I saw Brendel playing Haydn, Mozart and Schubert yesterday at Royal
Festival Hall in London.  I was, utterly and literally, stunned by
the very first touch of his Haydn sonata, and remained being so.  I
have Schiff's recording of Haydn sonatas but it did not particularly
become my favourite disc.  I thought, 'Well, BRENDEL'S Haydn late sonatas
are peerless...'.  His Mozart was fine but I felt it was nothing so
spectacular.  In general I am more of a Mozart lover, though not as much
as I used to be.  Whenever I go to a classical concert there seems to be
almost always one especially fantastic playing for me, followed by other
nice ones.  My another recent (?) vivid memory was Aimard's Debussy; I
immediately became his fan (I love his recordings of Messian and Legeti
too).  Brendel himself was also there to listen to Aimard!  I recalled
Ian Crisp's comment that he needs live concert to keep up his classical
music ear (?) and thought that's true, though of course I cannot
do without recordings.  I was beginning to be a little indifferent
about the last classical CDs I bought, Bartok's string quartets and
Siberius/Nielsen Vn Con by Lin and had just bought French atmospheric
pops and Canadian avant-garde instrumental band's albums, but the next
CD I'll order is Brendel in Great Pianist, the one with four Haydn
sonatas, as this appears to be the available Haydn bar The Art of Alfred
Brendel (how is this set?  is it worth buying?).  Incidentally, when I
wanted a set of Beethoven sonata I ended up with Richard Goode, but his
playing did not grow on me so much, more than being just fine.  If I
want a Brendel set (which I did but his set was more pricy!) can any of
you recommend a particular one?  I know there's a complete one but that
does not seem to be the most highly acclaimed recording...  It does not
have to be a complete set.

Chiharu Yoshioka, love the South Bank.