Beethoven - Piano Sonatas Nos, 3, 21, & 30 (1987)

Three Beethoven piano sonatas performed by Italian pianist Maria Tipo. Tipo is more well-known as an interpreter of music from the Baroque Era, but she does an excellent job with these works. For an early digital recording, the sound is remarkably clear; the engineers knew what they were doing.

Tracks: I like all of Beethoven's piano sonatas, so there's nothing here I don't enjoy. I'm partial to the second sonata on the disc (Op. 53, 'Waldstein'), but the theme and variations of Op. 109 are good, too.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This is one the earliest CDs I ever purchased. During my college years, after discovering it either at a recital or during a music class, I became obsessed with Beethoven's 'Waldstein' sonata so I bought this CD not long after I purchased my first CD player, a Sony D-160.