Beethoven dedicated the 12 Variations for Cello and Piano, WoO 45, to Maria Christiane, Princess von Lichnowsky, wife of his Viennese patron Prince Carl von Lichnowsky.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's Op. 5 Cello Sonatas established the cello as a fully equal partner to the keyboard instrument, a departure from earlier sonatas where the cello was largely an accompaniment.
Instruments
Boyan Vodenitcharov, the fortepianist, plays an instrument built by Chris Maene in 2008, modeled after an Anton Walter fortepiano from Vienna, 1795.
Composition History
Beethoven's two Op. 5 Cello Sonatas were composed in Berlin in the summer of 1796 during his only major concert tour.
Performer Biography
Rainer Zipperling, the cellist, is a founding member of Camerata Köln and has performed with numerous significant ensembles, including the English Baroque Soloists and Orchestra Mozart.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven considered George Frideric Handel the greatest composer who ever lived, admiring his ability to create great music from sparse tonal material.
Instruments
Rainer Zipperling, the cellist on this recording, plays a violoncello made by Barak Norman in London in 1701.
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