A chest of classical and romantic piano music

To put it briefly: This cube with its 35 CDs for me represents the sum of the most fascinating artists of classical and romantic piano music is Wilhelm Kempff course I was already previously known as "classical" Schubert interpreter.. The Liszt recording (here: CD 20) has been for decades a permanent inventory of my records - archive, I would not have missed for anything (!). The vast majority, however, was unknown to me until recently, the greater therefore the curiosity and joy of discovery at the journey through the musical universe this CD box. Since I have not heard all of at least 35 CDs until now, it can only go to a kind of mid-term in this review. And this essentially confirms what other reviewers have written about the recordings of Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann at this point. Here is the speech of Kempff "human warmth", its "lyrical" or "poetic" game or "singing" stop repeatedly. In fact, the style of interpretation Kempff markedly different from playing other key artists. He embodies the more Apollonian type, the emphasis on balance and balance between the extremes. Emotion and passion on the one hand be controlled by the form will and artistic discipline on the other side and also compensate to some extent. Kempff piano thus corresponds more to the ideal of classical music than the romance. Comparing example his Beethoven sonatas with those of Friedrich Gulda, so playing these hands-teen-dynamic and emotional - but also eccentric. He preferred the uncanny, the Wild, the people can not be controlled. Quite different Kempff he submits a work of art, in which the composer has already processed the uncanny aesthetic.

Here is a brief overview of the piano works, the Wilhelm Kempff has recorded in this edition: Bach: Goldberg Variations, Preludes and Fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier, French Suite No. 5, English Suite No. 3, organ works and transcriptions of Bach, Handel.. and Gluck (CD1 to CD4); Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Bagatelles, Eroica Variations, etc. (CD5 to CD14); Brahms: Sonata No. 3, ballads, fantasies, piano pieces, etc. (CD15 to CD17);. . Chopin: Sonatas Nos 2 and 3, Impromptus and others (CD18 to CD19); Liszt: excerpts from the Années de pèlerinage "Italie" and "Suisse" Venezia e Napoli, Deux Légendes (CD20), Mozart: Sonatas K. 331 and K. 310, K. 397 and 475 fantasies (CD21), Schubert: Sonatas, Impromptus D 899 and D 935, Moments Musicaux D 780, Wanderer Fantasy, piano pieces, etc. (CD22 to CD30), Schumann: Papillons Op 2, Davidsbündlertänze op 6, Carnaval Op 9, Symphonic Etudes, Op 13, Scenes from Childhood, Op 15,..... Kreisleriana, Op. 16, Fantasie op. 17, Humoresque, Op. 20, Sonate Nr. 2, Nocturnes Op. 23, Forest Scenes, Op. 82, etc. (CD31 to CD34). CD35 contains older recordings, a short speech and utterances of Wilhelm Kempff about music and his life.

Conclusion: The sound quality of the recordings of this edition is outstanding, the musical quality in my opinion, the "nec plus ultra" of classical solo piano works. But ultimately this must each decide for themselves. To complain about more than that it is "only" by 35 CDs is. Too bad!