Kodama is a big player, pulling a lot of sound out of the instrument and making tonal opulence a main priority. Kodama serves the first three sonatas up well as examples of a man seeking to find things beyond the creative excesses of their models, and allows Beethoven a lot of leeway in seeking this experimentation.

The “Pastorale” brings us back to earth a bit, indulging in the well-worn ecstasies of nascent Schubertian lyricism…and reveling in the rustic ruralized soundscapes of this solidly traditional sonata. Kodama is able to navigate these shifts of mood and compositional type easily to give us a fine reading. PentaTone’s sound is reliably roomy and full of presence. This will be an excellent series when all is said and done. © 2013 Audiophile Audition Read complete review