Roy Voscina wrote:

>I am fairly new to classical music and have a lot to learn.  Any
>comments on Russell Sherman, pianist on the GM Recordings label.  He
>has three 2-cd volumes of Beethoven Sonatas.

Make that four 2-cd volumes; the last one was issued recently.  I first
became familiar with Sherman through his set of Beethoven piano concertos
on Pro Arte.  He did a fine job, and I found him a relatively studious
and thinking man's artist.  So, when I became aware of his Beethoven
piano sonata series on GM, I snapped up the first volume.  I found it
enlightening and similar to his way with the piano concertos; buying the
additional volumes has been an "automatic" decision.

However, I don't want to leave the impression that Sherman's GM series is
a must for beginners or represents the highest level of Beethoven playing
and interpretation.  I have many recordings of the piano sonatas and am
glad to have Sherman's, but for those starting out, the better choices
would include many other artists such as Pollini, Gilels, and Schanbel.
Sherman is not at their level.  Why? he does not provide the excitement
they bring, and he gets too cute at times.  He also has a tendency to go
too slow when it's time to speed up and heat up.  There is a strong drama
in most of Beethoven's sonatas, and Sherman really does not address it
fully.  But, He is excellent with the depth of the works.

Don Satz
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