Ronald Brautigam – Beethoven: The Complete Piano Variations & Bagatelles (2019) [FLAC 24bit/44,1-96kHz]

Between 2003 and 2015, Ronald Brautigam recorded all of Beethoven’s music for solo piano – a huge undertaking resulting in a grand total of 15 highly acclaimed albums. Choosing to perform the works on the fortepiano, Brautigam began with a sonata cycle which caused one reviewer to talk of a challenge to ‘the very notion of playing this music on modern instruments, a stylistic paradigm shift.’ In 2010, after nine albums of sonatas, he went on to record the composer’s variations, bagatelles and other piano pieces – a staggering array of works ranging from a Bagatelle lasting 11 seconds to the monumental Diabelli Variations, and from a charming Rondo in C major composed by a 13-year old Beethoven, to what is often referred to as the composer’s ‘Last Musical Thought’, an Andante maestoso dated 1826. Brautigam’s sonata recordings were released in a box set in 2014, and they are now followed by this 6-album set of the remaining works for solo piano, in the original hybrid format, and with full documentation in the form of the original booklets. Composed over the course of more than 40 years, the music is performed on three different instruments, all by the master builder Paul McNulty, demonstrating the rapid development that the fortepiano underwent during Beethoven’s lifetime.

Tracklist:

CD1
1. 7 Bagatelles, Op. 33: No. 1 in E-Flat Major, Andante grazioso, quasi allegretto
2. 7 Bagatelles, Op. 33: No. 2 in C Major, Scherzo. Allegro
3. 7 Bagatelles, Op. 33: No. 3 in F Major, Allegretto
4. 7 Bagatelles, Op. 33: No. 4 in A Major, Andante
5. 7 Bagatelles, Op. 33: No. 5 in C Major, Allegro, ma non troppo
6. 7 Bagatelles, Op. 33: No. 6 in D Major, Allegretto, quasi andante
7. 7 Bagatelles, Op. 33: No. 7 in A-Flat Major, Presto
8. Bagatelle in C Minor, Hess 69
9. Bagatelle in C Major, Hess 73
10. Bagatelle in E-Flat Major, Hess 74
11. Allegretto in C Minor, WoO 53
12. Andante in C Major, WoO 211
13. Bagatelle in C Major, WoO 54 “Lustig-traurig”
14. Bagatelle in C Major, WoO 56
15. Bagatelle in C Minor, WoO 52
16. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 1 in G Minor, Allegretto
17. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 2 in C Major, Andante con moto
18. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 3 in D Major, à l’Allemande
19. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 4 in A Major, Andante cantabile
20. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 5 in C Minor, Risoluto
21. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 6 in G Major, Andante – Allegretto
22. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 7 in C Major, Allegro, ma non troppo
23. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 8 in C Major, Moderato cantabile
24. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 9 in A Minor, Vivace moderato
25. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 10 in A Major, Allegramente
26. 11 Neue Bagatellen, Op. 119: No. 11 in B-Flat Major, Andante, ma non troppo
27. Bagatelle in A Minor, WoO 59 “Für Elise” (I)
28. Bagatelle in B-Flat Major, WoO 60
29. Allegretto in B Minor, WoO 61
30. Allegretteo quasi andante in G Minor, WoO 61a
31. Bagatelle in C Major, Hess 57
32. 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 1 in G Major, Andante con moto
33. 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 2 in G Major, Allegro
34. 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Andante
35. 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 4 in B Major, Presto
36. 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 5 in G Major, Quasi allegretto
37. 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126: No. 6 in E-Flat Major, Presto – Andante amabile e con moto – Tempo I

CD2
1. 12 Variations on the Russian Dance from “Das Waldmädchen”, WoO 71
2. 8 Variations on “Une fièvre brûlante”, WoO 72
3. 10 Variations on “La stessa, la stessissima”, WoO 73
4. 7 Variations on “Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen”, WoO 75
5. 8 Variations on “Tändeln und Scherzen”, WoO 76
6. 6 Variations in G Major, WoO 77
7. Variations & Fugue in E-Flat Major, Op. 35 “Eroica”

CD3
1. 9 Variations on a March by Dressler, WoO 63
2. 6 Variations on a Swiss Song, WoO 64
3. 24 Variations on “Venni amore”, WoO 65
4. 13 Variations on “Es war einmal ein alter Mann”, WoO 66
5. 12 Variations on “Menuet a la Viganò”, WoO 68
6. 9 Variations on “Quant’è più bello”, WoO 69
7. 6 Variations on “Nel cor più non mi sento”, WoO 70

CD4
1. Rondo in C Major, WoO 48
2. Rondo in A Major, WoO 49
3. Rondo in B-Flat Major, Anh. 6
4. Rondo in C Major, Op. 51 No. 1
5. Rondo in G Major, Op. 51 No. 2
6. Rondo a capriccio in G Major, Op. 129 “Rage over a Lost Penny”
7. Ecossaise in E-Flat Major, WoO 86
8. 6 Ecossaises in E-Flat Major, WoO 83
9. Andante favori in F Major, WoO 57
10. Fantasia in G Minor, Op. 77
11. Polonaise in C Major, Op. 89
12. Bagatelle in A Minor, WoO 59 “Für Elise” (II)
13. Andante maestoso in C Major, WoO 62, Hess 41 “Letzter musikalischer Gedanke” (Completed A. Diabelli for Piano)

