“These are performances that catch
the excitement of Beethoven without eschewing tenderness; virtuosic
but unfailingly musical in their conception and execution.
Both musicians play flawlessly but these are not mechanical performances:
they pulse with the variety of emotion that makes Beethoven one
of the greatest and most popular of composers.”
-Audiophile
NOTES ON THE MUSIC AND
LISTENING GUIDES
by David Finckel and Michael Feldman
The Early Works: The Sonatas & Variations of 1796
These pieces are milestones of the cello literature. Although during
the eighteenth century the cello had gradually come to be regarded
as a solo as well as an accompanying instrument, neither Mozart
nor Haydn had composed a cello sonata. Beethoven was the first
major composer to write works with equally important roles for the
cello and piano.
Sonatas Op. 5 Nos. 1 and 2
Composed: Berlin, in the late spring or summer of 1796. Beethoven
was on his first and only significant concert tour, which also included
the cities of
Prague, Leipzig and Dresden. He was 25 years old.
Dedicated to: King Friedrich Wilhelm II, nephew and successor to
Frederick the Great. The king was an amateur cellist and devotee
of the instrument who had entertained both Mozart and Haydn at his
court. Both of these composers had already dedicated string quartets
featuring prominent cello parts to the king.
First performance: 1796, during the visit to Berlin, at the royal
palace.
Beethoven played the piano, and it is thought that Jean-Louis Duport,
rather
than his older brother, Jean-Pierre, was the cellist. The Duports
were
renowned virtuosos who lived in Berlin and played in the king's
orchestra. It
is likely that Beethoven and Jean-Louis Duport performed the G major
"Judas Maccabaeus" variations on this occasion as well.
Published: February 1797, Vienna
Other works from this period: the Piano Trios Op. 1, Piano Sonatas
Op. 2 and Op. 7. In the following year, Beethoven began composing
sonatas for piano and violin.
LISTENING GUIDE
Sonata No.1 in F major, Op. 5 No. 1
In the Adagio sostenuto introduction, Beethoven begins his first
cello sonata
with caution - hesitations and tense silences lead to melodic ideas
(0:31)
which are left undeveloped, as though the sonata is struggling to
begin. After a climactic cadential flourish (2:11), the music pauses
and the piano
introduces the Allegro main theme (2:41), ornamented in the style
of Mozart, full of details and virtuosity. The second theme (3:40)
begins with serious- sounding chromaticism but ends light and carefree,
moving through virtuosic scales to a sequence in staccato eighth-notes
full of playful rhythmic confusion (4:38). In the exuberant closing
material the pianist's hands leap over one another with forceful
answers from the cello (5:24), followed by a contemplative coda
(5:34) leading to the repeat of the exposition. The development
section (9:31) shows the composer's ever-lurking stormy side and
a surprise forte announces the recapitulation (11:13). As in many
of Beethoven's concertos, there is a lengthy written-out cadenza,
beginning with a short fugato passage (14:40). An obsessive sixteenth-note
figure in the right hand of the piano (14:50) leads to an unexpectedly
droll and sleepy Adagio (15:04) which is interrupted by a wild Prestissimo.
The movement concludes happily and vigorously.
The Rondo: Allegro vivace is an exciting ride full of virtuosic
outbursts from both instruments. One can imagine the court's amazement
at the spectacle of Beethoven devouring the keyboard in this finale.
The only calm moments are dreamy interludes of piano arpeggios over
cello drones (2:19). Near the finish, a long ritard (5:17) winds
the action down to a standstill, and when the composer has us in
the palm of his hand, he ends the work with an explosion of notes
from both instruments.
Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op.
