Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Opp. 54 & 78 - Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 36

The legendary and controversial pianist Ivo Pogorelich, newly signed to Sony Classical, releases his first commercial recording in more than 20 years. He performs two of Beethoven’s two-movement sonatas, the witty op. 54 in F major and the elegant and concise op. 78 in F sharp major, one of the composer’s own favourites. Pogorelich completes the album with his interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s rhapsodic, dramatic Sonata no. 2 in B flat minor.

Featuring

Ivo Pogorelich
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sergei Rachmaninoff

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Compositional Technique

Beethoven's Sonata in F-sharp major, op. 78, uses the Érard piano's pedals and attention to tone refinement to establish a new model for poetic expression in piano sound.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Beethoven's genius transformed piano writing, enriching its sound and expression, and establishing the instrument's leading musical role for centuries.

Performer Biography

Ivo Pogorelich, the pianist on this album, has been recognized since the early 1980s for his fresh and original ideas in piano performance.

Instruments

Beethoven received an innovative piano with built-in pedals from French manufacturer Érard in late 1803, which offered greater tonal variability than previous Viennese pianos.

Compositional Technique

Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Sonata incorporates a symbolic melody derived from the Dies irae, a medieval choral chant, which runs through the entire piece.

Composition History

Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Sonata, op. 36, was written in 1913, inspired by his impressions of the remains of Imperial Rome.

Composition History

Beethoven's Sonata in F major, op. 54, created in 1804, is considered an experimental and less typical work, overshadowed by his 'Waldstein' and 'Appassionata' Sonatas.