This complete recording of Beethoven's piano sonatas by Martin Rasch was made between August 2014 and August 2016 at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München.
Composition History
Beethoven's Op. 2 sonatas, dedicated to Haydn, served as a 'calling card' for his unique musical personality, showcasing both classical tradition and his impetuous dynamism.
Performer Biography
Martin Rasch, the pianist on this album, has a long-standing fascination with complete cycles, having performed and recorded the complete piano sonatas of Beethoven, Mozart, and Schoenberg, among others.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven's piano sonatas, which he worked on for 28 years, reflect his revolutionary and dynamic worldview, based on the idea that 'The aim in the art world, as indeed in the whole of creation, is freedom.'
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's Op. 2 sonatas, particularly the third, introduced his trademarks: deeply-felt slow movements and brisk, novel Scherzos.
Composer Biography
Beethoven responded to his despair over hearing loss in late 1801 with a surge of creative energy, breaking new ground in his Op. 31 piano sonatas.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's Op. 27 sonatas, subtitled 'Sonata quasi una Fantasia,' question the traditional sonata form by prioritizing inner content and fantasy over strict formal frameworks.
