V. Horowitz - Piano Sonata Op. 57, 'Appassionata' (L.V. Beethoven) [1959]

Horowitz plays Beethoven's 23th Sonata in F minor.
Rec. May 1959

I. Allegro assai [0:00]
II. Andante con moto [9:55]
III. Allegro ma non troppo [15:23]

[craigsheppard]

I loved this performance above all others when I listened as a student at Juilliard, and still feel the same fifty years later. I know of none greater!

[hashbeth]

Horowitz's interpretations are always so fascinating. He really brings out portions of the music in ways that you rarely hear. He always had utterly fresh ideas in his interpretation that really make the music feel alive.

[moe]

Interesting rubato and subtle changes of tempo that I don’t hear in Beethoven very often. My favourite pianist and one of my favourite composers.

[dogdadd]

Horowitz performing the Appassionata ? That's a piece that'll devour lesser pianists by the twentieth bar....and he pulls it off with his usual expressive touch and emotional intensity without letting the anger that seethes througout this masterwork show. Bravo indeed.

[steveweiser]

This was recorded in his New York home using 4 mics and in mono...I believe for Columbia records.... Horowitz's story is remarkable and his long career second to none....a great showman who would have bouts of nervousness causing him to retreat for 12 years one time in the 50s...one of his great performances was in 1945 at the I am an American day celebrating the end of WW2 in New York with Mayor LaGuardia.where Horowitz performed the Stars and Striped forever which ended up being a crowd favorite...I love watching him and listening to his 1965 interviews...there is a video with no sound from 1927 on you tube playing for a doctor's family in Ohio... absolutely fantastic piece of history!!!!

[psychohist]

It has been so long since I listened to this. I felt 30 years worth of tension leaving my shoulders in the second movement.

[annjeanmillikan]

Absolutely fabulous! Thank you for this wondrous May 1959 performance of Beethoven's Appassionata played by HOROWITZ, memorable beyond belief. What a performance!

[astronomo]

This performance is absolutely full of brilliant ideas

[LindaSmith]

This piece is awesome. So much confusion, calm, and then the ultimate resolution! So worth the eargasm!

[yorche]

Fabulous interpretation of a trascendental work that will magically inflame the heart of men forever

[carlosguaymas]

Horowitz convertía en oro lo que tocaba...esta sonata de por sí extraordinaria tiene el toque del gran Volodia: sentimiento, extremos dinámicos típicos de Beethoven y el sonido único de este gran pianista

[laurenceesposito]

This is just great!!! No wonder he was considered tops.

[marcosuluaga]

Lang lang o Valentina y demas pianistas modernos contemporaneos que manejan una imagen mas corporativa y teatral, con el mas debido respeto, nunca les van a llegar ni a los talones de las autenticas leyendas del piano, y Vladimir es uno de ellos

[taro]

Wonderfully unique performance!
He brought out the beauty of the 3rd movement.

[pierretchamitchian]

For one second I wondered if it was really Horoxitz paying, but well he is the only one who has such a manner to go from Forte to Pianissimo, he does anything he wants.

[sidilicious]

Vladimir likes color and dynamics, and so do I !

[shadowjuan]

Yep this is Horowitz without any doubt, his playing style is uniquely distinguished.

[Numberonesorabjifan]

Hard to believe this was recorded more than 60 years ago, really good quality.

[jameshandaja]

Wow! I got the sense of urgency in the coda of 1st movement, love it!

[Beethovenfan]

I just listened to Valentina Lisitsa, Claudio Arrau, and Daniel Baronboim play this piece.
Horowitz is the master of them all. He doesn't rush through anything, as was my complaint with Lisitsa. He doesn't miss a single note, as I noticed with Arrau. Although I really liked Baronboim's lyric style in certain passages, Horowitz's interpretation just really captured me.
Also, the piano that Horowitz is playing on in this recording, does anyone else notice the brilliant overtones in the upper registers? When he plays the ornamentation, there's seems to be such a bell-like quality to it that I absolutely love.
This recording is, by far, my favorite performance of this piece.