IDAGIO | Beethoven – Sonatas for piano & violin No. 8, 4 & 9 6417513105261

Featuring

Kreeta-Maria Kentala
Joonas Ahonen
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Composition History

Beethoven's famous 'Kreutzer' Sonata (No. 9 in A Major) was originally dedicated to the violinist George Bridgetower, but after an argument, Beethoven tore up the dedication and reassigned it to Rodolphe Kreutzer, who never played it.

Composer Biography

Beethoven, who arrived in Vienna as a 21-year-old master pianist in 1792, quickly established an excellent position in the city's musical life.

Historical Context

In Beethoven's time, Vienna's cultural life was largely run by a small aristocracy of just over 300 families, with music divided between opera and private concerts.

Composition History

Most of Beethoven's sonatas for piano and violin, including those on this album, were written for his friend, the violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh, and himself.

Compositional Technique

Beethoven revolutionized the sonata for piano and violin by treating the violin as an almost equal partner to the piano, a bold departure from the piano-dominated French duo sonatas of his time.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Beethoven aimed to reform music, preferring musicians to play at the limits of their skill to create 'friction' in interpretation, and considered a work successful if it surprised or confused the audience.

Instruments

The piano underwent rapid development in the early 19th century; when Beethoven began composing, it had five octaves, but by his death, it had expanded to six and a half octaves with varying numbers of pedals.