EMI has just released a disc of Leif Ove Andsnes playing five Haydn piano sonatas. I was looking forward to this recording based on previous Andsnes discs which I liked very much. With some exception, I was well satisfied with the Haydn disc. My exception concerns piano sonata no.30(Hob.XVI:32). The first and second movements of this work are masterful. For this mastery to fully be realized, the bass line commands great importance. In Brendel's version on Philips, the bass line is commanding, smooth, and fully integrated. With Andsnes, it's choppy and detrimental to the music's flow. There's such a difference to me - immediately recognizable. Andsnes does very well in the other sonatas. If I never heard Brendel, I'd likely be singing Andsne's praises. Fortunately for me, that's not the case. My recommendation is to sample Andsnes carefully. His disc is a good one, but not essential. Don Satz [log in to unmask]