Wilhelm Kempff - Beethoven Piano Sonatas: The Complete Wartime 78-rpm Recordings (2017)

This important set contains the sixteen Beethoven sonatas that Wilhelm Kempff recorded for Grammophon in Germany between 1940 and 1943. Several are reissued here for the first time since their original release on 78rpm discs and none are currently available elsewhere. The sound is excellent for the period and all reveal the young Kempff at his best, in performances that compliment his later thoughts. The release is the companion of two previous APR releases of early Kempff Beethoven recordings the late sonatas (APR6018) and piano concertos 1, 3, 4 & 5 (APR6019), both of which received excellent reviews and were amongst APRs best sellers.

Tracklist:
DISC: 1
Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2, No. 2 00:24:00
1 I. Allegro vivace 00:05:18 Kempff, Wilhelm
2 II. Largo appassionato 00:07:04 Kempff, Wilhelm
3 III. Scherzo: Allegretto 00:02:38 Kempff, Wilhelm
4 IV. Rondo: Grazioso 00:05:59 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, Op. 14, No. 1 00:13:00
5 I. Allegro 00:04:42 Kempff, Wilhelm
6 II. Allegretto 00:04:02 Kempff, Wilhelm
7 III. Rondo: Allegro comodo 00:03:43 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 14 No. 2 00:15:00
8 I. Allegro 00:07:28 Kempff, Wilhelm
9 II. Andante 00:04:16 Kempff, Wilhelm
10 III. Scherzo: Allegro assai 00:03:29 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-Flat Major, Op. 22 00:25:00
11 I. Allegro con brio 00:05:28 Kempff, Wilhelm
12 II. Adagio con molto espressione 00:07:51 Kempff, Wilhelm
13 III. Minuetto 00:02:26 Kempff, Wilhelm
14 IV. Rondo: Allegretto 00:06:27 Kempff, Wilhelm

DISC: 2
Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major, Op. 7 00:30:00
1 I. Molto allegro 00:06:13 Kempff, Wilhelm
2 II. Largo con gran espressione 00:08:23 Kempff, Wilhelm
3 III. Allegro 00:04:04 Kempff, Wilhelm
4 IV. Rondo: Poco allegretto 00:06:46 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 10 No. 1 00:18:00
5 I. Molto allegro e con brio 00:04:36 Kempff, Wilhelm
6 II. Adagio molto 00:08:03 Kempff, Wilhelm
7 III. Finale: Prestissimo 00:04:11 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10 No. 2 00:17:00
8 I. Allegro 00:04:22 Kempff, Wilhelm
9 II. Allegretto 00:03:46 Kempff, Wilhelm
10 III. Finale: Presto 00:02:19 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10 No. 3 00:24:00
11 I. Presto 00:06:44 Kempff, Wilhelm
12 II. Largo e mesto 00:08:56 Kempff, Wilhelm
13 III. Menuetto: Allegro 00:02:50 Kempff, Wilhelm
14 IV. Rondo: Allegro 00:04:05 Kempff, Wilhelm

DISC: 3
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 "Pathétique" 00:11:24
1 I. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio 00:07:53 Kempff, Wilhelm
2 II. Adagio cantabile 00:04:31 Kempff, Wilhelm
3 III. Rondo: Allegro 00:04:33 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26 "Funer 00:20:13
4 I. Andante con variazioni 00:08:29 Kempff, Wilhelm
5 II. Scherzo: Molto allegro 00:02:55 Kempff, Wilhelm
6 III. Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un eroe 00:06:13 Kempff, Wilhelm
7 IV. Allegro 00:03:13 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 00:14:41
8 I. Adagio sostenuto 00:06:10 Kempff, Wilhelm
9 II. Allegretto 00:02:31 Kempff, Wilhelm
10 III. Presto agitato 00:05:34 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53 "Waldstein" 00:23:00
11 I. Allegro con brio 00:08:33 Kempff, Wilhelm
12 II. Introduzione: Adagio molto - 00:03:35 Kempff, Wilhelm
13 III. Rondo: Allegretto moderato 00:09:58 Kempff, Wilhelm

DISC: 4
Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 1 00:16:11
1 I. Andante 00:04:33 Kempff, Wilhelm
2 II. Allegro molto e vivace 00:02:02 Kempff, Wilhelm
3 III. Adagio con espressione 00:03:18 Kempff, Wilhelm
4 IV. Allegro vivace 00:05:52 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 "Pastoral" 00:24:00
5 I. Allegro 00:07:29 Kempff, Wilhelm
6 II. Andante 00:06:54 Kempff, Wilhelm
7 III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace 00:02:24 Kempff, Wilhelm
8 IV. Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo 00:05:01 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat Major, Op. 31 No. 3 00:22:00
9 I. Allegro 00:06:05 Kempff, Wilhelm
10 II. Scherzo: Allegretto vivace 00:03:37 Kempff, Wilhelm
11 III. Menuetto: Moderato e grazioso 00:04:15 Kempff, Wilhelm
12 IV. Presto con fuoco 00:04:33 Kempff, Wilhelm
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassiona 00:21:56
13 I. Allegro assai 00:10:07 Kempff, Wilhelm
14 II. Andante con moto 00:06:28 Kempff, Wilhelm
15 III. Allegro ma non troppo 00:05:41 Kempff, Wilhelm