HJ LIM - Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas (2012)

Tracklist

CD1
01. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-Flat Major, Op. 106 "Hammerklavier": I. Allegro
02. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-Flat Major, Op. 106 "Hammerklavier": II. Scherzo. Assai vivace
03. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-Flat Major, Op. 106 "Hammerklavier": III. Adagio sostenuto. Appassionato e con molto sentimento
04. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-Flat Major, Op. 106 "Hammerklavier": IV. Introduzione. Largo - Fuga. Allegro risoluto
05. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-Flat Major, Op. 22: I. Allegro con brio
06. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-Flat Major, Op. 22: II. Adagio con molto espressione
07. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-Flat Major, Op. 22: III. Menuetto
08. Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-Flat Major, Op. 22: IV. Rondo. Allegretto
09. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-Flat Major, Op. 81a "Les Adieux": I. Das Lebewohl. Adagio - Allegro
10. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-Flat Major, Op. 81a "Les Adieux": II. Abwesenheit. Andante espressivo
11. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-Flat Major, Op. 81a "Les Adieux": III. Das Wiedersehen. Vivacissimamente

CD2
01. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major, Op. 7: I. Allegro molto e con brio
02. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major, Op. 7: II. Largo, con gran espressione
03. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major, Op. 7: III. Allegro
04. Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major, Op. 7: IV. Rondo. Poco allegretto e grazioso
05. Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, Op. 14 No. 1: I. Allegro
06. Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, Op. 14 No. 1: II. Allegretto
07. Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, Op. 14 No. 1: III. Rondo. Allegro comodo
08. Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 14 No. 2: I. Allegro
09. Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 14 No. 2: III. Scherzo. Allegro assai
10. Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 14 No. 2: III. Scherzo. Allegro assai
11. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 1: I. Andante
12. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 1: II. Allegro molto e vivace
13. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 1: III. Adagio con espressione
14. Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 1: IV. Allegro vivace
15. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 "Moonlight": I. Adagio sostenuto
16. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 "Moonlight": II. Allegretto
17. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 "Moonlight": III. Presto agitato

CD3
01. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: I. Allegro
02. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: II. Adagio
03. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: III. Menuetto. Allegretto
04. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1: IV. Prestissimo
05. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2 No. 2: I. Allegro vivace
06. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2 No. 2: II. Largo appassionato
07. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2 No. 2: III. Scherzo. Allegretto
08. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2 No. 2: IV. Rondo. Grazioso
09. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2 No. 3: I. Allegro con brio
10. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2 No. 3: II. Adagio
11. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2 No. 3: III. Scherzo. Allegro
12. Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2 No. 3: IV. Allegro assai

CD4
01. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 "Pastoral": I. Allegro
02. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 "Pastoral": II. Andante
03. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 "Pastoral": III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
04. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 "Pastoral": IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo
05. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53 "Waldstein": I. Allegro con brio
06. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53 "Waldstein": II. Introduzione. Adagio molto
07. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53 "Waldstein": III. Rondo. Allegretto moderato - Prestissimo
08. Piano Sonata No. 22 in F Major, Op. 54: I. In tempo d'un menuetto
09. Piano Sonata No. 22 in F Major, Op. 54: II. Allegretto - Più allegro
10. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G Major, Op. 79: I. Presto alla tedesca
11. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G Major, Op. 79: II. Andante
12. Piano Sonata No. 25 in G Major, Op. 79: III. Vivace

CD5
01. Piano Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 10 No. 1: I. Allegro molto e con brio
02. Piano Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 10 No. 1: II. Adagio molto
03. Piano Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 10 No. 1: III. Finale. Prestissimo
04. Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10 No. 2: I. Allegro
05. Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10 No. 2: II. Allegretto
06. Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10 No. 2: III. Presto
07. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10 No. 3: I. Presto
08. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10 No. 3: II. Largo e mesto
09. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10 No. 3: III. Menuetto. Allegro
10. Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10 No. 3: IV. Rondo. Allegro

