Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a 'Les Adieux'
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 26 in E♭ major, Op. 81a, known as Les Adieux ("The Farewell"), was written during the years 1809 and 1810.
The title Les Adieux implies a programmatic nature. The French attack on Vienna, led by Napoléon Bonaparte in 1809, forced Beethoven's patron, Archduke Rudolph, to leave the city. Yet, there is some uncertainty about this nature of the piece — or at least, about the degree to which Beethoven wished this programmatic nature would be known. He titled the three movements "Lebewohl", "Abwesenheit", and "Wiedersehen" ('farewell', 'absence', and 'reunion'), and reportedly regarded the French "Adieux" (said to whole assemblies or cities) as a poor translation of the feeling of the German "Lebewohl" (said heartfully to a single person). Indeed, Beethoven wrote the syllables "Le-be-wohl" over the first three chords.
Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_No._26_(Beethoven)
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What you will get is a new sense of the sheer physicality of the music…What’s fascinating about Levit’s whole cycle is the crazy tempos at which he takes the first Allegros and Prestos…Where... — More…
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Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2019, Editor's Choice
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BBC Music Magazine, December 2019, Instrumental Choice
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2019
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International Classical Music Awards, 2019, Nominee - Best Collection
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The Times Records of the Year, 2019, Classical Album of the Year
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Presto Recording of the Week, 20th December 2019
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The New York Times, Recordings of the Year 2019
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Opus Klassik Awards, 2020, Best-Seller of the Year
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Gramophone Awards, 2020, Winner - Instrumental
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Grammy Awards, 63rd Awards (2021), Nominee - Best Classical Instrumental Solo
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Building a Library, February 2023, Also Recommended - ‘Appassionata’
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…appropriately enough this final volume ends with the last sonata triptych of Opp. 109-111. Lewis plays all three works with characteristic warmth and beauty of tone, and you're not likely... — More…
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Presto Recording of the Week, 7th April 2008
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Gramophone Magazine, June 2008, Editor's Choice
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Gramophone Awards, 2008, Recording of the Year
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Gramophone Awards, 2008, Winner - Instrumental
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Building a Library, October 2006, Historic Choice
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Penguin Guide, Rosette
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Backhaus's own transcriptions of the Serenade from Don Giovanni and the E flat Marche militaire of Schubert warrant pride of place…Technical display, as it were, is almost hidden, so that the... — More…
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Gramophone Magazine, January 2019, Reissue/Archive of the Month
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She’s a musician of immense skill with a strong point of view. Her choice of this beautiful Graf for her superbly recorded new Alpha disc seems fully justified. From the outset it is obvious... — More…
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Gramophone Magazine, April 2007, Re-issue of the Month
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Penguin Guide, Rosette
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All but one of these performances are exceptional, even by Kissin’s stratospheric standards, the odd one out being the Moonlight Sonata…But the most extraordinary track is that of the 32 Variations.... — More…
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Presto Recording of the Week, 25th August 2017
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2017
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Awards:
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Gramophone Awards, 2010, Winner - Historic Archive
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