The year 1802 was a decisive one for Beethoven: in the autumn, he wrote the ‘Heiligenstadt Testament’, in which he clearly expressed his awareness of the outcome of his inexorably increasing deafness. At almost the same time, he told his friend Krumpholz that, ‘not satisfied’ with his ‘work so far’, he was planning to embark on ‘a new path’. It so happens that the works here, skilfully grouped together by Andreas Staier, correspond precisely to that new direction.
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN [1770-1827] Sonata No. 16, Op. 31 no. 1 G Major / Sol majeur / G-Dur · I. Allegro vivace (6'47) · II. Adagio grazioso (9'12) · III. Rondo. Allegretto (6'37) Sonata No. 17, Op. 31 No. 2 'The Tempest' D Minor / ré mineur / d-Moll · I. Largo (8'31) · II. Adagio (6'51) · III. Allegretto (6'35) Sonata No. 18, Op. 31 No. 3 E-Flat Major / Mi bémol majeur / Es-Dur · I. Allegro (8'03) · II. Scherzo. Allegretto vivace (5'34) · III. Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso - Trio (3'57) · IV. Presto con fuoco (4'34)
Six Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 34 F Major / Fa majeur / F-Dur · Thema. Adagio. Cantabile (1'33) · Variation I. (1'27) · Variation II. Allegro ma non troppo (1'04) · Variation III. Allegretto (1'04) · Variation IV. Tempo di Minuetto (1'24) · Variation V. Marcia. Allegretto (2'26) · Variation VI. Allegretto - Coda - Adagio molto (4'18) Fifteen Variations and a Fugue on an Original Theme, Op. 35 'Eroica Variations' E-Flat Major / Mi bémol majeur / Es-Dur · Introduzione col Basso del Thema. Allegretto vivace (3'31) · Thema (0'45) · Variation I (0'40) · Variation II (0'58) · Variation III (0'42) · Variation IV (0'34) · Variation V (0'45) · Variation VI (0'44) · Variation VII. Canone all'ottava (0'36) · Variation VIII (0'48) · Variation IX (0'48) · Variation X (0'52) · Variation XI (0'52) · Variation XII (0'50) · Variation XIII (0'46) · Variation XIV. Minore (0'12) · Variation XV. Maggiore. Largo - Coda espressivo (0'15) · Finale alla Fuga. Allegro con brio (0'53)
