Michael Tsalka, the fortepianist on this album, is a versatile musician who performs a wide range of repertoire from early Baroque to contemporary works on various historical and modern keyboard instruments.
Composer Biography
Beethoven's early career in Vienna was significantly aided by introductions to leading members of society in the Imperial capital, facilitated by his patron, the Archbishop, who was a son of Empress Maria Theresa.
Composer Biography
The onset of deafness around the turn of the 19th century led Beethoven to shift from a career as a virtuoso performer to composition, where he made significant changes and extensions to existing musical practices.
Composition History
Beethoven wrote a group of pieces for mandolin in Prague in 1796, intended for Joséphine de Clary, who later married Count Christian von Clam-Gallas.
Composition History
Beethoven may have developed an interest in the mandolin, a popular instrument at the time, through Wenzel Krumpholz, a violinist in Vienna and a distinguished mandolin virtuoso.
Performer Biography
Alon Sariel, the mandolinist and lutenist on this album, is active in both early and new music, having premiered dozens of works dedicated to him.
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