Are you familiar with Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas? Maurizio Pollini has just brought a 40-year project to completion – recording all 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas!
After nearly 40 years, Maurizio Pollini’s Beethoven Sonatas cycle has reached completion. All recordings are now available on a a new 8CD- / part edition.
Pollini / Beethoven: A story that goes back to June 1975, when Maurizio Pollini began recording the Beethoven Sonatas, starting with two of the last three – op. 109 and op. 110. The remaining Late Sonatas (op. 101, op. 106 and op. 111) followed in 1976 and 1977. Released initially as single LPs, the subsequent 3-LP set won a Gramophone Award.
The story ended in 2014, when the three Sonatas op. 31 and the two of op. 49 were recorded. (Pollini had also recorded op. 31 no. 2, the so-called “Tempest”, before.)
Nearly 40 years to record all 32 Sonatas: Pollini’s is the first cycle on Deutsche Grammophon since those of Daniel Barenboim (1981 – 1984) and Emil Gilels (1972 – 1984, incomplete).
