The first movement of the big C major Sonata is conceived very much on orchestral lines with a dramatic variety of colouring and characterisation, as well as an unexpected use of the sustaining pedal in the broken octave passage. Throughout this finely recorded set, Schiff highlights plenty of musical details that tend to be bypassed by other artists, and for this reason his performances deserve an enthusiastic recommendation.

…Schiff's acute attention to Beethoven's subito dynamics and inner voices brings unusual intensity to passages such as the syncopations in the development section of Op 2 No 1's first movement. For breathtaking variety of articulation, listen to Op 2 No 2's Largo appassionato, where the staccato bass notes are duly short yet more resonant than usual, or the marked contrast between the Rondo's songful outer sections and vehement central minor-key episode.