Beethoven: Two Sonatas, Op. 47 and 96, Violin and Piano/Masters

Beethoven, Ludwig - Two Sonatas, Op. 47 and 96 - Violin and Piano - edited by William Preucil and Emilio Colón - Masters Music Publication.

Ludwig van Beethovens Sonatas for Piano and Violin should be considered chamber music, rather than violin solos with accompaniment. Beethoven, being primarily a keyboard player, wrote intricate, challenging parts for the pianist, matching (and occasionally exceeding) the virtuosity of the violin part. Thus, the sonatas should be approached as musical dialogues between two equal parties.

This edition includes the two final sonatas for piano and violin, Op. 47 and Op. 96.  Sonata No. 9 in A Major (Op. 47) is also known as the Kreutzer sonata, after the famous violinist and pedagogue, Rodolphe Kreutzer, to whom the work was eventually dedicated, though he never performed it.  It is a tour de force, at once brilliant and exhausting.  It is also a long piece in comparison to many of the other sonatas, exemplifying the characteristics of Beethovens "heroic" middle compositional period . 

His Sonata No. 10 in G Major (Op. 96), by contrast, is much less flamboyant, and is considered by some to be the deepest and most cerebral of the piano and violin sonatas.  It was premiered by another great violinist and teacher of the day, Pierre Rode.

This Masters Music Publication has been edited by William Preucil in collaboration with Emilio Colón. 

Difficulty: ASTA grade 5.

Contents

Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 ("Kreutzer")
Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96