Classic early recordings of the entire piano sonatas cycle by one of the best Beethoven interpreters of the century. The 32 sonatas were all recorded in mono back in 1951 to 1956 (this was the first of three times Kempff would record the entire cycle). Those who prefer an extremely clean sound might want to skip this boxset all together, but personally, I find that the tape hiss and accidental surrounding noises add a certain warmth to the recording. It's no wonder Kempff is so highly regarded for these recordings, he plays them with such incredible depth and passion. I bought these because I am slowly trying to learn the piano and I would love to play some of these sonatas. After hearing this though I can assure you I've got a looong way to go, but it's also quite inspiring to hear how beautiful this can sound when well executed. The boxset comes with a bonus CD about M. Kempff, including a performance on a church organ and some interviews.