The recordings on this album were made over a ten-year period between 2006 and 2016 in various venues, including the Seoul Arts Center and the Vienna Musikverein.
Performer Biography
This album is Evgeny Kissin's (the pianist) first substantial collection of solo Beethoven works released on the Deutsche Grammophon label.
Compositional Technique
For Beethoven, the sonata form was an inspirational challenge, allowing conflicting forces to clash and themes to dialogue, making each of his 32 keyboard sonatas a unique character-piece.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven's final Sonata No. 32, Op. 111, is characteristic of his late style, where the now completely deaf composer gave voice to his inner world, making sound spiritual.
Composer Biography
Beethoven's Sonata No. 23, 'Appassionata', offers insights into the emotional life of the composer as his deafness progressively worsened.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Evgeny Kissin (the pianist) interprets Beethoven's music as 'Romantic in the truest sense', seeing it as intense narratives rich in powerful emotions and profound human suffering.
Interpretation
Evgeny Kissin (the pianist) deliberately chose only live recordings for this double album, believing studio recordings are an unsatisfactory attempt to capture the intensity of a live concert.
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