CCMusic.com

"Beethoven's piano output alone is enormous and arguably the greatest collection of all, and surely it's most remarkable feature is the sheer variety of expression. Among the 32 Sonatas you will not find two that are similar; and in the 20 sets of Variations one marvels at the range and inspiration of his vision and imagination. Indeed, he was a rebel and he defined the course of classical music probably more than any other composer. He travelled fast and far, from the influence of Haydn and Mozart in his early works to his own idiomatic language of the middle period works and, finally, reached heights of great spiritual depth in the last 10 years or so. The works are presented in chronological order, but there are many instances where scholars cannot pin down the precise time of composition. Also, in a few cases, strict chronology is deliberately ignored so that on each album the order offers more attractive listening." (Martini Tirimo)