In 1801, Beethoven expressed a desire to find new ways of writing for the piano, coinciding with a period of increasing deafness.
Composition History
Beethoven appears to have invented the musical genre of 'Bagatelles' by compiling a set of seven short pieces in 1802, some of which were up to 20 years old.
Compositional Technique
In Op.110, Beethoven uses the trill, traditionally a decorative ornament, as a device of significant importance in his music.
Composition History
Beethoven's last three sonatas, including Op.110, were commissioned as a trilogy by publisher Schlesinger in 1819-20, though Beethoven did not write them concurrently.
Composition History
Beethoven composed the Sonata Op.31 No.3 between 1801 and 1802, in the same key as his Eroica Symphony.
Compositional Technique
The Bagatelles Op.126 are contemporary with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and share a similar 'Olympian humour' with its Scherzo and the Diabelli Variations.
Performer Biography
Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy, the pianist on this recording, has won top prizes in international piano competitions and has been compared to pianists like Vladimir Horowitz and Svjatoslav Richter.
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Beethoven: Bagatelles, Variations and Fantasia at the Broadwood Fortepiano
