Beethoven’s works for cello and piano were written between 1796 and 1815. He in effect created the sonata for cello with an independent piano part in his op.5, intended for Jean-Louis Duport and dedicated to Frederick William II of Prussia; like the delightful variations on themes by Handel and Mozart, they represent his first-period style, as Op.69 typifies the second. The two sublime Sonatas op.102, for their part, already herald the unprecedented stylistic freedom of the composer’s final decade.
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN [1770-1827] · Variations op.66 on Mozart's "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" (Die Zauberflöte) in F major / Fa majeur / F-Dur (9'54) Sonata no.1 op.5 no.1 in F major / Fa majeur / F-Dur · I. Adagio sostenuto - Allegro (15'45) · II. Rondo. Allegro vivace (6'43) Sonata no.2 op.5 no.2 in G minor / sol mineur / g-Moll · I. Adagio sostenuto ed espressivo - Allegro molto più tosto presto (18'16) · II. Rondo. Allegro (8'13) · Variations WoO 45 on Handel's "See, the Conqu'ring Hero comes" (Judas Maccabeus) in G major / Sol majeur / G-Dur (12'09)
Sonata no.3 op.69 in A major / La majeur / A-Dur · I. Allegro ma non tanto (12'13) · II. Scherzo. Allegro molto (5'08) · III. Adagio cantabile - Allegro vivace (8'09) · Variations WoO 46 on Mozart's "Bei Männern welche Liebe fühlen" (Die Zauberflöte) in E flat major / Mi bémol majeur / Es-Dur (8'58) Sonata no.4 op.102 no.1 in C major / Ut majeur / C-Dur · I. Andante - Allegro vivace (7'27) · II. Adagio - Tempo d'andante - Allegro vivace (7'09) Sonata no.5 op.102 no.2 in D major / Ré majeur / D-Dur · I. Allegro con brio (6'23) · II. Adagio con molto sentimento d'affetto - Attacca (7'31) · III. Allegro - Allegro fugato (4'37)
