Wilhelm Backhaus – Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas (2020) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Wilhelm Backhaus – Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 08:17:35 minutes | 9,80 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Decca Music Group Ltd.

Backhaus was one of the great exponents of the Classical and Romantic repertory and his performances had an integrity that eschewed any unnecessary display and flamboyance; his concern was to give the most direct interpretation of what the composer wishes and the structure and architecture of his chosen repertory was paramount. Backhaus recorded extensively for Decca throughout the 1950s and 1960s and recorded works by Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mozart, and Schumann. His complete cycle of Beethoven Sonatas occupied him throughout the 1950s and 1960s and is regarded by many as his greatest achievement, and the cycle is justly recognized as one of the great recorded cycles. It has not been available on CD for some years now and is reissued in response to repeated requests to make it available again.

After having recorded Beethoven’s entire sonata catalogue in mono between 1950 and 1953, Wilhelm Backhaus, at DECCA’s request, delivered a second version of this album, between 1958 and 1969, this time in stereo and re-released on Qobuz in Hi-Res. But Backhaus would not live to see the recording of Sonata n°29 “Hammerklavier”, a great shame as he was an outstanding interpreter of this piece – Beethoven (and Brahms) was his favourite composer.

According to those who saw his live performances, it was in public that Backhaus’s artistic spontaneity shined. The richness and power of his performances are clear in the rare live recordings available. Indeed, his studio recordings presented a much more restricted and controlled musician, less taken by Beethoven’s musical momentum, which he performed so spectacularly. Backhaus’s discography remains to this day a great testament and an ode to Beethoven’s music.

