Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 2

Featuring

Alfredo Perl
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Historical Context

Beethoven's public breakthrough in the early 19th century was overshadowed by his progressive hearing loss, leading to an existential crisis documented in the 1802 Heiligenstadt Testament.

Composer Biography

Beethoven's 'middle' creative period, covered in this album, spans from 1801 to 1814, following his move to Vienna in 1792.

Instruments

In 1803, Beethoven commissioned a new grand piano from the Parisian firm Érard, which had an extended range and more pedals than southern German instruments, influencing his subsequent piano works.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Beethoven's piano music was a setting for his complex experience of self and the world, dealing with both intimate experiences and collective historical upheavals.

Compositional Technique

Beethoven often questioned inherited traditions in his piano music, particularly through his use of sonata and variation forms, which allowed for constant experimentation.

Performer Biography

Alfredo Perl, the pianist on this recording, has performed in renowned concert halls worldwide and made his BBC Proms debut in 1997, where he also performed the complete Beethoven piano sonatas.

Cultural Impact

Many of Beethoven's piano sonatas, including 'Moonlight,' 'Pastorale,' and 'Appassionata,' are known by popular sobriquets, though most were not invented by Beethoven himself.