Ludwig van Beethoven - Complete Works for Cello & Piano - Pierre Fournier & Friedrich Gulda - 1960 (2006)

Product Description: One of Pierre Fournier's Great Recordings - Arguably the Best Recording of the Beethoven Complete Cello Works - that Will Form Part of Our Fournier 100 Celebrations (The Anniversary of his Birth Falls on 24 June this Year). The Recordings were Made When Fournier was at his Technical Peak, and Partnered by the Keenly-insightful Friedrich Gulda.

Reviews
1) A must-have for collectors of sublime historical recordings, this re-release of Fournier and Gulda's 1960 recording is equally appropriate for listeners seeking their first recording of Beethoven's works for cello and piano. Fournier's commitment to the exploration of the Beethoven sonatas and variations is clear; he made three complete recordings of the works over the course of his career – the first with Artur Schnabel in 1947, this one with Friedrich Gulda in 1960, and finally with pianist Wilhelm Kempff in 1965.
Here we are exposed to Fournier at the peak of his technical and interpretive skills. His performance is clean, flowing, and clearly articulates Beethoven's three distinct compositional periods. Although Fournier collaborated much more frequently with Kempff than Gulda, that is never apparent to the listener. The interplay between the two instruments is seemless and Gulda's sensitivity is readily evident in the perfect balance achieved throughout the collection. ~ Mike D. Brownell, All Music Guide

2) Musically, cellist Pierre Fournier and pianist Friedrich Gulda, were the least likely couple ever to form a successful chamber music duo in the history of 20th Century classical music. Fournier's elegant, rhapsodic playing was firmly established within a "French school of cello-playing" that emphasized discretion and yielding from this distinguished artist, "so perfect a balance of registers, so immaculate a line" according to music critic Reinhard Beuth (from the liner notes of this two-CD set.). In stark contrast, Gulda's playing was more cerebral and indeed, visionary, in the sense that he was interested in adhering as close as possible to the composer's original intentions for the score, than by imposing his own idiosyncratic, romantic style on his playing (A performance style which has become quite popular amongst contemporary pianists.). And yet, Gulda was also a radical musically, by fully embracing jazz music, along with his keen interest in playing classical music composed by the likes of Mozart and Beethoven. Recorded in late June, 1959 by Deutsche Grammophon at Vienna's legendary Musikverein, this two-CD set is an excellent muscial testament to this unlikely chamber music duo, replete with some of the best performances ever recorded of Beethoven's cello sonatas and other works composed for the cello and piano (I'm not sure how well this two-CD set compares with Fournier's later recordings of these sonatas with pianist Wilhelm Kempff, but I do know that this set ought to be regarded as among the finest currently available of the Beethoven cello sonatas.). Although the sound quality hasn't been digitally enhanced via digital image bit remastering, it nonetheless sounds quite vivid and realistic, giving ample weight to both Fournier's cello and Gulda's piano; needless to say, this is yet another reason to acquire this fine two-CD set. ~ Amazon Customer

Track Listing

Disc 1
01 - Beethoven Cello Sonata in F major op.5 No.1 - I. Adagio sostenuto - Allegro - 14:50
02 - Beethoven Cello Sonata in F major op.5 No.1 - II. Rondo: Allegro vivace - 6:56
03 - Beethoven Cello Sonata in G minor op.5 No.2 - I. Adagio sostenuto e espressivo-Allegro molto pi`u tosto presto - 12:19
04 - Beethoven Cello Sonata in G minor op.5 No.2 - II. Rondo-Allegro - 9:02
05 - Beethoven Cello Sonata in A major op.69 - I. Allegro ma non tanto - 12:58
06 - Beethoven Cello Sonata in A major op.69 - II. Scherzo-Allegro molto - 5:24
07 - Beethoven Cello Sonata in A major op.69 - III. Adagio cantabile-Allegro vivace - 8:38

Disc 2
01 - Beethoven Sonata in C major op.102 No.1 - I. Andante - Allegro vivace - 8:32
02 - Beethoven Sonata in C major op.102 No.1 - II. Adagio - Allegro vivace - 7:06
03 - Beethoven Sonata in D major op.102 No.2 - I. Allegro con brio - 6:31
04 - Beethoven Sonata in D major op.102 No.2 - II. Adagio con molto sentimento d'affetto - 9:17
05 - Beethoven Sonata in D major op.102 No.2 - III. Allegro - Allegro fugato - 4:34
06 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Tema: Allegretto - 0:49
07 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation I - 0:47
08 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation II - 0:46
09 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation III - 0:45
10 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation IV - 0:49
11 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation V - 0:53
12 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation VI - 0:46
13 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation VII - 0:36
14 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation VIII - 0:48
15 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation IX - 0:45
16 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation X - Allegro - 0:43
17 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation XI - Adagio - 3:23
18 - Twelve variations on a theme from the Oratorio Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, WoO 45 - Variation XII - Allegro - 1:11
19 - Seven variations on the duet "Bei mannern, welche liebe fuhlen" WoO 46 - Tema: Andante - 1:00
20 - Seven variations on the duet "Bei mannern, welche liebe fuhlen" WoO 46 - Variation I - 0:47
21 - Seven variations on the duet "Bei mannern, welche liebe fuhlen" WoO 46 - Variation II - 0:48
22 - Seven variations on the duet "Bei mannern, welche liebe fuhlen" WoO 46 - Variation III - 1:00
23 - Seven variations on the duet "Bei mannern, welche liebe fuhlen" WoO 46 - Variation IV - 1:15
24 - Seven variations on the duet "Bei mannern, welche liebe fuhlen" WoO 46 - Variation V- Si prenda il tempo un poco pi`u vivace - 0:38
25 - Seven variations on the duet "Bei mannern, welche liebe fuhlen" WoO 46 - Variation VI - Adagio - 2:12
26 - Seven variations on the duet "Bei mannern, welche liebe fuhlen" WoO 46 - Variation VII - ALlegro, ma non troppo - Coda - 1:58
27 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Tema Allegretto - 0:38
28 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation I - 0:40
29 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation II - 0:38
30 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation III - 0:35
31 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation IV - 0:42
32 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation V - 0:37
33 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation VI - 0:33
34 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation VII - 0:49
35 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation VIII - 0:35
36 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation IX - 0:41
37 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation X - Adagio - 1:35
38 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation XI - Poco adagio, quasi andante - 1:25
39 - Twelve variations on the theme "Ein madchen oder weibchen" op.66 - Variation XII - Allegro - 1:51

Time: 138:22