Beethoven - Piano Sonatas 21, 23 & 26 - Mari Kodama - Pentatone 5186 024 (2003) SACD rip via PS3 to iso (3.26GB) | 24bit/88.2kHz flac | Mch (2.4GB) (+5.15dB gain) | 2ch (1.06GB) DR14 (+5.85dB gain) | Classical ----------------------------------------------------------- SA-CD.net review by enterprise October 25, 2004: I've had this SACD for several months & have heard it numerous times. The sound is certainly full bodied & realistic; the piano is set right in front of you & can overwhelm you if the volume is set high. The piano sound is very different from those that I have heard in other SACD or CDs; is it more realistic? I can't answer that. It all depends on what is the ideal sound at a live concert. The important point is that I like the sound. The playing is very good. The only weakness is the slow movement of the appassionata. The capabilities of SACD is certainly revealed here so there is much more to hope for. I have already ordered Kodama's other Beethoven SACD (her Moonlight, Pathetique & #4). I look forward to hearing them. I encourage her to record all the Beethoven's sonatas in SACD! I would buy them all. SA-CD.net review by brenda October 28, 2004: I have to disagree on this recording. I found it too "close" for comfort & would have preferred to listen to an acoustic that sounded more like a concert hall than inside the piano. Also, the interpretations are pretty "so-so" compared to greats like Gilels & Brendel & have nothing new to say. I sold this one1 after just a few hearings. Review by Dalton August 22, 2003: I mostly agree with the previous reviewer. I generally withhold my opinion on sonics until I've lived with a new SACD for a while. Many times, what sounds excellent on 1st hearing doesn't hold up to scrutiny after the novelty has worn off. But I've had this SACD for a couple of weeks now & keep coming back to it frequently. The sound quality of this recording is absolutely stunning. This is the best-sounding solo piano recording I have ever heard. In 2ch, there's a Steinway in my living room. But in Mch, you are transported to the concert hall & treated to the sound of this spectacularly well-prepared Steinway concert grand. Attack, timbre, overtones, decay, etc. all sound very convincing to me. We're close enough to hear the sound of the dampers brush off the strings at times, but not too close - a nice balance. No hint of harshness, compression or collapse of the harmonic structure in loud or complex passages as is so common with so many piano recordings (especially on CD). It's hard to believe, without actually hearing it, how much of a difference Mch recording can make with a solo instrument. Unfortunately, the sound is only beguiling to the point that you almost forget that you are listening to a pianist who hasn't quite made these works her own. There is a lack of that last spark of interpretive insight that carries the listener past a mere rote performance. Ms. Kodama has technique to burn - you never get the sense that she's tiring or losing her way. That may be part of the problem. I was drawn to the virtuosic display rather than the soul of the music. Sometimes these fine distinctions are hard to put into words. But, for example, although the tempo of the 3rd movement of the "Les adieux" seemed correct, one got a sense, not of ecstasy, but of hysteria. The "Waldstein" as a whole comes through the best, the nadir is the Andante of the "Appassionata". Still, there is nothing glaringly bad or "wrong" with the performance, & I recommend this SACD. But if only the performance matched the excellence of the recording... Tracks: Piano Sonata No.21 in C, Op.53 ‘Waldstein’ 1 Allegro con brio Listen 2 Introduzione (Adagio molto) 3 Rondo (Allegretto moderato – Prestissimo) Piano Sonata No.23 in F minor, Op.57 ‘Appassionata’ 4 Allegro assai 5 Andante con moto 6 Allgro ma non troppo Piano Sonata No.26 in E flat, Op.81a ‘Les adieux’ 7 Das Lebewohl (Adagio – Allegro) 8 Abwesenheit (Andante espressivo) 9 Das Wiedersehn (Vivacissimamente) ** zebedee ** http://www.filefactory.com/folder/14328a3bbef04e1e -------------------------------------------------------------- Checksum for iso: cd4d8edb1af1aed4ed42d0d5703bfe79 *Mari Kodama - Beethoven Piano Sonatas 21, 23, 26.iso Checksums for flac tracks Mch: 8bb170edd35cbf286f1d26d80a763aab *01 - Mari Kodama - Allegro con brio.flac 53397fd035d25962e2b547ec41accdfc *02 - Mari Kodama - Introduzione (Adagio molto).flac 30ebc929da6dbdf33f7f24d6f74d2df8 *03 - Mari Kodama - Rondo (Allegretto moderato - Prestissimo).flac e0152cea1f9d572413d4477c853536d3 *04 - Mari Kodama - Allegro assai.flac c08a1028733a882c995117e2cf9aae48 *05 - Mari Kodama - Andante con moto.flac 382ebfb743099e88c94d88d6c4c78cc9 *06 - Mari Kodama - Allgro ma non troppo.flac 4a6434fa6d7f55d49f204faaa125caf7 *07 - Mari Kodama - Das lebewohl (Adagio - Allegro).flac 33be6685d117d85e61efa50bf43b51d8 *08 - Mari Kodama - Abwesendheid (Andante espressivo).flac b238378d56593392f0c497b88a877441 *09 - Mari Kodama - Das Wiedersehn (Vivacissimamento).flac Checksums for flac tracks 2ch: db349a63f439f65623e519a3ff27ab79 *01 - Mari Kodama - Allegro con brio.flac b7273fe0e6e107695c8a84ee54146921 *02 - Mari Kodama - Introduzione (Adagio molto).flac 85110314fa202e5248f14db2783653e0 *03 - Mari Kodama - Rondo (Allegretto moderato - Prestissimo).flac 0533d80da68e7ed14d2431867e48f2e7 *04 - Mari Kodama - Allegro assai.flac 9030f1f52e22a6cbf8a1bc80a7ded6de *05 - Mari Kodama - Andante con moto.flac a2774d4bd52d02cf4797a94766b4410d *06 - Mari Kodama - Allgro ma non troppo.flac eef254aaecc74592ea499a0448a76588 *07 - Mari Kodama - Das lebewohl (Adagio - Allegro).flac 17dbd3bc024c4d4db8eb9c3cc1ee15ae *08 - Mari Kodama - Abwesendheid (Andante espressivo).flac 92fac6950c665ff71d99f96115f3a284 *09 - Mari Kodama - Das Wiedersehn (Vivacissimamento).flac