This important set contains the sixteen Beethoven sonatas that Wilhelm Kempff recorded for Grammophon in Germany between 1940 and 1943. Several are reissued here for the first time since their original release on 78rpm discs and none are currently available elsewhere. The sound is excellent for the period and all reveal the young Kempff at his best, in performances that compliment his later thoughts.

The release is the companion of two previous APR releases of early Kempff Beethoven recordings – the late sonatas (APR6018) and piano concertos 1, 3, 4 & 5 (APR6019), both of which received excellent reviews and were amongst APR’s best sellers.

Contents:

CD 1
Piano Sonata No.2 in A major, op.2 no.2 (29 February 1940)
Piano Sonata No.9 in E major, op.14 no.1 (13 & 15 March 1940)
Piano Sonata No.10 in E major, op.14 no.2 (15 March 1940)
Piano Sonata No.11 in B flat major, op.22 (15 March 1940)

CD 2
Piano Sonata No.4 in E flat major, op.7 (13 March 1940)
Piano Sonata No.5 in C minor, op.10 no.1 (13 March 1940)
Piano Sonata No.6 in F major, op.10 no.2 (13 March 1940)
Piano Sonata No.7 in D major, op.10 no.3 (13 March 1940)

CD 3
Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor 'Pathétique', op.13 (13 March 1940)
Piano Sonata No.12 in A flat major, op.26 (21 March 1940)
Piano Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor 'Moonlight', op.27 no.2 (8 May 1941)
Piano Sonata No.21 in C major 'Waldstein', op.53 (11 & 16 June 1943)

CD 4
Piano Sonata No.13 in E flat major, op.27 no.1 (8 May 1941)
Piano Sonata No.15 in D major 'Pastoral', op.28 (8 May 1941)
Piano Sonata No.18 in E flat major, op.31 no.3 (21 June 1943)
Piano Sonata No.23 in F minor 'Appassionata', op.57 (7 & 21 June 1943)