Reflecting Beethoven

Featuring

Herbert Schuch
Ludwig van Beethoven
Mike Garson
Henri Pousseur
Leander Ruprecht

Did you know?

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Performer Biography

Herbert Schuch, the pianist on this album, was born in Timișoara, Romania, in 1979 and moved to Germany in 1988.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Pianist Herbert Schuch views Beethoven as a composer who could be many things, from deeply emotional to dryly witty, and whose music was never dispassionate.

Compositional Technique

In Henri Pousseur's "Coups de Des en Echos," the note names C, A, G, and E, corresponding to John Cage's surname, appear both horizontally and vertically, and their semiquaver values are determined by their alphabetical position.

Cultural Impact

American pianist Mike Garson, who was once a keyboardist for David Bowie, created "Pathétique Variations" as a tribute to Beethoven's melodic genius.

Album & Artwork

The album's concept involves pairing three Beethoven piano sonatas with contemporary piano pieces from the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Composer Biography

Henri Pousseur, a composer featured on this album, dedicated his piece "Coups de Des en Echos" to John Cage, who had died the previous year.

Interpretation

Herbert Schuch interprets Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata as a grand Italian opera, complete with a dramatic prelude, a debate between two characters, a belcanto aria, and a farewell scene.