Wilhelm Kempff: The Late Sonatas: pre-war 78rpm recordings

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Release Date: 29th Jan 2016
Catalogue No: APR_6018
Label: APR
Length: 2 hours 27 minutes

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Historical - up to 35% off selected lines

Special offer ends: 24/04/2024

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 24 in F sharp major, Op. 78

Work length6:36

$2.00

$2.60

Wilhelm Kempff

I. Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo

Track length3:39

$1.00

$1.30

II. Allegro vivace

Track length2:57

$1.00

$1.30

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a 'Les Adieux'

Work length14:13

$3.00

$3.90

Wilhelm Kempff

I. Das Lebewohl. Adagio - Allegro

Track length6:42

$1.00

$1.30

II. Abwesenheit. Andante espressivo

Track length3:23

$1.00

$1.30

III. Das Wiedersehen. Vivacissimamente

Track length4:08

$1.00

$1.30

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90

Work length13:35

$3.00

$3.90

Wilhelm Kempff

I. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck

Track length4:58

$1.00

$1.30

II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen

Track length8:37

$2.00

$2.60

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106 'Hammerklavier'

Work length41:31

$10.00

$12.90

Wilhelm Kempff

I. Allegro

Track length8:45

$2.00

$2.60

II. Scherzo. Assai vivace - Presto

Track length2:41

$1.00

$1.30

III. Adagio sostenuto. Appassionato e con molto sentimento

Track length18:14

$4.00

$5.15

IV. Largo - Allegro - Allegro risoluto

Track length11:51

$3.00

$3.85

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101

Work length15:56

$4.00

$5.20

Wilhelm Kempff

I. Allegretto ma non troppo (Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung)

Track length3:31

$1.00

$1.30

II. Vivace alla marcia (Lebhaft. Marschmäßig)

Track length3:58

$1.00

$1.30

III. Adagio, ma non troppo, con affetto (Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll)

Track length2:54

$1.00

$1.30

IV. Allegro (Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr, und mit Entschlossenheit)

Track length5:33

$1.00

$1.30

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109

Work length14:16

$4.00

$5.20

Wilhelm Kempff

I. Vivace, ma non troppo - Adagio espressivo

Track length3:26

$1.00

$1.30

II. Prestissimo

Track length2:18

$1.00

$1.30

III. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo (Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung)

Track length8:32

$2.00

$2.60

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110

Work length18:00

$4.00

$5.20

Wilhelm Kempff

I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo

Track length6:37

$1.00

$1.30

II. Allegro molto

Track length1:38

$1.00

$1.30

III. Adagio ma non troppo - Fuga. Allegro ma non troppo

Track length9:45

$2.00

$2.60

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111

Work length23:05

$6.00

$7.75

Wilhelm Kempff

I. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato

Track length7:10

$2.00

$2.60

II. Arietta. Adagio molto semplice e cantabile

Track length15:55

$4.00

$5.15

About
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About

Wilhelm Kempff had such a long life, and recorded so prolifically in the LP era, that we tend to forget that he began his recording career in 1920 in the acoustic period, and recorded 24 of the 32 Beethoven sonatas on 78s. Indeed, in the pre-war period he was second only to Schnabel (whose complete cycle was done in the 1930s) in the amount of Beethoven he recorded, and he made the first ever recordings of the sonatas op.81a, op.90 and op.101, included in this set.

Kempff went on to record two complete sonata cycles in the 1950s and 1960s but he has always been regarded as a poetic and lyrical player and his Beethoven is therefore more closely allied to Mozart than the more barnstorming approach of others. The ‘first thoughts’ included here are perhaps the freest of all his recordings and have an almost improvisatory feel. Perhaps the impossibility of editing at this period captured Kempff more naturally than in his later efforts.

None of the recordings included here are currently available elsewhere, and op.90 and op.101 have never been reissued since their original release on 78s. The acoustic op.101 is a particularly rare item barely known to collectors.

Offer,Wilhelm Kempff: The Late Sonatas

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