Tracklist:
1. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro (Stereo Version) (03:01)
2. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Adagio (Stereo Version) (03:58)
3. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Menuetto. Allegretto (Stereo Version) (02:24)
4. Wilhelm Backhaus – 4. Prestissimo (Stereo Version) (03:51)
5. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro vivace (Stereo Version) (04:54)
6. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Largo appassionato (Stereo Version) (05:01)
7. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Scherzo. Allegretto (Stereo Version) (02:48)
8. Wilhelm Backhaus – 4. Rondo. Grazioso (Stereo Version) (06:22)
9. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro con brio (Stereo Version) (07:22)
10. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Adagio (Stereo Version) (05:58)
11. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Scherzo. Allegro (Stereo Version) (03:05)
12. Wilhelm Backhaus – 4. Allegro assai (Stereo Version) (05:31)
13. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro molto e con brio (Stereo Version) (06:20)
14. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Largo, con gran espressione (Stereo Version) (06:14)
15. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Allegro (Stereo Version) (03:49)
16. Wilhelm Backhaus – 4. Rondo. Poco allegretto e grazioso (Stereo Version) (06:33)
17. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro molto e con brio (Stereo Version) (04:06)
18. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Adagio molto (Stereo Version) (05:52)
19. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Finale. Prestissimo (Stereo Version) (03:20)
20. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro (Stereo Version) (04:24)
21. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Allegretto (Stereo Version) (03:27)
22. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Presto (Stereo Version) (02:16)
23. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Presto (Stereo Version) (04:52)
24. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Largo e mesto (Stereo Version) (06:36)
25. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Menuetto. Allegro (Stereo Version) (02:35)
26. Wilhelm Backhaus – 4. Rondo. Allegro (Stereo Version) (04:04)
27. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio (Stereo Version) (06:13)
28. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Adagio cantabile (Stereo Version) (04:46)
29. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Rondo. Allegro (Stereo Version) (04:30)
30. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro (Stereo Version) (04:29)
31. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Allegretto (Stereo Version) (03:12)
32. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Rondo. Allegro comodo (Stereo Version) (03:35)
33. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro (Stereo Version) (04:55)
34. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Andante (Stereo Version) (05:32)
35. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Scherzo. Allegro assai (Stereo Version) (03:18)
36. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro con brio (Stereo Version) (05:41)
37. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Adagio con molto espressione (Stereo Version) (07:14)
38. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Menuetto (Stereo Version) (03:10)
39. Wilhelm Backhaus – 4. Rondo. Allegretto (Stereo Version) (05:44)
40. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Andante con variazioni (Stereo Version) (07:06)
41. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Scherzo. Allegro molto (Stereo Version) (02:42)
42. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Marcia funebre sulla morte d’un Eroe (Stereo Version) (05:15)
43. Wilhelm Backhaus – 4. Allegro (Stereo Version) (02:48)
44. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Andante – Allegro – Tempo I (Stereo Version) (04:49)
45. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Allegro molto e vivace (Stereo Version) (02:09)
46. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Adagio con espressione (Stereo Version) (02:12)
47. Wilhelm Backhaus – 4. Allegro vivace – Tempo I – Presto (Stereo Version) (05:26)
48. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Adagio sostenuto (Stereo Version) (05:40)
49. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Allegretto (Stereo Version) (02:20)
50. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Presto (Stereo Version) (07:21)
51. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro (Stereo Version) (06:45)
52. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Andante (Stereo Version) (06:28)
53. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Scherzo. Allegro assai (Stereo Version) (01:54)
54. Wilhelm Backhaus – 4. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo (Stereo Version) (04:15)
55. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro vivace (Stereo Version) (04:57)
56. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Adagio grazioso (Stereo Version) (08:24)
57. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Rondo. Allegretto (Stereo Version) (06:17)
58. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Largo – Allegro (Stereo Version) (08:27)
59. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Adagio (Stereo Version) (06:18)
60. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Allegretto (Stereo Version) (06:28)
61. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro (Stereo Version) (06:15)
62. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Scherzo. Allegretto vivace (Stereo Version) (03:47)
63. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso (Stereo Version) (04:07)
64. Wilhelm Backhaus – 4. Presto con fuoco (Stereo Version) (04:46)
65. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Andante (Stereo Version) (03:28)
66. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Rondo. Allegro (Stereo Version) (03:38)
67. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro ma non troppo (Stereo Version) (02:57)
68. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Tempo di Menuetto (Stereo Version) (03:19)
69. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro con brio (Stereo Version) (08:49)
70. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Introduzione. Adagio molto (Stereo Version) (03:13)
71. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Rondo. Allegretto moderato – Prestissimo (Stereo Version) (09:43)
72. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. In tempo d’un menuetto (Stereo Version) (05:15)
73. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Allegretto (Stereo Version) (05:18)
74. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Allegro assai (Stereo Version) (09:32)
75. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Andante con moto (Stereo Version) (06:01)
76. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Allegro ma non troppo (Stereo Version) (05:27)
77. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Adagio cantabile – Allegro ma non troppo (Stereo Version) (06:46)
78. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Allegro vivace (Stereo Version) (03:09)
79. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Presto alla tedesca (Stereo Version) (04:18)
80. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Andante (Stereo Version) (02:56)
81. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Vivace (Stereo Version) (01:53)
82. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Das Lebewohl. Adagio – Allegro (Stereo Version) (06:56)
83. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Die Abwesenheit. Andante espressivo (Stereo Version) (03:07)
84. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Das Wiedersehn. Vivacissimamente (Stereo Version) (06:08)
85. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck (Stereo Version) (05:01)
86. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen (Stereo Version) (07:39)
87. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung. Allegretto ma non troppo (Stereo Version) (03:14)
88. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Lebhaft, marschmäßig. Vivace alla marcia (Stereo Version) (06:06)
89. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll. Adagio & 4. Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossenheit. Allegro (Stereo Version) (09:26)
90. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Vivace, ma non troppo – Adagio espressivo – Tempo I (Stereo Version) (02:58)
91. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Prestissimo (Stereo Version) (02:18)
92. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo (Stereo Version) (12:29)
93. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo (Stereo Version) (05:21)
94. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Allegro molto (Stereo Version) (02:05)
95. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3a. Adagio ma non troppo (Stereo Version) (02:51)
96. Wilhelm Backhaus – 3b. Fuga. Allegro ma non troppo (Stereo Version) (06:11)
97. Wilhelm Backhaus – 1. Maestoso – Allegro con brio ed appassionato (Stereo Version) (08:16)
98. Wilhelm Backhaus – 2. Arietta. Adagio molto semplice e cantabile (Stereo Version) (13:04)

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