less than solid and world-class. …the set's most provocative revelations appear on the final two discs in the form of masterclasses in Chicago in 2005. Six young pianists (including familiar names such as Lang Lang, Jonathan Biss and Alessio Bax) each play a movement from a sonata. Barenboim...guides the pianists through details of articulation, tempo relationships, dynamics, pedalling and harmonic motion, helping their interpretations attain greater clarity and specificity.” Gramophone Magazine, August 2007

“This is Beethoven playing of the most impressive artistry and highest accomplishment, displaying a total concentration and profound musical intelligence...Barenboim is extraordinarily illuminating and full of insight, and his generosity of spirit and intuitive understanding are always in evidence.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition