IDAGIO | Beethoven, L. Van: Piano Works (Complete), Vol. 2 - Sonatas Nos. 1-3, 19, 20 7318599913636

Featuring

Ronald Brautigam
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Composer Biography

Beethoven had visited Mozart in Vienna in 1787, hoping to study with his idol, but had to return to Bonn because his mother fell ill.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Beethoven's Op. 2 sonatas fuse together features he admired in other composers' music, but his own genius is evident in his sense of momentum and characteristic rhythmic accents.

Performer Biography

Ronald Brautigam, the performer on this album, is a Dutch pianist who has developed a reputation as a leading exponent of the fortepiano, with a particular interest in Mozart's music.

Composition History

Beethoven's Op. 2 sonatas were written between 1793 and 1795, shortly after he moved from Bonn to Vienna, the musical capital of his day.

Composer Biography

Despite dedicating his Op. 2 sonatas to Joseph Haydn, Beethoven privately stated that he had 'never learned anything' from Haydn, whom he found to be a poor teacher.

Instruments

This recording features a fortepiano built by Paul McNulty in 2001, modeled after an instrument by Walther & Sohn from around 1802.

Compositional Technique

The three Op. 2 sonatas are much more virtuosic than those by Haydn and Mozart, intended for concert performance, and all have four movements instead of the customary three.