Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major, Op. 27 No. 1 'Quasi una fantasia'

The brilliant 24-year-old Korean pianist HJ Lim, who signed an exclusive contract with EMI Classics in September 2011, has recorded her first project for the label, an ambitious traversal of the Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas. Lim, a Yamaha exclusive artist, recorded the sonatas on a Yamaha CFX concert grand piano in July and August 2011, grouping them into eight themes. The recordings will be released as four 2-CD sets over the course of 2012 with a complete deluxe box set to be available at the conclusion of the project.

Pianists who record the Beethoven sonatas cycle usually do so at the peak of long and storied careers. With this bold and controversial recording project, HJ Lim aims to prove that at the age of 24 she is ready to record the Beethoven sonatas now. She has the intelligence and artistic vision and her powerful performances have been captivating both traditional and new audiences. She has already performed complete Beethoven sonatas cycles over eight days each in France, Germany and Japan.

“Riveting playing that draws favourable comparisons with Arrau and Pollini” was how The Gramophone described Stewart Goodyear’s previous release of Beethoven’s late sonatas (MARQUIS81507). This new release features some of the composer’s most popular sonatas, including those known as the “Moonlight”, the “Pastoral” and the “Tempest”.

A native of Toronto in Canada, pianist Stewart Goodyear is an accomplished young artist known for his musical imagination, elegant style and exquisite technique. He has performed with many of the major orchestras of the world including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Academy of St Martin- in-the-Fields, the Montreal Symphony, and the Atlanta Symphony. He has also formed a highly successful partnership with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and its long term Music Director, Paavo Jarvi with whom he has frequently appeared. His discography includes critically acclaimed performances of the concertos of Gershwin and Leroy Anderson on the best selling Telarc disc entitled “American Classics”.

The beginning of the 19th century marked a new phase in Beethoven’s development as an innovator. Each sonata from that period explores new and unexpected ways of approaching the sonata. The piano writing is more orchestral, expanding the role of the sonata from the living room to the concert hall. The virtuoso is born and the "middle" sonatas nurtured him.

Markus Schirmer regards Beethoven as one of his preferred composers and his selection of pieces, including the “Variations on a Swiss Song” shows a whimsical side to his personality. His chosen programme encompasses an enormous range of different moods.