Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Opp. 101, 106, 109-111by Anonymous

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July 08, 2004: When these performances first were released over 25 years ago, one reviewer said that ultimately any criticism of this set boiled down to the absence of wrong notes. While I hesitate to say of any musical performance that it is perfect, seldom has anyone come closer to perfection than Pollini here. Other performances are no doubt more immediately engaging - though Pollini's imperious opening of the Hammerklavier cannot be bettered for impact - and some may well have liberal doses of the rubato that many people regard as a sign of interpretation. But if you want to hear the unadorned brilliance of Beethoven with no distractions and with none of those fetching idiosyncrasies that make a performance instantly appealing but ultimately tediously mannered, you have to get this set. There is, ultimately, no choice in the matter.