IDAGIO | For the King of Prussia - Beethoven: Sonatas for Fortepiano and Cello, Op. 5 3760195735466

Featuring

Marco Ceccato
Anna Fontana
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Composition History

Beethoven's Op. 5 cello sonatas were commissioned by King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, an amateur cellist and patron of cello music.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Beethoven held George Frideric Handel in extremely high regard, allegedly stating in 1824 that neither Haydn, Mozart, nor J. S. Bach could compete with him, adding, 'to him I bow my knee.'

Composer Biography

Beethoven's initial trip to Vienna in 1787 to study with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was cut short after two weeks due to his mother's illness.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Beethoven's two Op. 5 cello sonatas are described as emerging from a unified artistic vision, both featuring slow introductions, expansive sonata-form Allegros, and jaunty rondos.

Compositional Technique

With his Op. 5 sonatas, Beethoven revolutionized the cello sonata genre by creating a new type where the cello and piano were equal partners, rather than the piano merely accompanying.

Interpretation

The performers, Anna Fontana and Marco Ceccato, use an original mid-18th-century cello and two Viennese fortepianos from 1805 and 1830 to achieve a natural and compelling interpretation of Beethoven's meticulous markings.