David Breitman, the fortepianist on this album, is the director of the Historical Performance Program at Oberlin Conservatory and is writing a book titled 'Time-Travel for Pianists: How Today's Players Can Learn from Yesterday's Instruments.'
Instruments
The fortepianos used for these recordings offer distinctly different registers—a clear bass, a reedy middle, and a thin, silvery top—a characteristic Beethoven embraced.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's violin sonatas track the evolution of the piano during his lifetime, with later works pushing the instrument's limits as builders like Walter and Streicher expanded its range.
Interpretation
The performers believe that historical instruments and playing techniques shed new light on Beethoven's violin sonatas, which are rarely performed on such instruments in concert.
Instruments
The fortepianos used in this recording, unlike modern pianos, are described as 'speaking instruments' that pronounce music very clearly, giving each note a distinct beginning and ending.
Recording & Production
The performers chose to use three different fortepianos for this recording series, each with a distinct personality, to track the evolution of the piano during Beethoven's lifetime.
Interpretation
The smaller, brighter sound of the fortepiano encourages a more equal partnership between the violin and piano, contrasting with the modern piano where the violin can be overshadowed.
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