Alfred Brendel’s first recorded cycle of the complete works for piano of Beethoven appeared in the 1960s on the Vox label. They established his reputation as a leading interpreter of the composer, and although he returned to the studio subsequently to re-record the sonatas and concertos for Philips, these early recordings have retained their freshness and originality. For many record collectors, the budget price Turnabout label provided a happy hunting ground for those who sought out unusual repertoire. The parent company Vox also had the vision to ask the relatively unknown Brendel to undertake the huge project of recording all the Beethoven Sonatas, Variations and Piano Concertos. These recordings document the artist as a young man at the outset of his extraordinary journey, and in repertoire that will always be closely associated with him. They also stand comparison with his later interpretations of Beethoven.
Other information:
- Recorded in 1962–64 for Vox.
- "The playing is very deeply committed, very intense, but never ponderously philosophical" (Gramophone).
