now playing, continuing with the Levit Beethoven Piano Sonatas cycle after a couple days away from it

start of Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv-RQZmXLrI&list=OLAK5uy_nEuDnoVXeKKtQu3GL0hOVgE_zRlftFDpY&index=41

start of Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-Flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1, "Quasi una fantasia"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YKlPEJ7jlg&list=OLAK5uy_nEuDnoVXeKKtQu3GL0hOVgE_zRlftFDpY&index=45

start of Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2, "Moonlight"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJSvoo1sqOQ&list=OLAK5uy_nEuDnoVXeKKtQu3GL0hOVgE_zRlftFDpY&index=49

start of Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28, "Pastorale"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-IL9Z_GF8&list=OLAK5uy_nEuDnoVXeKKtQu3GL0hOVgE_zRlftFDpY&index=51

Like I've said before, Levit does the slower movements so spectacularly well. The first movement of the 12th, Op. 26 is playing right now and it is divine. Check it out and if it doesn't convince you that this cycle is for you... well, then it isn't for you lol. But I hope you check it out and enjoy it.

forgive me, just one more post on the Levit Beethoven piano sonata cycle to encourage folks to try it, because I'm currently loving it

8th
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqOgLPb6iu0&list=OLAK5uy_nEuDnoVXeKKtQu3GL0hOVgE_zRlftFDpY&index=28
9th
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAu3pMyKK-Y&list=OLAK5uy_nEuDnoVXeKKtQu3GL0hOVgE_zRlftFDpY&index=31
10th
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72b_SBOhNjQ&list=OLAK5uy_nEuDnoVXeKKtQu3GL0hOVgE_zRlftFDpY&index=33
11th
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0G-LGFJtdo&list=OLAK5uy_nEuDnoVXeKKtQu3GL0hOVgE_zRlftFDpY&index=37

all stellar with a unique, refreshing vision, especially the Pathetique which can so often sound tired and ordinary in most hands

Levit!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q1KCACRNVU&list=OLAK5uy_nEuDnoVXeKKtQu3GL0hOVgE_zRlftFDpY&index=85

Also, I have to really give props to the performance of Op. 26 on here (No. 11, sometimes called "Funeral March"); in my experience, this piece too often sounds stilted and occasionally outright bad on lots of cycles I've sampled recently. So it was one of the first ones I tried on this Levit cycle this morning to see how he compares and see if it was maybe just an issue with the piece itself, and my god, he nails it, you gotta check this out,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv-RQZmXLrI&list=OLAK5uy_nEuDnoVXeKKtQu3GL0hOVgE_zRlftFDpY&index=40

Damn. I got high hopes for this cycle now.