Recording

Ludwig van Beethoven

32 Piano Sonatas

Recorded in Teldex Studio Berlin, Germany

November 24-26, 2015 [Nos. 8, 18, 26, 27, 30]

December 6-8, 2019 [Nos. 7, 11, 29]

October 2-4, 2020 [Nos. 13, 14, 17, 21, 23]

July 2-4, 2021 [Nos. 2, 4, 16, 24, 28]

January 31 – February 2, 2022 [Nos. 1, 6, 12, 15, 22, 31]

July 19-21, 2022 [Nos. 3, 5, 25, 32]

March 8-10, 2023 [Nos. 9, 10, 19, 20]

Producer: Martin Sauer

Engineer: Julian Schwenkner, Benedikt Schröder

Editing: Sebastian Nattkemper, Martin Sauer

Piano Technician: Thomas Hübsch

Recording Piano: Bösendorfer VC280

(2025 Decca KR / Universal Music Ltd)

HieYon Choi’s Beethoven Sonata Cycle

“….She’s especially persuasive in the early sonatas. Her Op. 2 No. 1 Allegro may lack the unbuttoned fantasy of Schnabel, Pollini and Kovacevich, yet her contrapuntal awareness and strong left hand presence compensate, as do the finale’s hair-trigger precision. Op. 2 No. 2 is a model of lightness and witty inflection, while Op. 2 No. 3’s finale fuses scurrying brio and harmonic tension. In Op. 10 No. 1’s finale, Choi takes Beethoven’s optimistic Prestissimo directive at his word, while her sophisticated scaling of dynamics and pinpointed timing of chords and silences left me awestruck: this is one of Op. 10 No. 1’s greatest recorded performances. Op. 10 No. 3’s outer movements have similar effortlessness and specificity of detail, although one misses the breadth and timeless aura that others bring to the Largo, like Arrau, Hungerford, and Horowitz. ….”

Review by Jed Distler [Classics Today]

Get to you the “Viennese Feeling”, Beethoven Sonatas 

“A Beethoven recording which you’d want to keep next to you for long time; an album of Beethoven Sonata No. 18, 26, 27, 30, performed by HieYon Choi (Professor Seoul National University), released by Decca label. A selection of calm and intimate character. A flowing and elegant connections, architecture of an intelligence and without any vanity; it feels like an intimate talk with a thoughtful friend. The abundant acoustic which makes one feel listening to it in a proper-sized living room adds to a perfection of this recording….”

_ Yoon-Jong Yoo [DONG-A DAILY] Jan-18-2019

Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos. 18, 26, 27, 30

“… Choi is more than just at home with the linguistic ductus of this music. She understands this music, reconstruct it and by doing so she can form lots of details to a big entirety. – the biggest challenge for Sonatas. She can subtly untangle Beethoven’s linear work, the deliberate confusion in elaboration of theme for the listener, fill them with life, let them become comprehensible. At the same time her way of playing is connected with magnificent sense of sound, never exaggerate the tempos, (marvelous pacing in Op. 90, the 2nd mvt.!) the dynamic, even the hard accents and eruptions sound mellifluous, without losing their meanings. In op. 81a she traces the pain of statement so convincingly that one could understand the emotions which is transformed in this music. And also, the Op. 109 which is hardly leading to comprehensible flow, she succeeds excellent! What a shame that this CD is released only at Decca Korea.”

_ Carsten Dürrer [PIANO NEWS] Vol.03/2019

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata Op. 111

IBK Seoul Recital Live, 2025

György Kurtag “…quasi una fantasia….”

Seoul Philharmonic, Markus Stenz conducting

Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, 2020

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata Op. 26

Tomato Classic tv Live, 2022

Ludwig van Beethoven Diabelli Variations Op. 120

Solo Recital at Kumho Art Seoul, 2007

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