Beethoven Piano Your resource for the piano music of Ludwig van Beethoven

author: Beethoven asin: B000LRYPX0 binding: Digital list price: $2.79 USD amazon price: $2.79 USD

Downloadable sheet music file

author: Beethoven asin: B000LRYQ20 binding: Digital list price: $3.59 USD amazon price: $3.59 USD

Downloadable sheet music file

author: Beethoven asin: 0825617340 binding: Paperback list price: $6.95 USD amazon price: $6.95 USD

A complete Urtext edition of Beethoven's most famous piano sonata. Includes fingering by one of the most highly esteemed pianists in Italy, Carlo Vidusso. With an Italian preface translated into English, French, German, and Spanish.

asin: B00001IVOQ binding: Audio CD list price: $11.98 USD amazon price: $11.98

Hands down, this is the recording to own of two of Beethoven's chamber music masterpieces, the Kreutzer and Spring Sonatas. It captures one of classical music's greatest duos--Vladimir Ashkenazy and Itzhak Perlman--at the height of their powers, and the results are glorious, made only better by a great digital remastering. The 1973 recording of the Kreutzer is filled with impassioned playing (particularly in the case of Perlman) and spot-on tonality. The first movement is unbelievably riveting in the duo's capable hands. Spring is slightly more restrained, but just as beautiful. Simply gorgeous. --Jason Verlinde

asin: B000005J2D binding: Audio CD list price: $99.98 USD amazon price: $97.21 USD

It's interesting that the great Beethoven sonata cycles are seldom the ones by the big-name virtuosos. Horowitz never attempted one. Neither did Rubinstein. Ashkenazy recorded them all, but with only partial success. Richter never managed all 32 works at one time, and Gilels died before completing his cycle. The most successful complete recordings--Schnabel, Kempff, Arrau, and Backhaus--are all by pianists with a solidly intellectual mindset, however powerful their technique. Goode joins this select company, turning in performances of uncompromising integrity and musical strength. Of course, his reputation as a musician's musician precedes him: here is a player sensitive to Beethoven's every nuance, presenting the composers thoughts with exemplary clarity and taste. This is the the Beethoven cycle for the '90s. --David Hurwitz