Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A major, Op. 30 No. 1

Marking the end of their unanimously-praised series, “star-kissed young performers,” [The Times] Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien, release the third and final volume in their live recordings of the complete Beethoven violin sonatas.

The duo’s recordings on Wigmore Hall Live have set new standards, with volumes one and two garnering superb 5* reviews and several ‘Editor’s choice’ accolades.

This last release features sonatas No.6 in A op.30 no.1 and No. 3 in E flat op.12, as well as the No.9 in A op.47, better known as the 'Kreutzer', Beethoven’s biggest and most challenging sonata. After its live performance at the Wigmore Hall in May 2010, The Times commented “The duo’s boldest showcase was the Kreutzer Sonata, with its firecracker outer movements and lovely soft centre” and “Ibragimova’s bow worked overtime. Loose threads kept dangling. Her pizzicato was wicked.” In accomplishing works that many artists do not attempt until late in their career, the duo have brought something new and original to this pinnacle of the chamber repertoire: “the partnership with Tiberghien sounds fresh and spontaneous [Financial Times]. Meanwhile BBC Music Magazine, in its 5* review, comments “[Ibragimova] has the kind of tone and expression that pins you to the back of your seat.” The duo, who met on the BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists scheme over five years ago, describe their playing and recording of the complete sonata cycle as, as much a personal as a musical journey. Tiberghien comments “To travel through all ten sonatas, to play them live, is really something that changes you, as a musician and also as a human being”.

Hiro Kurosaki has had a longstanding musical partnership with Linda Nicholson, concentrating on the Classical and Romantic repertoire. Both artists perform on original instruments.

Recorded on 25th April, 6th, 9th,13th, 20th, 23rd and 29th May, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 12th and 13th June, 1952, at Pythian Temple, New York, USA.

Described by Nathan Milstein as ‘the greatest American-trained violinist’, Joseph Fuchs had an immensely long career, continuing to give recitals at Carnegie Hall until he was 93. He was a soloist with every major American orchestra and made many important recordings, including the concertos by Hindemith and Vaughan Williams, as well as Mozart’s G major and Sinfonia concertante.

For many years Fuchs had a duo with the pianist Artur Balsam with whom he made several recordings, including the Beethoven Violin Sonatas of which this disc forms the second of three volumes.

Apart from being the first complete cycle on the new vinyl medium, this one set a high standard in quality of both recording and performance. In his review of the original LP release in the December 21, 1952 New York Times Harold C Schonberg wrote: “Fuchs and Balsam make a magnificent team… Both instrumentalists scorn effects of a superficial nature and probe directly to the music’s bone. These are strong, powerful, thoughtful performances that have the added virtue of being technically impeccable”.

Joseph Fuchs was described by Nathan Milstein as “the greatest American-trained violinist.”

Beethoven’s three sonatas for Piano and Violin Op. 30 were dedicated to Tsar Alexander 1st. He had been educated by his grandmother Catherine the Great and was considered to be a true child of the Enlightenment.

The three manuscripts of the Op. 30 sonatas are among the most expressive of the surviving original material of Beethoven’s chamber music. These works were a direct result of the collaboration with Beethoven’s violin teacher, Ignaz Schuppanzigh – who was in fact the dedicatee of the Op. 12 sonatas. The final piece on the CD was written by another significant influence on Beethoven’s work – Franz Clement. This is the third disc in a series that sets Beethoven’s sonatas in their social and musical context – in this case the context being Schuppanzigh.