CD5
1. 6 Variations in F Major, Op. 34: Theme
2. 6 Variations in F Major, Op. 34: Var. 1
3. 6 Variations in F Major, Op. 34: Var. 2
4. 6 Variations in F Major, Op. 34: Var. 3
5. 6 Variations in F Major, Op. 34: Var. 4
6. 6 Variations in F Major, Op. 34: Var. 5
7. 6 Variations in F Major, Op. 34: Var. 6 – Coda
8. 7 Variations on “God Save the King”, WoO 78: Theme
9. 7 Variations on “God Save the King”, WoO 78: Var. 1
10. 7 Variations on “God Save the King”, WoO 78: Var. 2
11. 7 Variations on “God Save the King”, WoO 78: Var. 3
12. 7 Variations on “God Save the King”, WoO 78: Var. 4
13. 7 Variations on “God Save the King”, WoO 78: Var. 5
14. 7 Variations on “God Save the King”, WoO 78: Var. 6
15. 7 Variations on “God Save the King”, WoO 78: Var. 7
16. 5 Variations on “Rule Britannia”, WoO 79: Theme
17. 5 Variations on “Rule Britannia”, WoO 79: Var. 1
18. 5 Variations on “Rule Britannia”, WoO 79: Var. 2
19. 5 Variations on “Rule Britannia”, WoO 79: Var. 3
20. 5 Variations on “Rule Britannia”, WoO 79: Var. 4
21. 5 Variations on “Rule Britannia”, WoO 79: Var. 5
22. 32 Variations in C Minor, WoO 80
23. 6 Variations in D Major, Op. 76: Theme
24. 6 Variations in D Major, Op. 76: Var. 1
25. 6 Variations in D Major, Op. 76: Var. 2
26. 6 Variations in D Major, Op. 76: Var. 3
27. 6 Variations in D Major, Op. 76: Var. 4
28. 6 Variations in D Major, Op. 76: Var. 5
29. 6 Variations in D Major, Op. 76: Var. 6
30. 2 Preludes, Op. 39: No. 1 in C Major
31. 2 Preludes, Op. 39: No. 2 in C Major
32. Fugue in C Major, WoO 215, Hess 64
33. Prelude in F Minor, WoO 55
34. Minuet in F Major, WoO 217
35. Allemande in A Major, WoO 81
36. Anglaise in D Major, WoO 212, Hess 61
37. Minuet in E-Flat Major, WoO 82
38. Waltz in E-Flat Major, WoO 84
39. Waltz in D Major, WoO 85

CD6
1. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Theme. Vivace
2. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 1, Alla marcia, maestoso
3. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 2, Poco allegro
4. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 3, L’istesso tempo
5. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 4, Un poco più vivace
6. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 5, Allegro vivace
7. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 6, Allegro ma non troppo e serioso
8. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 7, Un poco più allegro
9. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 8, Poco vivace
10. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 9, Allegro pesante e risoluto
11. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 10, Presto
12. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 11, Allegretto
13. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 12, Un poco più mosso
14. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 13, Vivace
15. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 14, Grave e maestoso
16. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 15, Presto scherzando
17. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 16, Allegro
18. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 17, Allegro
19. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 18, Poco moderato
20. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 19, Presto
21. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 20, Andante
22. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 21, Allegro con brio
23. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 22, Allegro molto
24. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 23, Allegro assai
25. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 24, Fughetta – Andante
26. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 25, Allegro
27. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 26, Piacevole
28. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 27, Vivace
29. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 28, Allegro
30. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 29, Adagio ma non troppo
31. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 30, Andante, sempre cantabile
32. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 31, Largo, molto espressivo
33. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 32, Fuga – Allegro
34. Diabelli Variations, Op. 120: Var. 33, Tempo di menuetto, moderato
35. 6 National Airs with Variations, Op. 105 (Version for Piano): No. 1, Air ecossais in G Major “The Cottage Maid”
36. 6 National Airs with Variations, Op. 105 (Version for Piano): No. 2, Air ecossais in C Minor “Of Noble Stock Was Shinkin”
37. 6 National Airs with Variations, Op. 105 (Version for Piano): No. 3, Air autrichien in C Major “A Schüsserl und a Reindl”
38. 6 National Airs with Variations, Op. 105 (Version for Piano): No. 4, Air ecossais in E-Flat Major “The Last Rose of Summer”
39. 6 National Airs with Variations, Op. 105 (Version for Piano): No. 5, Air ecossais in E-Flat Major “Chiling O’Guiry”
40. 6 National Airs with Variations, Op. 105 (Version for Piano): No. 6, Air ecossais in D Major “Paddy Whack”