Beethoven - Complete Works for Solo Piano Volume 15 - BIS: BIS1943 - SACD or download

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The Diabelli Variations, one of the summits of the pianist’s repertoire altogether, is an appropriate way to bow out, and Brautigam gives an altogether fine performance…[the National Airs] are... — BBC Music Magazine, June 2017, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 3rd Mar 2017
Catalogue No: BIS1943
Label: BIS
Series: Ronald Brautigam Beethoven
Length: 67 minutes

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Beethoven: Diabelli Variations, Op. 120

Work length48:30

$34.00

$44.20

$59.50

Ronald Brautigam
Recorded: August 2015
Recording Venue: Österåker Church

Theme. Vivace

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Var. 1, Alla marcia, maestoso

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Var. 2, Poco allegro

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Var. 3, L'istesso tempo

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Var. 4, Un poco più vivace

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Var. 5, Allegro vivace

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Var. 6, Allegro ma non troppo e serioso

Track length1:43

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Var. 7, Un poco più allegro

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Var. 8, Poco vivace

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Var. 9, Allegro pesante e risoluto

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Var. 10, Presto

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Var. 11, Allegretto

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Var. 12, Un poco più mosso

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Var. 13, Vivace

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Var. 14, Grave e maestoso

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Var. 15, Presto scherzando

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Var. 16, Allegro

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Var. 17, Allegro

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Var. 18, Poco moderato

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Var. 19, Presto

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Var. 20, Andante

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Var. 21, Allegro con brio

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Var. 22, Allegro molto

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Var. 23, Allegro assai

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Var. 24, Fughetta - Andante

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Var. 25, Allegro

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Var. 26, Piacevole

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Var. 27, Vivace

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Var. 28, Allegro

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Var. 29, Adagio ma non troppo

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Var. 30, Andante, sempre cantabile

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Var. 31, Largo, molto espressivo

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Var. 32, Fuga - Allegro

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Var. 33, Tempo di menuetto, moderato

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Beethoven: National Airs with Variations (6), Op. 105

Work length18:47

$6.00

$7.80

$10.50

Ronald Brautigam
Recorded: August 2015
Recording Venue: Österåker Church

No. 1, Air ecossais in G Major "The Cottage Maid"

Track length2:30

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No. 2, Air ecossais in C Minor "Of Noble Stock Was Shinkin"

Track length2:27

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No. 3, Air autrichien in C Major "A Schüsserl und a Reindl"

Track length5:34

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No. 4, Air ecossais in E-Flat Major "The Last Rose of Summer"

Track length3:06

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No. 5, Air ecossais in E-Flat Major "Chiling O'Guiry"

Track length2:08

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No. 6, Air ecossais in D Major "Paddy Whack"

Track length3:02

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About
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About

In 1819 the Viennese music publisher and composer Anton Diabelli sent a short waltz to a long list of composers. These included Schubert, Hummel, a very young Franz Liszt and, as the most prominent composer of the time, naturally Beethoven. Diabelli was proposing to compile an anthology of variations on his own waltz, one from each composer. Beethoven responded in a characteristic manner: first there was nothing, and then there was nothing … and then, in 1823, there was an entire, and monumental, set of no less than thirty-three variations.

There are several possible reasons for this, one being that Beethoven felt that it was below his dignity to take part in a project of this nature. What is certain, however, is that he must have found Diabelli’s theme intriguing material to work with – and against: Beethoven often seems to poke fun at the waltz, starting already in the first variation by turning it into a pompous march. But like all truly great variation works the Diabelli Variations take in the high as well as the low, jokes as well as drama – or serenity, as in Variation 24, a Fughetta, clearly inspired by the Aria in Bach’s Goldberg Variations.

As the last large-scale piano work by Beethoven, the Diabelli Variations form a fitting close to Ronald Brautigam’s traversal of the complete solo piano music. Described in International Record Review as ‘a Beethoven player whose musical discernment is a constant source of wonderment’, Brautigam has through the course of this series performed works composed between 1783 and 1825, using four different fortepianos. On the present disc we hear a copy of a 4-stringed fortepiano by Conrad Graf from 1822 – similar to Beethoven’s own last instrument, which Graf supplied him with in 1826, a year before the composer’s death.

Reviews

June 2017

The Diabelli Variations, one of the summits of the pianist’s repertoire altogether, is an appropriate way to bow out, and Brautigam gives an altogether fine performance…[the National Airs] are a welcome bonus, and Brautigam dispatches them brilliantly

July 2017

Brautigam goes to the heart of these variations: No 22 is fun but, crucially, not flippant. He manages to project the immensity of Beethoven’s structure while honouring the parts, no small achievement. Most crucially, the fugue (Variation 32) has a remarkable climax (equivalent in power to Pollini’s on DG). The coupling is inspired.

13th April 2017

Brautigam tops off his Beethoven cycle, Volume 15, with one of the greatest works of them all, the Diabelli Variations...Every lover of the Diabelli Variations ought to add a period performance to their collection. This one will do very well.

Classical Music May 2017

It sounds splendid and allows both Brautigam's effortless legato and his rhythmic drive to shine. Even in the slight, late National Airs with Variations, there is a sense of boldly direct communication and utter conviction. The culmination to a remarkable achievement.

Beethoven - Complete Works for Solo Piano Volume 15

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