Until his retirement in 2009, Alfred Brendel was renowned the world over for his mastery of the Classical repertoire that pushed forward the boundaries of the piano at the turn of the 18th century. Here are his early recordings of these subtle and dramatic concertos and sonatas, all stereo and all as fresh and dynamic in impact as when they were recorded over 50 years ago.

Alfred Brendel’s early recordings for Vanguard may long have been scorned by the pianist himself as he sought ever to refine. in particular. his mastery of the Classical repertoire, but they have stood the test of time. Brendel’s way with Beethoven back then was perhaps more eruptive, his Mozart less suave, and in the concertos he was accompanied by stalwarts of the music scene in postwar Vienna.

This set includes Beethoven’s complete sonatas and concertos as well as the Choral Fantasy, various bagatelles and many of the more obscure variation sets as well as a splendid early traversal of the Diabelli variations. Eight Mozart concerto recordings include his favourite ‘Jeunehomme’ K271, which he returned to many times during the course of his career, including his very last concert and recording; smaller Mozart works in size rather than expressive content include the masterly Quintet for piano and winds, the C minor Fantasy and the endlessly consoling A minor Rondo.

Contents:
CD 1
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Piano Concerto No.9 in E flat major K271 'Jeunehomme'
- Piano Concerto No.14 in E flat major K449
Alfred Brendel (piano)
I Solisti di Zagreb / Antonio Janigro

Total time: 55'43
Recorded: 1966, Vienna
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CD 2
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Piano Concerto No.17 in G major K453
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Orchestra of the Vienna Volksoper / Paul Angerer

- Piano Concerto No.25 in C major K503
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Pro Musica Orchestra, Vienna / Paul Angerer

Joseph Haydn
- Piano Concerto in D major Hob. XVIII No.11
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Vienna Chamber Orchestra / Paul Angerer

Total time: 79'57
Recorded in Vienna between 1961 and 1967
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CD 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Piano Concerto No.19 in F major K459
- Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor K466
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Orchestra of the Vienna Volksoper / Wilfried Boettcher

Total time: 61'00
Recorded: 1959-67
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CD 4
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Piano Concerto No.22 in E flat major K482
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Vienna Chamber Orchestra / Paul Angerer

- Piano Concerto No.27 in B flat major K595
- Rondo in D major K382
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Orchestra of the Vienna Volksoper / Paul Angerer

Total time: 75'39
Recorded 1961-67, Vienna
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CD 5
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Piano Sonata in A minor K310
- Fantasy in C minor K396
- Rondo in A minor K511
- Variations in D major on a Menuet by Duport K573
Alfred Brendel (piano)

Total time: 51'03
Recorded: 1968, Vienna
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CD 6
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Concerto in E flat major for two pianos K365
Alfred Brendel (piano), Walter Klien (piano)
Orchestra of the Vienna Volksoper / Paul Angerer

- Sonata in D major for two pianos K448
- Fugue in C minor for two pianos K426: Allegro moderato
Alfred Brendel (piano), Walter Klien (piano)

- Quintet in E flat major for piano and winds K452
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Members of the Hungarian Quintet

Total time: 74'04
Recorded: 1959-67
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CD 7
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Concerto No.1 in C major Op.15
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra / Wilfried Boettcher

- Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major Op.19
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Orchestra of the Vienna Volksoper / Heinz Wallberg

Total time: 69'13
Recorded: 1966 (Op.19) & 1967
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CD 8
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor Op.37
- Piano Concerto No.4 in G major Op.58
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Heinz Wallberg

Total time: 68'24
Recorded: 1961, Vienna
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CD 9
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Concerto No.5 in E flat major Op.73 'Emperor'
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Vienna Symphony Orchestra / Zubin Mehta

- Choral Fantasy in C minor Op.80
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Stuttgart Lehrergesangverein, Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra / Wilfried Boettcher

Total time: 59'34
Recorded: 1961 (Op.73) & 1966

CD 10
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Sonata No.29 in B flat major Op.106 'Hammerklavier'
- Piano Sonata No.32 in C minor Op.111
Alfred Brendel (piano)

Total time: 67'39
Recorded: 1962-64
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CD 11
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Sonata No.28 in A major Op.101
- Piano Sonata No.30 in E major Op.109
- Piano Sonata No.31 in A flat major Op.110
- Piano Sonata No.27 in E minor Op.90
Alfred Brendel (piano)

Total time: 68'20
Recorded: 1962-64
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CD 12
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Sonata No.23 in F minor Op.57 'Appassionata'
- Piano Sonata No.22 in F major Op.54
- Piano Sonata No.26 in E flat major Op.81a 'Les Adieux'
- Piano Sonata No.16 in G major Op.31 No.1
Alfred Brendel (piano)

Total time: 73'49
Recorded: 1962-64
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CD 13
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor Op.31 No.2 'Tempest'
- Piano Sonata No.18 in E flat major Op.31 No.3
- Piano Sonata No.21 in C major Op.53 'Waldstein'
- Piano Sonata No.19 in G minor Op.49 No.1
Alfred Brendel (piano)

Total time: 75'21
Recorded: 1962-64
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CD 14
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Sonata No.1 in F minor Op.2 No.1
- Piano Sonata No.25 in G major Op.79
- Piano Sonata No.5 in C minor Op.10 No.1
- Piano Sonata No.6 in F major Op.10 No.2
- Piano Sonata No.9 in E major Op.14 No.1
Alfred Brendel (piano)

Total time: 73'23
Recorded: 1962-64
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CD 15
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Sonata No.10 in G major Op.14 No.2
- Piano Sonata No.13 in E flat major Op.27 No.1
- Piano Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight'
- Piano Sonata No.15 in D major Op.28 'Pastoral'
Alfred Brendel (piano)

Total time: 71'20
Recorded: 1962-64
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CD 16
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Sonata No.7 in D major Op.10 No.3
- Piano Sonata No.2 in A major Op.2 No.2
- Piano Sonata No.3 in C major Op.2 No.3
Alfred Brendel (piano)

Total time: 74'47
Recorded: 1962-64
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CD 17
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor Op.13 'Pathétique'
- Piano Sonata No.11 in B flat major Op.22
- Piano Sonata No.12 in A flat major Op.26 'Funeral March'
- Piano Sonata No.24 in F sharp major Op.78
Alfred Brendel (piano)

Total time: 73'35
Recorded: 1962-64
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CD 18
Ludwig van Beethoven
- Piano Sonata No.4 in E flat major Op.7
- Piano Sonata No.20 in G major Op.49 No.2
Alfred Brendel (piano)

- Quintet for Piano and Winds in E flat major Op.16
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Members of the Hungarian Quintet

- Rondo in B flat major G151
Alfred Brendel (piano)
Orchestra of the Vienna Volksoper / Wilfried Boettcher

Total time: 72'55
Recorded: 1961-1966
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CD 19
Ludwig van Beethoven
- 'Eroica' Variations in E flat major Op.35
- Piano Sonata No.20 in G major Op.49 No.2
- 5 Variations on 'Rule Britannia' in D major WoO 79
- 7 Variations on 'God Save the King' in C major WoO 78
- 12 Variations on a Russian Dance from Wranitsky's Ballet 'Das Waldmädchen' in A major WoO 71
- 6 Variations on an Original Theme in F major Op.34
- 6 Variations on a Theme from 'The Ruins of Athens' in D major Op.76
Alfred Brendel (piano)

Total time: 74'58
Recorded: 1961-63
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