TRACKLISTING
CD 1
1-4 Piano Sonata No.1 in F minor, op.2/1
5-8 Piano Sonata No.2 in A major, op.2/2
9-12 Piano Sonata No.3 in C major, op.2/3

CD 2
1-4 Piano Sonata No.4 in E flat major, op.7
5-7 Piano Sonata No.5 in C minor, op.10/1
8-10 Piano Sonata No.6 in F major, op.10/2

CD 3
1-4 Piano Sonata No.7 in D major, op.10/3
5-7 Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, op.13 "Pathétique"
8-10 Piano Sonata No.9 in E major, op.14/1
11-13 Piano Sonata No.10 in G major, op.14/2

CD 4
1-4 Piano Sonata No.11 in B flat major, op.22
5-8 Piano Sonata No.12 in A flat major, op.26
9-11 Piano Sonata No.13 in E flat major, op.27/1
12-14 Piano Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor, op.27/2

CD 5
1-4 Piano Sonata No.15 in D major, op.28 "Pastoral"
5-7 Piano Sonata No.16 in G major, op.31/1
8-10 Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor, op.31/2

CD 6
1-4 Piano Sonata No.18 in E flat major, op.31/3
5-6 Piano Sonata No.19 in G minor, op.49/1
7-8 Piano Sonata No.20 in G major, op.49/2
9-11 Piano Sonata No.21 in C major, op.53 "Waldstein"
12-13 Piano Sonata No.22 in F major, op.54

CD 7
1-3 Piano Sonata No.23 in F minor, op.57 "Appassionata"
4-5 Piano Sonata No.24 in F sharp major, op.78
6-8 Piano Sonata No.25 in G major, op.79
9-11 Piano Sonata No.26 in E flat major, op.81a "Les Adieux"
12-13 Piano Sonata No.27 in E minor, op.90

CD 8
1-3 Piano Sonata No.28 in A major, op.101
4-7 Piano Sonata No.29 in B flat major, op.106 "Hammerklavier"

CD 9
1-3 Piano Sonata No.30 in E major, op.109
4-7 Piano Sonata No.31 in A flat major, op.110
8-9 Piano Sonata No.32 in C minor, op.111

CD 10
1-4 Sonata for Violin & Piano No.7 in C minor, op.30/2
5-8 Sonata for Violin & Piano No.10 in G major, op.96

CD 11
1-3 Piano Concerto No.1 in C major, op.15
4 15 Variations & Fugue in E flat major, op.35 "Eroica"
5-6 Bagatelles, op.126/2 & 3

As an interpreter of the classical repertoire Gulda performed a wide range of music by Mozart, Haydn, Schubert and Beethoven, as well as works by Bach, Chopin and Debussy. In his early career Gulda toured extensively with the complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas.

Gulda’s recordings for Decca are dominated by his complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas — a project which occupied him throughout the 1950s. He also recorded a number of works by Debussy including the Suite bergamasque, Pour le piano and both books of Préludes (between 1953 and 1957); Ravel is also represented with recordings of the Sonatine, Gaspard de la nuit, and the Valses nobles et sentimentales. During the early 1970s Gulda extended his Beethoven discography when he recorded the Beethoven concertos with Horst Stein.

As Gulda’s interest in jazz developed he became something of a controversial figure in the classical world and this was extended even further with his unconventional performances of such things as Mozart on the clavichord, and the employment of electronic devices in his interpretations of “core” repertory. Gulda’s vision of combining a whole variety of elements in his quest for a total work of art even went so far as to include his appearance on stage naked on several occasions. In the later years of his career he also worked extensively with Chick Corea.

This set comprising Gulda’s complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas also includes two CDs of other Beethoven recordings from the 1950s: Piano Concerto No.1 with the "Eroica" Variations, and two Violin Sonatas with Ruggiero Ricci. Most of these recordings are appearing on CD for the first time as an international releases.

To see all Original Masters go to the homepage at www.deccaclassics.com/originalmasters.