Acclaimed Dutch violinist Yvonne Smeulers pairs Beethoven with Berg on her album “Between Heaven and Earth” – aiming to highlight the similarities in these two unique and compelling concertos, separated by some 130 years. Smeulers is joined by the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt and conductor Peter Kuhn.
Featuring
Peter Kuhnsch
Yvonne Smeulers
Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt
Ludwig van Beethoven
Alban Berg
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Instruments
Yvonne Smeulers performs on a violin made in 1785 by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, which is on generous loan to her from a private sponsor.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The album title, "Between Heaven and Earth," reflects the aspiration of Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, dedicated "To the memory of an angel," and the sense of the heavens opening up in Beethoven's concerto.
Performer Biography
The Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt (BSOF) is the only top-flight professional orchestra in Brandenburg, Germany, and plays a key role in its region's music life.
Performer Biography
Yvonne Smeulers, the violinist on this recording, made her debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto at the age of ten.
Composition History
Both Beethoven's and Berg's concertos were composed for specific violinists, which may contribute to their improvisatory feel despite their intricate construction.
Recording & Production
The Beethoven and Berg concertos on this album were recorded in separate sessions in 2018 and 2019, with different recording producers and balance engineers for each.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's Violin Concerto features a five-tone motif in the timpani as its central thematic nucleus, an unheard-of role for a percussion instrument at the time.
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