Five of the best recordings of Beethoven's sonata cycles

Artur Schnabel

Warner Classics 9029597507

Recorded between 1932 and 1938, this first-ever recording of the complete sonatas has remained a classic account.

• Buy from Amazon

• The greatest piano concertos of all time
• The 20 Greatest Pianists of all time

Wilhelm Kempff

DG 477 7958

The German pianist recorded the cycle several times; DG’s remastered stereo version was released in 2008.

• Buy from Amazon

• A guide to Beethoven
• Top 20 Beethoven works

Friedrich Gulda

Orfeo C808109L

The Austrian pianist made three recordings of Beethoven’s sonatas. This is the first, recorded for Austrian radio.

• A guide to Haydn's piano sonatas
• The best recordings of Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata

Ronald Brautigam

BIS BIS2000

Dutch keyboardist Ronald Brautigam’s fortepiano recordings of the Beethoven sonatas for BIS made between 2004 and 2010 are now gathered together in one box. Brautigam plays on Paul McNulty’s replicas of original instruments dating from 1788 to 1819.

• Buy from Amazon

• Beethoven: what did the 19th century think?

Stephen Kovacevich

Warner 9029586922

Kovacevich gets to the heart of Beethoven’s sonatas with playing that teeters on the edge of sanity, roars with ferocious power and frequently moves the listener to tears. The finest to date.

• Buy from Hive
• Buy from Amazon

Read reviews of the latest Beethoven recordings here

Find out more about Beethoven and his works here

Which are the best music streaming services for classical music lovers?