Beethoven's violin sonatas are characterized by impulsive fortissimos, off-beat accents, and a deliberate avoidance of symmetry, yet they also contain glimmers of Mozartian elegance.
Performer Biography
Melanie Reinhard, the pianist, is a Canadian musician who has performed extensively in Europe and the UK, including a concert broadcast on Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk.
Instruments
Christopher White, the violinist on this recording, plays on a Joseph Guarneri violin dated 1707.
Compositional Technique
The 'Kreutzer Sonata' is notorious for its technical difficulty and emotional power, being around twice as long as Beethoven's preceding sonatas.
Composition History
The ninth Sonata, Opus 47, known as the 'Kreutzer Sonata', was originally dedicated to the violinist George Bridgetower, a 'great mad mulatto composer', before the dedication was removed.
Composition History
Beethoven originally intended to publish his agitated fourth Sonata, Opus 23, alongside the lyrical fifth Sonata, Opus 24, known as the 'Spring Sonata', to complement each other.
Compositional Technique
In his fourth Sonata, Opus 23, Beethoven challenged traditional sonata form by introducing new themes instead of developing the main ones.
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