Beethoven: Complete Cello Sonatas & Variations

Featuring

Marco Testori
Costantino Mastroprimiano
Ludwig van Beethoven

Did you know?

1/7

Compositional Technique

The Op. 5 Cello Sonatas both begin with a slow movement, which was an unconventional choice that replaced the slow movement typically found later in the form.

Instruments

The fortepianos used for this recording include an Anton Walter from 1792, a Louis Dulcken from 1815 for Op. 69, and a Conrad Graf from 1819 for Op. 102.

Instruments

Beethoven's compositional style was influenced by the instruments he used; his Op. 5 Sonatas were affected by Anton Walter fortepianos, while later works like Op. 69 and Op. 102 were influenced by Erard and Graf fortepianos, respectively.

Compositional Technique

Beethoven's early cello sonatas, Op. 5, challenged the traditional hierarchy where one instrument merely accompanied, instead giving equal importance to both the cello and piano.

Compositional Technique

Beethoven's Op. 69 Cello Sonata begins with a solo cello passage, a unique feature for his sonatas but similar to the openings of other works from the same period, such as the Op. 47 Sonata or Op. 58 Concerto.

Performer Biography

Costantino Mastroprimiano, the fortepianist on this album, has recorded the complete sonatas of Muzio Clementi across 18 albums for Brilliant Classics, which has become a reference in the genre.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Beethoven's Op. 5 Sonatas were designed to both astonish and innovate, with the exchange of parts between piano and cello affirming new compositional ideas.