Beethoven is widely regarded as one of the greatest masters of musical construction, sometimes sketching the architecture of a movement before he had decided upon the. Oconor is slightly more interventionist than usual in the first movement, holding back at a few points where beethoven has specifically indicated a tempo. For an unforgettable lesson in how to articulate piano lines, accents, crescendos, chords, legato, staccatoyou name itlisten to john oconors rendition of the first movement of sonata no. Although it was used, the condition was remarkable. John oconor s complete set of beethoven piano sonatas is a monumental achievement, not only for the sheer volume of music recorded, but for its coherent interpretive scope and its successful illumination of developmental aspects of beethoven s everevolving style. It is up to the winners to step through and take the remaining steps themselves. Today i would like to introduce you to a composer who is very new to me though he is anything but new. Later he was awarded an austrian government scholarship that enabled him to study in vienna with the renowned pedagogue dieter weber. Here, newman takes the entire beethoven oeuvre for piano and, by going directly to any primary source available, attempts to direct todays pianist toward beethoven s intentions. Official website of critically acclaimed irish concert pianist john oconor. Shop for vinyl, cds and more from john o conor at the discogs marketplace. Jan 17, 2005 from now on, we will all turn to lockwoods beethoven. The churchs wet acoustics had a tendency to blur some of the key.
Maynard solomon this is truly the beethoven biography for the intelligent reader. John oconor born 18 january 1947 is an irish pianist and pedagogue, and former director of. Beethoven complete piano sonatas oconnor cd80400 ch. Irish pianist john oconor continues to show hes a master of. During his early dublin studies, his main piano teacher was j.
In the 1975 interview, oconor speaks of the importance of having won, only two years. Irish pianist john oconor continues to show hes a master. Susan hellard 1994 24 pages barrons juveniles isbn. All of john oconors renditions of the beethoven piano sonatas are of the highest quality and all that i have purchased have provided a wonderful listening. He has performed the complete sonatas of beethoven in a cycle of 8 recitals in one season on a number of occasions.
O conor is known by some as a pianist who is carrying on the legacy of wilhelm kampff, having recorded the complete beethoven sonatas and concertos. Notwithstanding the standard greats of the piano repertoire, oconor has. John o conor is a highly accomplished and respected pianist, one who has studied beethoven extensively. Beethovens sonatas for the pianoforte by agnes zimmermann and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
However, haydns sonatas can be just as hard to bring off, and anyone who is impressed with o conor s beethoven disc would do well to consider this a fitting companion and give it. Lewis lockwood speaks in his preface of writing on beethovens works at a highly accessible descriptive level. The music and the life for insight and instruction. Try disabling any ad blockers and refreshing this page. Mozart and beethoven heiligenstadt testament death of ludwig van beethoven ludwig van beethoven s religious views music beethoven s musical style beethoven and c minor catalogues of beethoven compositions beethoven gesamtausgabe in music 33 variations beethoven quartet society beethoven s last night beethoven s ninth symphony cdrom a fifth of. Beethoven, john oconor piano sonatas, volume i discogs. The five sonatas presented here are characteristic of the classical style, to which haydn was the most important contributor and innovator, and his techniques and expressions anticipate the more. This 1985 recording of irish pianist john o conor performing three of beethoven s most popular sonatas was made in london using sony equipment was a typical early telarc production. Includes elucidation of emotional and spiritual values, as they have been perceived by musicians through the ages. The complete piano sonatas box set john oconor on allmusic 1994. His cycle of the beethoven piano sonatas proves him as a musical potentate.
This is how it should be played, not like a speed competition. John o conor my favorite classical by vitaliy katsenelson. Ludwig van beethoven 16 december 1770 26 march 1827 was a composer of the transitional period between the late classical and early romantic eras. John o conor s complete set of beethoven piano sonatas is a monumental achievement, not only for the sheer volume of music recorded, but for its coherent interpretive scope and its successful illumination of developmental aspects of beethoven s everevolving style. Lewis lockwood sketches the turbulent personal, historical, political, and cultural frameworks in which beethoven worked and. For an unforgettable lesson in how to articulate piano lines, accents, crescendos, chords, legato, staccatoyou name itlisten to john o conor s rendition of the first movement of sonata no. The allegretto is gentle but makes its mark this is a movement that often passes for nothing. John o conors complete set of beethoven piano sonatas is a monumental achievement. Irish pianist john oconor on careers and competitions the star. Born in dublin, oconor attended belvedere college in that city.
Shop for vinyl, cds and more from john oconor at the discogs marketplace. City of dark magic by magnus flyte, beethovens hair. The complete piano sonatas box set john o conor on allmusic 1994. O conor s performance had the inwardness to play the. Usually ships in 24 hours, unless stock becomes depleted. Iconic irish piano legend john oconor celebrates his 70th birthday playing beethoven source. Beethoven sonatas for pianoforte by craxton abebooks. This artist has the kind of flawless touch that makes an audience gasp washington post. For as john oconor points out, winning an international competition merely opens the door to a career. In this ludwig van beethoven biography, we instructively publish the development and the personalities of the latter bertolini andreas assistant to dr. Upon thorough examination, i could find no pencil marks or ink blotches, no dog eared pages, no smudges and no tears. The tone, sustain, and reverb are as rich as the telarc name i have owned this cd for over 20 years. Murray perahia plays the mozart piano concertos the best jorges bolet plays the liszts trancendental etudes the best.
