Complete Beethoven Edition Vol. 6 - Piano Works / Demus, Alder, Gilels, Mustonen, Kempff, Barenboim

This is a very good collection of some of Beethoven's lesser-known works -- many in the WoO (works without opus) category. One might be inclined to think of these as "lighter" piano works by the Master, which is true, but nonetheless, since they were composed by *The* Master, most of them are still great music. DG has done a good job putting together some of the hidden gems from Beethoven. Highly recommended to all classical piano music lovers, and absolutely recommended to B lovers.

Though Beethoven could play the violin he was not a virtuoso on the instrument. The piano, on the other hand, was changed as an instrument by him. He was always on a quest for more sonorous and richer sounds and piano makers did their best to oblige. Many of Beethoven's avant guarde ideas about composition and the role of music in self expression started as piano sonatas and piano works. With this in mind, Beethovens compositions for the piano are some of the most outstanding, brilliant, and technically pure works to emerge from any composer. It is impossible not to feel the emotions Beethoven wishes to convey from piece to piece.

The piano sonatas are really self contained dramas. In them, you will hear the expressions of sadness, beauty, rage, and unbounded joy. It is impossible to listen to this collection and not find pleasure in it. The recordings as well as the performers are top-notch. Highly recommended.