BEETHOVEN SONATAS FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO NOS. 5, 6 & 8

Classical and Modern Music

Format: Digitalno + CD

Code: 117633

EAN: 3838898117633

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) wrote ten sonatas for violin and piano. The sonatas of Op. 23 and 24 were actually written as a contrasting pair and should have been printed together in Op. 23 but were somehow separated in the process of publishing and have remained detached ever since their first publication in 1801. Beethoven combined three of his violin sonatas into Op. 30, which he wrote in 1801 and 1802 in Heiligenstadt, where he had withdrawn on medical advice due to his deteriorating hearing. This was one of the most difficult periods of Beethoven’s life. He had to reconcile himself with the fact that he was growing deaf, as he wrote in the Heiligenstadt Testament. Although he was occupied with dark thoughts, in the end he found salvation in his love of music and the mission he felt: to create music that will (or could) change humanity.

It was in Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24, that Beethoven abandoned the three-movement classical sonata form for the first time. He broke with tradition by adding a Scherzo as the third movement, while the relaxed lyricism of the work heralds the approaching Romanticism. The sonata is dedicated to Count Moritz van Fries, one of the composer’s patrons. After Beethoven’s death, the work acquired the nickname “Spring” due to its cheerful and blossoming character. The introductory Allegro is in traditional sonata form. The delicate melody of the first theme is introduced by the violin, while the piano provides sensitive accompaniment. This is followed by a dramatic second theme. The second movement, Adagio molto espressivo, is a deeply reflective lyrical composition with a ternary song form realised through variation procedures. The piano first introduces a nostalgic melody, above which the violin dwells on its own meditations. The two instruments then merge into a gentle dialogue. The subsequent Scherzo and trio, which is little over one minute long, serves as a kind of Haydnesque comic interlude. The concluding Rondo, on the other hand, is reminiscent of Mozart’s style, imaginatively mirroring the harmonic journeys traced in the first movement.

Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1 is the first of the three sonatas of opus 30, which were composed in 1801 and 1802. Beethoven accomplished most of the work on this sonata when, in 1802, he followed medical advice and moved to the quiet and peaceful town of Heiligenstadt, where he hoped his hearing would be restored. This was one of the most difficult trials of his life: he had to reconcile himself with the fact that he was losing his hearing. It was then that he wrote the famous Heiligenstadt Testament, in which he confesses to the world that he is growing deaf and contemplating suicide. In the end, he decides not to take his own life, as he has an important mission: to write music that will (or could) change humanity. Beethoven wrote several works under the influence of his weighty deliberations: the Second Symphony, several piano and violin sonatas, the beginning of the Eroica Symphony, and a series of string quartets. Violin Sonata No. 6 is warm, graceful and classical in nature. Already in the first movement, Allegro, we hear Beethoven’s innovative style with numerous tonal transitions and deviations, frequent sforzandi and the characteristic contrasting dynamics. The Adagio, the lyrical heart of the work, has the form ABACA, that is, a rondo with an added coda. The original finale of the sonata was destined to become the Kreutzer Sonata and was replaced by a set of variations. In this work, Beethoven constantly demonstrates that he values both ​​the piano and the violin as independent entities.

Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3 concludes the series of three sonatas of opus 30. It is a charming and bright composition that in no way reflects the composer’s difficult circumstances and personal distress at the time of writing. Above all, the humour of the sonata hints at the musical style of Joseph Haydn, Beethoven’s teacher between 1792 and 1794. The influence of his teacher, and thus the aesthetic features of classicism, is heard most clearly in the introductory movement, Allegro assai. This is followed by a romantic second movement in the distant key of E flat major. The tempo mark Tempo di Minuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso indicates slow, charming and graceful music. The concluding Allegro vivace is a rondo that again recalls Haydn’s style with its mischievous character. Beethoven plays with the listener’s expectations both formally and tonally: with distant modulations he departs from classical norms in what is otherwise a traditionally designed sonata.

Since her debut with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under Valery Gergiev in 2012, Lana Trotovšek appeared with some of the world’s finest orchestras –the Moscow Soloists, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra the RTS Symphony Orchestra. In 2016/17 Lana performed double violin concertos with Sergey Krylov and the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra on a number of occasions. Over the past few years Lana has collaborated with Tan Dun and Orchestra Teatro Verdi, the Shanghai and Slovenian Philharmonic, as well as Uroš Lajovic and the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra, the RTV Slovenia under George Pehlivanian, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, where she was described as “an emerging voice to watch” by Philadelphia Inquirer

In summer 2017 she was touring with John Malkovich and I Solisti Aquilani, performing Bach’s A minor violin concerto in festivals Emilia Romagna, Ljubljana, and Mittelfest. In January 2020 her schedule included the BBC 3 live recording of a Violin Concerto “Venus Blazing” composed by Deirdre Gribbin with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast. In 2020, for the 250th Anniversary of L. van Beethoven, Trotovšek give performance of the complete sonatas for violin and piano with pianist Maria Canyigueral at the Festival Ljubljana.

Her discography includes chamber music and concerto releases by Toccata Classics, SOMM recordings, Meridian records, Hedone records, Signum records, Champs Hill records, Ustanova Klasika and Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. In 2016 she was awarded the Global Music Awards gold medal for her CD Franck, Granados, Škerjanc, Finzi and her latest CD release by Toccata Classics includes first recordings of the Czech – Russian romantic composer Eduard Napravnik.

