Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Hj Lim, piano [8 CDs]

• Audio Samples
• Album Summary
• Notes & Reviews
• Also Purchased
• Works Details

Audio Samples

Album Summary

Performer

• Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)

Composer

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)

Notes & Reviews:

The brilliant 24-year-old Korean pianist HJ Lim, who signed an exclusive contract with EMI Classics in September 2011, has recorded her first project for the label, an ambitious traversal of the Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas. Initially released in digital format, the recording debuted at #1 on the Billboard Overall Classical charts, surpassing Andrea Bocelli, Yo-Yo Ma, Il Volo, Jackie Evancho, Hilary Hahn and Jeremy Denk. EMI Classics is now releasing the physical 8-CD boxset to help celebrate the momentous and unprecedented occasion.

Pianists who record the Beethoven sonatas cycle usually do so at the peak of long and storied careers. With this bold and controversial recording project, HJ Lim aims to prove that, at the age of 24, she is ready to record the Beethoven sonatas now. She has the intelligence and artistic vision, and her powerful performances have been captivating both traditional and new audiences. HJ received critical acclaim for her Beethoven interpretations, with The New York Times writing of her recent American debut performance at New York's (le) Poisson Rouge: "Ms. Lim's intellectual analysis and emotional engagement resulted in fresh, vigorous interpretations."

Lim's thoughtful and unique approach to such an immense undertaking further defines itself in her organization of the sonatas into eight seperate volumes, each with a disctinct theme: Heroic Ideals, The Eternal Feminine - Youth, Aspects of an Inflexible Personality, Nature, Extremes in Collision, Resignation and Action, Eternal Feminine - Maturity, and Destiny. Says Lim: "To perform Beethoven's sonatas is not just to interpret music, but also an attempt to understand the multi-faceted psychology of a human being."

HJ Lim will be touring the US in September including performances at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and Chicago's Beethoven Festival.

The Times
Her romantic approach, full of impulsive accelerations, would be perfect for Liszt, and might please listeners in search of a Beethoven pushed further into the 19th century than history made possible.

The New York Times
An idiosyncratic player with plenty of original ideas and the technique to carry them out.

Gramophone Magazine, September 2012
[Lim] takes chances, and the vibrant yet quirky characteristics in her playing I observed in my review of Vol. 1 continue to rampage throughout the remaining works...Lim's liberties convince the most when they intensify the music's inherent character...In sum, even at her most wrong-headed, Lim's strong personality and obvious Beethovenian affinity bode well for her mature remarks 20 years from now.

BBC Music Magazine, September 2012
When her idiosyncratic pianism is consumed in bulk, one seems method in her madness, as with Glenn Gould's. As the finale of her Hammerklavier attests, Lim is blessed - and cursed - with amazing technical dexterity; the fact that this movement is near-flawless is offset by the way the music coalesces into a frantic blur at moments of peak intensity...In her opening Allegros she possesses the touch of a true Beethovenian.

MusicWeb International, July 2012
[The Hammerklavier] stands as a representative of Lim's strengths...Without picking over every sonata, I would say that you can find great enjoyment with HJ Lim, but even with gruff Beethovenian directness, tremendous verve and some remarkably expressive moments and passages, this is not a set which will dislodge the great names.

Notes & Reviews:

Recording information: Faller Hall, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (07/2011-08/2011).

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Also Purchased

Works Details

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 29 in B flat major, Op. 106 "Hammerklavier"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 25 min. 17 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1817-1818

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 11 in B flat major, Op. 22

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Notes: Composition written: 1800.
• Running Time: 20 min. 47 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1800

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a "Les Adieux"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 14 min. 32 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1809-1810

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 4 in E flat major, Op. 7

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Notes: Composition written: 1796-97.
• Running Time: 23 min. 39 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1796-1797

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 9 in E major, Op. 14 no 1

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Notes: Composition written: 1798.
• Running Time: 11 min. 58 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1798

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 10 in G major, Op. 14 no 2

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Notes: Composition written: 1799.
• Running Time: 13 min. 54 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1799

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 13 in E flat major, Op. 27 no 1 "Quasi una fantasia"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 12 min. 33 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1800-1801

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27/2 "Moonlight"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 13 min. 53 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1801

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 1 in F minor

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Notes: Composition written: 1793-95.
• Running Time: 14 min. 58 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1793-1795

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 2 in A major, Op. 2 no 2

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Notes: Composition written: 1794-95.
• Running Time: 18 min. 59 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1794-1795

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 3 in C major, Op. 2 no 3

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Notes: Composition written: 1794-95.
• Running Time: 22 min. 53 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1794-1795

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 15 in D, Op. 28 "Pastorale)

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 22 min. 8 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1801

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 21 in C major, Op. 53 "Waldstein"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 22 min. 13 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1803-1804

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 22 in F major, Op. 54

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Notes: Composition written: 1804.
• Running Time: 9 min. 7 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1804

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 25 in G major, Op. 79 "Cuckoo"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 7 min. 7 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1809

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 5 in C minor, Op. 10 no 1

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Notes: Composition written: 1795-97.
• Running Time: 16 min. sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1795-1797

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 6 in F major, Op. 10 no 2

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 11 min. sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1796-1797

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 7 in D, Op. 10 no 3

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 21 min. 18 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1797-1798

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 16 in G major, Op. 31 no 1

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Notes: Composition written: 1802.
• Running Time: 19 min. 33 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1802

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 17 in D minor, Op. 31/2 "The Tempest"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 20 min. 30 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1802

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 18 in E flat, Op. 31

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 19 min. 41 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1802

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 28 in A major, Op. 101

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 18 min. 39 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1816

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 24 in F sharp major, Op. 78 "A Thérèse"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 9 min. 2 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1809

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 27 in E minor, Op. 90

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 11 min. 43 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1814

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 30 in E major, Op. 109

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 16 min. 34 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1820

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 31 in A flat major, Op. 110

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 7 min. 18 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1821-1822

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for piano no 8 in C minor, Op. 13 "Pathetique"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 17 min. 7 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1797-1798

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 12 in A flat major, Op. 26 "Funeral March"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 16 min. 11 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1800-1801

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 23 in F minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata"

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 22 min. 35 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1804-1805

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonata for Piano no 32 in C minor, Op. 111

• Performer: Hyun-Jung LIM (Piano)
• Running Time: 23 min. 15 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Written: 1821-1822