Ferdinand Ries, a composer and musician close to Beethoven, was instrumental in commissioning Beethoven's Ninth Symphony for the Philharmonic Society in London.
Historical Context
In Beethoven's time, new orchestral works were primarily disseminated through arrangements for various instruments, as few people could hear them in their original scoring.
Instruments
Jean-Guihen Queyras, the cellist, plays a cello made by Gioffredo Cappa in 1696, on loan from Mécénat Musical Société Générale.
Instruments
Isabelle Faust, the violinist on this album, plays a violin made by Antonio Stradivari in 1704, known as 'The Sleeping Beauty'.
Critical Reception
Beethoven's Triple Concerto was initially criticized for its passages being 'equally divided' among the soloists, which critics found tiring for both listeners and performers.
Composition History
The piano trio arrangement of Beethoven's Second Symphony, featured on this album, was published in 1806 and was likely arranged by Ferdinand Ries, a close associate of Beethoven, despite being attributed to Beethoven himself.
Instruments
Alexander Melnikov, the fortepianist, uses two different fortepianos for this recording: a Viennese 'Lagrassa' from around 1815 for the Triple Concerto and a 2014 Christoph Kern after Anton Walter for the Trio.
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