Between 2006 and 2011, she was a member of the Greenwich Piano Trio with cellist Stjepan Hauser and pianist Yoko Misumi. They won the Solti Foundation Award, The Tunnell Trust Award and other first prizes in chamber music competitions across Europe. They were guided by the Beaux Arts Trio cellist Bernard Greenhouse and pianist Menahem Pressler as well as Stephen Kovachevich.

Violinist Lana Trotovšek has won admiration for her expressive playing and unique musicality. The Washington Post has described her as “Radiant” and praised her “clean, refined tone with musical sense of phrasing and impeccable intonation”. The Strad Magazine has mentioned her “true feel of live intuitive performance”. She has captivated audiences with her ‘warm sound and formidable technique’ (La Vanguardia) and her talent of bringing ‘freshness, depth and insight’ Broad Street Review to her interpretations.

Trotovšek was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia, to a family of musicians. At the age of 4, she began playing the violin under the guidance of Majda Jamšek. When she was 17 years old, her talent was recognised by Ruggiero Ricci at the Dartington International Summer School in United Kingdom who then invited her to his class at the Academy Mozarteum in Salzburg. During this period, she also continued her studies at the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana with Volodja Balžalorsky and Primož Novžak. In 2005, her performance of the Khachaturian Violin Concerto with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra under George Pehlivanian was awarded with the Prešeren Award of the Ljubljana University.

Trotovšek continued her studies at Trinity College of Music with Vasko Vassilev, Boris Brovtsyn, and Rivka Golani, and at the Royal College of Music with Itzhak Rashkovsky, winning many prizes. Between 2011 and 2013, she was the first violinist of the Badke String Quartet, winners of the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.

Lana Trotovšek is the recipient of the 2021 Prešeren Fund Award of the Republic of Slovenia, which she received for her achievements in the past three years. She lives in London and is a Professor at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She maintains close ties to her home country where she performs regularly and is a visiting Professor at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. She plays a 1750 Pietro Antonio dalla Costa violin.

Maria Canyigueral has been described by La Vanguardia as 'a pianist of great personality'.

One of the leading lights among the new generation of Spanish pianists, Maria Canyigueral has inspired collaborations with outstanding contemporary Spanish composers such as Antón García Abril, Benet Casablancas, Joan Magrané, Josep Maria Guix and others. Her partnership with Antón García Abril has been particularly successful, attracting high praise from critics and audiences both in Spain and the UK. Antón García Abril has written 'Reverberaciones' for Maria's 'Avant-guarding Mompou' project and 'Hoy es siempre todavía' for her Horn trio. Having spent her formative years between Spain and the UK, she has since attracted a devoted following of her worldwide concert itineraries.

Having completed her undergraduate studies at the Conservatori del Liceu in Barcelona with Michel Wagemans, she later attained a Master of Arts in Performance from the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying with Sulamita Aronovsky. She has also received musical advice from Nino Kereselidze and André de Groote. Maria Canyigueral’s name soon became a fixture of the international piano circuit, embracing Spain, the UK, Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya), Belgium and other countries. Recent solo highlights include a performance as part of the composition seminar by Benet Casablancas at the Royal Academy of Music, London; appearances at the Festival Portaferrada, Schubertíada Vilabertran and Festival de Música de Cervia, all in Girona; piano recital at Ateneu Barcelones, Barcelona; several recitals in Zulte, Belgium; and a performance at the Echoes Festival, St. James Picadilly, London.

In addition to her live performances, Maria has made an impact with her recordings of chamber music. She won the Gold Medal at the Global Music Awards in California for her album of works by C. Franck, Granados, Škerjanc and Finzi, recorded with violinist Lana Trotovšek (Hedone Records, 2016). A recording with flautist Boris Bizjak, of works by Martinu, Poulenc, Fauré and Böhm, was also released by Hedone Records in 2016.

A prizewinner in several International Competitions, including the Ile de France International Piano Competition (Paris); the Pirani Piano Trio Prize with Ianthe Ensemble (London) and International Chamber Music Competition Antón García Abril (Granada), Maria has lately been working with internationally known composers on her own project ‘Avant-Guarding Mompou’. This was premiered at Conway Hall, London in June 2018 and featured contributions from Nicolas Bacri, Antón García Abril, Joseph Phibbs, Konstantia Gourzi, and Moritz Eggert. The project was a coproduction with Instituto Cervantes, Arts Council England, Institut Ramon Llull, Fundació Mompou and fashion label Lilly e Violetta. Soon to be released on CD on the Audite label.

Having now been a touring artist for many years, Maria Canyigueral had international performances including a solo piano recital at the Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona in 2019. A return appearance in Duo with Lana Trotovšek followed in London’s Wigmore Hall in the Summer of 2019, featuring sonatas by Beethoven, Prokofiev and a work by Slovenian composer Lucian M. Škerjanc. Both artists returned as a Duo to Wigmore Hall in February 2021.

Further highlights include a performance in trio with cellist Sebastien Hurtaud and violinist Lana Trotovšek at the Blackheath International Chamber Music Festival.