Beethoven: Sonatas for Fortepiano and Cello, Vol. 1

Featuring

Bruno Cocset
Maude Gratton
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Instruments

The cello used in this recording was made by Charles Riché, based on one of Stradivari's late instruments, the 'Marquis de Corberon - 1726', a model often copied by Italian luthiers in the early 19th century.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at La Ferme de Villefavard in Limousin, France, a converted granary known for its exceptional acoustics, designed by acoustician Albert Yaying Xu.

Compositional Technique

The first two cello sonatas by Beethoven, Op. 5 Nos. 1 and 2, are considered milestones for exploiting the rich qualities of both the cello and fortepiano, even if the keyboard part is amply scored.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Beethoven's music, influenced by the Sturm und Drang style, pushes boundaries by deviating from formal schemes and creating moments of uncontrolled frenzy or staggering void.

Composition History

Beethoven's first two cello sonatas, Op. 5 Nos. 1 and 2, were written for the French virtuoso Jean-Louis Duport and premiered in Berlin before the King of Prussia.

Instruments

For this recording, two different fortepianos are used to match the musical chronology and evolution of fortepiano building: a Gerard Tuinman after Johann Andreas Stein for Op. 5, and an original 1822 John Broadwood for Op. 69.