CD6
01. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31 No. 1: I. Allegro vivace
02. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31 No. 1: II. Adagio grazioso
03. Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, Op. 31 No. 1: III. Rondo. Allegretto
04. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 "The Tempest": I. Largo - Allegro
05. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 "The Tempest": II. Adagio
06. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 "The Tempest": III. Allegretto
07. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat Major, Op. 31 No. 3: I. Allegro
08. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat Major, Op. 31 No. 3: II. Scherzo. Allegretto vivace
09. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat Major, Op. 31 No. 3: III. Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso
10. Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat Major, Op. 31 No. 3: IV. Presto con fuoco
11. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101: I. Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung. Allegretto ma non troppo
12. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101: II. Lebhaft. Marschmäßig. Vivace alla Marcia
13. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101: III. Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll. Adagio ma non troppo con affetto
14. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101: IV. Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr, und mit Entschlossenheit. Allegro

CD7
01. Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-Sharp Major, Op. 78: I. Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo
02. Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-Sharp Major, Op. 78: II. Allegro vivace
03. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90: I. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
04. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90: II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorzutragen
05. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: I. Vivace ma non troppo - Adagio espressivo
06. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: II. Prestissimo
07. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo
08. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-Flat Major, Op. 110: I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo
09. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-Flat Major, Op. 110: II. Allegro molto
10. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-Flat Major, Op. 110: III. Adagio ma non troppo - Fuga. Allegro ma non troppo

CD8
01. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 "Pathétique": I. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
02. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 "Pathétique": II. Adagio cantabile
03. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 "Pathétique": III. Rondo. Allegro
04. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26: I. Andante con variazioni
05. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26: II. Scherzo. Allegro molto
06. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26: III. Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un eroe. Maestoso andante
07. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26: IV. Allegro
08. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata": I. Allegro assai
09. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata": II. Andante con moto
10. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata": III. Allegro ma non troppo - Presto
11. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111: I. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato
12. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111: II. Arietta. Adagio molto semplice e cantabile


The marketing of this collection of Beethoven's piano sonatas (minus the two small student pieces of Op. 49) may have overshadowed its musical content. The charismatic Korean pianist HJ Lim first gained a following on YouTube, where she posted her work from France in order to keep in touch with her parents back home. Her gutsy decision to plunge into the entire Beethoven cycle has been released digitally by EMI, at a bargain price, and heavily advertised on Facebook. Lim's sheer ambition is displayed in her organization of the set, which is not chronological but instead uses "themes": Heroic Ideals, Eternal Feminine - Youth, Assertion of an Inflexible Personality, Nature, Extremes in Collision, Resignation and Action, Eternal Feminine - Maturity, and Destiny. It might be objected that these are not satisfying as categories, and indeed they don't really hold together well, nor emerge convincingly in Lim's playing, which seems to approach each piece is a sort of free-flowing, rhythmically irregular way. Yet Lim defends her programming in a remarkable set of (digital) notes, making extensive biographical references to Beethoven's own writings and those of his assistant Schindler, among others. This is quite an intellectual feat for one who has made it through the rigors of conservatory training, and in many specific locations Lim's observations are both persuasive and generative of fresh interpretations. To take just one example, the placement of the Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 ("Waldstein"), in the "Nature" segment is surprising yet revelatory, as Lim turns the slow movement into a series of murky forest whispers and the finale into a blaze of sunny Romantic transcendence. She does a good job of backing up her more outrageous ideas with Beethoven's own words, many of them dealing with his always tempestuous love life, and at the local level, if not in wider thematic thrusts, her interpretations make sense, and she has the technical chops to pull them off. The best word for Lim at this point is "prodigy"; her talent is impressive but needs focus, and she gets extra points for a star quality that is well suited to the way EMI is trying to present this release. That star quality is, moreover, something much needed in mainstream classical music.

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