Beethoven; Piano Concertos; Piano Sonatas – review

At both the beginning and the end of his long career, Rudolf Serkin made recordings for a variety of companies, but from the 1950s to the 70s he was exclusively a Columbia artist. This set brings together from that period all his recordings of the composer who was at the very centre of his musical universe, Beethoven. As well as the five piano concertos, the Triple Concerto and the Choral Fantasy, the set includes 19 of the piano sonatas, as well as the Op 119 Bagatelles and the Diabelli Variations. It's a fascinating collection; whether live or on disc, what always shone through Serkin's playing was its unvarnished honesty, its refusal to do anything for effect or to ingratiate itself. Sometimes that makes for uncomfortable results – Serkin often seems to be in mortal combat with what he was playing – but his finest performances, as in the late sonatas (Opp 109, 110 and 111) here, were unique.