The standard-setting Beethoven recording of the bunch is Andreas Haefliger's, and not of just any sonata, but Op. 106, whose far-flung technical requirements and long, introspective spans of music make it Beethoven's most challenging keyboard work. Few "Hammerklavier" performances are this complete, taking in the big picture as well as the tiniest details. In general, he meets the piece at eye level rather than peering up at it from afar. His concentration is incredible, and as a result, so is that of the listener. His Liszt (which fills out the set's second disc) is among the smartest to come out of that composer's recent
Acclaim
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 29 "Hammerklavier", Liszt Annees de Pelerinage ****
Avie Records
— David Patrick Stearns,
The Philadelphia Inquirer