The closing recital circles above fifteen years of Beethoven. The early Sonata no. 1 in D major, opus 12 experiments with form and thematic abundance. The sonata nicknamed ‘Spring’ breaks with the traditional three-part model and extends the expressive register of the violin sonata. In Opus 96, written in 1812, Beethoven taps into a different source: the tone is now restrained, balanced, with a pastoral undertone. No heroics or theatricality here, but rather a blistering concentration: this is a Beethoven who has nothing to prove to anyone; he wins us over effortlessly with clarity and nuance.
Program
L. van Beethoven: Violin Sonata no. 1 in D major, opus 12 | Violin Sonata no. 5 in F major, opus 24 ‘Spring Sonata’ | Violin Sonata no. 10 in G major, opus 96
Performers
Viktoria Mullova, violin | Alasdair Beatson, fortepiano