It was over ten years ago that EMI Classics approached Stephen Kovacevich with the idea that he join the group of elite and great pianists by recording the complete Beethoven Sonatas. He took up the challenge and in doing so he has produced a true masterpiece and his performances have won several awards, including a Gramophone Award, a Diapason D'Or and a Grammy nomination, in addition to much critical applause in the music press. The entire collection of sonatas has already been released in a luxury box set of nine discs and the individual discs have also been made available separately. This disc of all Beethoven's Opus 2 Piano Sonatas is the last disc from the box set to be released singly and so sees the very end of Kovacevich's journey through these monumental works. An impressive feat from someone who, as a child thought Beethoven to be an awful, horrible, loud and noisy composer! It is clear from these brilliant, considered performances that this is no longer the case.
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