German pianist Walter Gieseking (1895-1956) features prominently among the finest keyboard virtuosi of the first half of the 20th c., especially noted for his superb...

German pianist Walter Gieseking (1895-1956) features prominently among the finest keyboard virtuosi of the first half of the 20th c., especially noted for his superb pedal technique and unmatched subtlety and coloration, especially in, for example, his pre-WWII Debussy recordings. Personal and professional setbacks in the aftermath of the Allied Victory curtailed his career somewhat, yet he still managed a fairly prolific performance schedule, which included these famous Beethoven sonata broadcasts from Saarbru�cken and Berlin between 1947-49, which now see a return to availability.