Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2, 3 & 8

Featuring

Markus Schirmer
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Recording & Production

This album was recorded in 2002 at Kunsthaus Mürzzuschlag, using a Fazioli F-278 piano.

Compositional Technique

Beethoven's A major Sonata, Op. 2 No. 2, shows his preference for orchestral effects, with passages suggesting symphonic elements and the adagio's main theme sounding like strings over a pizzicato bass.

Historical Context

In the 1790s, when Beethoven's early sonatas were written, the Viennese public was shocked by his bold and passionate piano playing, which ventured into 'far-away scales'.

Critical Reception

Early listeners described Beethoven's playing as 'wonderful and great to the highest degree', producing 'difficult pieces and effects on the piano which we had never dreamt of heretofore'.

Performer Biography

Markus Schirmer, the pianist on this recording, is an Austrian musician known for his outstanding musicality and ability to tell thrilling stories with his instrument.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Beethoven's early piano music was admired for its 'certain character' and 'passionate mark', expressing 'personally felt' emotions through boundary-breaking modulations.

Composition History

Beethoven dedicated his Opus 2 sonatas to Joseph Haydn, his teacher, indicating a conscious engagement with classical stylistic elements, which he then monumentalized or alienated.