This 1985 recording of irish pianist john oconor performing three of beethovens most popular sonatas was made in london using sony equipment was a typical early telarc production. An extraordinary historical odyssey and a scientific mystery solved by. An authoritative work offering a fresh look at beethovens life, career, and milieu. His technical performance of the second movement of pathetique was excellent, of course. To revive discussion, seek broader input via a forum such as the village pump. Oconor is known by some as a pianist who is carrying on the legacy of wilhelm kampff, having recorded the complete beethoven sonatas and concertos. In this unique film, recorded in positano, on italys rugged amalfi coast, internationally acclaimed concert pianist john o conor tries to pass on the passion and power of beethoven s music to the. O conor, john, beethoven, ludwig van piano sonatas 2. Beethovens 32 piano sonatas paperback stewart gordon.
On this release, john oconor features what he does best, beethoven. His traversal of beethovens final sonatas is practically free of the hairpins and rouge that denote style. Beethovens story is almost too good to be true, and almost too bad to be television. Presents each sonata in easyreference format, highlighting important conceptual, structural, harmonic, technical, and interpretive characteristics of each. The spine was solid and the cover was in good condition. Malfatti, he became beethovens friend in 1806 and his medical advisor between 1808 and 1816, when he quarreled with the composer at his lodgings over a difference of opinion on a professional. O conor has made more than 20 recordings for the telarc label including the complete beethoven piano sonatas, and the complete beethoven bagatelles, which latter was cited by the new york times as the best recording of these works.
Aug 03, 2014 beethovens story is almost too good to be true, and almost too bad to be television. Malfatti, he became beethoven s friend in 1806 and his medical advisor between 1808 and 1816, when he quarreled with the composer at his lodgings over a difference of opinion on a professional. Printing instructions when printing from adobe acrobat reader. This page is currently inactive and is retained for historical reference.
John oconor plays beethovens sonata pathetique, ii movement. John oconor, returning from his recordings of mozart concertos and beethoven sonatas to less demanding fare, could hardly offer a more urbane alternative. Apr 19, 2015 oconor kicked off his recital with a sweetly voiced, if methodical, reading of schuberts sonata in bflat, d. Get the complete set of all 32 beethoven piano sonatas on 9 cds from telarc and john o conor. Then, using your own words, write a story about him on pages and 14.
This results in a relaxed reading of some very pithy music which yields more to a concentrated approach. Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. Though beethoven himself didnt call this sonata the moonlight, o conor s calm yet mobile opening movement, with the light hovering over every note, gives credence to the title. Oconors performance had the inwardness to play the. Complete pianoforte sonatas by h craxton and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Roland vernon 2000 32 pages chelsea house publications isbn. Oconor, john, beethoven, ludwig van piano sonatas 2.
Get the complete set of all 29 beethoven piano sonatas on 9 cds from telarc and john o coner. There were admittedly times when i longed for something more vivid and articulate, yet for the most part o conor s suave command and unruffled expertise win the day. Introducing beethoven introducing composers author. Although theres been a misunderstanding about the nature of hannahs relationship with beethoven, george nevertheless learns of the high regard in which the composer holds hershe inspired leonore, the heroine of his only opera, fidelio. In my opinion john o conner plays the beethoven sonatas the best. The music and the life, was part of my daughters wish list and i ordered it for her birthday. This brilliant portrayal weaves beethovens musical and biographical stories into their historical and artistic contexts. He also made a special study of beethoven with the legendary german pianist wilhelm. John oconors complete set of beethoven piano sonatas is a monumental achievement, not only for the sheer volume of music recorded, but for its coherent interpretive scope and its successful illumination of developmental aspects of beethovens everevolving style.
Beethoven s 32 piano sonatas a handbook for performers stewart gordon. Keyboard sonatas by john oconor in highresolution audio at available in 96 khz 24bit aiff, flac high resolution audio formats. John oconor is not one to get in the way of the music. Oconor kicked off his recital with a sweetly voiced, if methodical, reading of schuberts sonata in bflat, d. Beethoven john oconor beethoven piano sonatasmoonlightpathetique. However, i kept waiting for the familiar emotions to wash over me, and they just didnt happen. This exceptional cd was released on the same day as o conor s recording of beethoven s diabelli variations, one of the most intensely difficult works for piano. What technique and feeling the piano sound is exquisite. Irish pianist john oconor on careers and competitions. Andreas staier harmonia mundi, two cds the three op 31 sonatas, all written in 1802, sound lean and coherent on an 1810 piano, if occasionally things feel a little too wellmannered.
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