Beethoven

A collection of 34 posts

Beethoven

Beethoven for Three (2): Pastoral & Op. 1/3

The performances are pretty much beyond criticism. Fascinating for the “Pastoral”; but the C-Minor Trio is a corker of a performance!

Beethoven

What was Beethoven's Op. 1?

A wonderful release; future instalments are eagerly awaited

Beethoven

Sunwook Kim plays late Beethoven on Blu-ray

Sunwook Kim is one of the finest interpreters of Beetoven around today

Beethoven

Beethoven & Stravinsky Violin Concertos: Vilde Frang amazes

A very exciting, musically satisfying disc: and a great coupling!

Beethoven

The Art of Transcription: Beethoven Eroica and Mozart 20 on solo piano

A must-have for all pianophiles. Paul Wee specialises in the improbably difficult; he is the real deal,

Beethoven

Dem Erzherzog gewidmet: A noble Archduke in Gsteig

Chamber music in the gorgeous setting of Gsteig, Switzerland

Beethoven

Interview and review: Pierre-Laurent Aimard in Beethoven

It was a pleasure to catch up with Pierre-Laurent Aimard during last year's Berlin Festival and to talk about his recording of Beethoven's “Hammerklavier Sonata,” which he has coupled with the “Eroica Variations”. The “Hammerklavier” has a massive reputation amongst pianists and non-pianists alike. Is he, I wonder, attracted to

Chamber

Between Two Worlds: Music for String Quartet

Between Two Worlds is a magnificent disc; beautifully recorded, still mroe beautifully played. It leaves an indelible impact.

Beethoven

Beethoven's “Fidelio” at the Barbican

Laurence Equilbey left us in no doubt as to the power of this piece

Beethoven

Beethoven's Ninth, Philarmonia (concert review)

Even by the Philharmonia Orchestra’s exalted standards, this was an exceptional concert

Beethoven

Furtwängler conducts Beethoven 9 (Bayreuth)

If this is your first Beethoven Ninth Symmphony - what a way to start!

French horn

Cor basse: A Low Horn and Piano Recital

"Cor basse" - low horn. In this enterprising recital issued by Harmonia Mundi, Teunis van der Zwart and Alexander Melnikov play on authentic instriments, offering a tribute to Giovanni Punto (1746-1803), a player described un the promotional material as "now unknown". As recently as at least my living memory (it

Beethoven

Fidelio from Covent Garden

Beethoven's only opera, as we have seen previously [https://www.classicalexplorer.com/when-is-a-fidelio-not-a-fidelio/], exists in a number of versions. What we have here is, broadly, the Fidelio everyone knows and loves (some of the dialogue might be unfamiliar though. to those who grew up, like myself, with the famous Klemperer

Beethoven

Beethoven Violin Sonatas from BIS

Fine, intelligent performances, well worth seeking out

Beethoven

Beethoven Egmont - complete incidental music, and more ...

A brilliant disc that combines some of the lesser-known works of Beethoven

Beethoven

Beethoven from Krystian Zimerman and Simon Rattle

Krystian Zimerman is one of the last great pianists to cultivate an aura of mystery ...

Beethoven

Boundless: Beethoven for piano four hands

Beethoven discs don't often include World Premiere recordings ...

Beethoven

Beethoven's "Eroica": arranged Scharwenka!

Beethoven's Third Symphony, the "Eroica," is embedded in any musician's consciousness. It has been played regularly since the date of its composition and in the recorded era has unsurprisingly generated a cornucopia of recordings. Small surprise the market is flooded. And yet here is an arrangement of the mighty "Eroica"

Beethoven

Beethoven 251: Violin Sonatas on Challenge Classics

These new recordings of Beethoven's Violin Sonatas were recorded in Mechelen, in the heart of Flanders, home of Beethoven's grandfather, a bass singer who inspired the great composer.  These are performances of great spirit and expertise from Martin Foyle and Maksim Štšura. Volume One contains the first two sonatas from

Beethoven

Beethoven meets Schnittke

A very special release, caught in BIS' trademark excellent sound

Beethoven

Hope amid Tears: Beethoven Cellos Sonatas from cellists Yo-Yo Ma and Ailbhe McDonagh

Two vibrant, complementary recordings of Beethoven Cello Sonatas ...

Beethoven

Beethoven Violin Sonatas

Previously on Classical Explorer, we looked at performances of the Beethoven Violin Sonatas by James Ehnes and Andrew Armstrong on Ony [https://www.classicalexplorer.com/beethoven-violin-sonatas-from-onyx/]x; here's a disc of three sonatas by a similarly youthful duo: Frank Peter Zimmermann and Martin Helmchen. This new BIS disc presents the

Beethoven

Daniel Barenboim revisits the Beethoven Piano Sonatas

An invaluable survey of the 32 Sonatas; Barenboim is never less than stimulating, his mind as chock-full of curiosity as ever

Beethoven

The return of Currentzis: Beethoven Seventh

There are very few discs that, when they arrive, cause one to drop everything, head to the player and listen straight away. This is one such disc. Regular readers may remember that, some nine months ago,Classical Explorer began its journeyings with Currentzis' Beethoven Fifth [https://www.classicalexplorer.com/the-cult-of-currentzis/

Beethoven

A tale of "two" operas: when is a Fidelio not a Fidelio?

So, when is a Fidelio not a Fidelio?: an updated post