5 No. 2
Beethoven enjoyed surprising and even scaring his listeners. The
opening
Adagio sostenuto ed espressivo does just that. A jarring G minor
chord is
quickly hushed by the marking forte-piano, itself a novel idea,
and a spooky
scale descends in the piano (foreshadowing the slow movement of
the "Ghost" Trio, which he would write in 1808). The motifs
and themes of this Adagio are more fully developed than those of
the F major sonata's introduction, creating a movement of much greater
substance. Unbelievably long silences near the end (4:40) hold the
listener under a spell which is broken quietly by the brooding Allegro
molto più tosto presto (5:16). In contrast to the previous
sonata, the cello takes the theme first, passing it back and forth
with the piano. This is a remarkable movement, emotionally multi-layered
even through the frequent stormy sections. In the development (10:07)
the excitement continues until a new theme enters (10:48), dance-like
and delicate, the accompaniment changing from nervous triplets to
steady eighth-notes. At the recapitulation, the theme
is beautifully harmonized (11:30), intensifying the emotion. The
movement
proceeds tempestuously to the finish.
By contrast, the Rondo: Allegro is a study in gaiety and the joy
of virtuosity.
The movement begins with a harmonic joke: it starts out squarely
in C major instead of the expected G major. After a moment the music
slides into the home key, a trick Beethoven used later in the finale
of the Piano Concerto No. 4, also in G major. Virtuosic stunts abound:
for piano (0:14), for cello (0:24) and again for piano. A dark episode
(1:16) is dispelled by a chromatic passage returning to the main
theme (1:36), which leads to an extended middle section in C major
and a new theme (2:25). The instruments trade virtuosic displays
in an almost competitive fashion. The cello surprises (3:47) by
substituting an unexpected E-flat in the theme, and this event wrenches
the music into the foreign key of A-flat major.
After a full recapitulation (4:07), sweeping scales in the piano
herald an
extended and brilliant coda (6:00). One can imagine Beethoven, filled
with the coffee he loved to drink, rattling away on the keys. After
some pompous
closing music (6:50) the piano settles things down to a standstill
only to
have the cello burst in with the main theme in jumping octaves.
Joyful
wildness concludes the sonata.
12 Variations in
G major on "See the conqu'ring hero comes"
from Handel's Judas Maccabaeus, WoO 45
Composed: probably in 1796 in Berlin. Beethoven was a great admirer
of Handel;
borrowing another composer's melody was considered a gesture of
homage at the time. Beethoven may have also chosen Handel's "Conqu'ring
hero" theme as a tribute to King Friedrich Wilhelm.
First performance: most likely premiered by Beethoven and Jean-Louis
Duport in addition to the Op. 5 Sonatas in Berlin.
Published: 1797, Vienna.
LISTENING GUIDE
The piano plays the noble and elegant Theme while the cello accompanies
in the middle register as if it were the viola in a string quartet.
This treatment of the theme sets the tone for the entire work -
light and transparent in
contrast to the weightier F and E-flat variations. The middle, or
B section of
the theme (0:15) is in the relative minor key, adding a moment of
pathos.
Variation I (0:45), entirely for solo piano, is smooth and flowing
in contrast
to the stately theme. Scales move gently against each other.
Variation II (1:25) allows the cello its own version of the theme
in broken,
sweeping arpeggios. The piano accompanies with bubbling staccato
triplets.
Variation III (2:06) is a display of virtuosity for the pianist's
right hand.
Broken scales start explosively but end apologetically.
Variation IV (2:48) turns dark with a change of key to minor. The
middle
section's usually minor episode becomes a glowing E-flat major (3:02).
Variation V (3:35) is a coy conversation between the two instruments.
The
piano is optimistic and brilliant, the cello sober and simple.
Variation VI (4:24) sounds much like Bach, featuring broken scales
in a highly contrapuntal setting.
Variation VII (5:06) allows the cello to run in a brilliant virtuosic
display.
The piano gets one chance to show off (5:24), in an outburst typical
of the
composer.
Variation VIII (5:42) shows Beethoven's famous stormy side. In a
shocking G minor fortissimo, the piano pounds out the tune in crashing
chords against
wild scales that move from hand to hand. Dramatically, the storm
ceases for a moment in the prayer-like middle section (5:55).
Variation IX (6:24) is childlike and innocent, breezing over the
anger of the
previous variation.
Variation X (7:06) captures the glory and heroism evoked by Handel's
title.
The theme is played in canon between the cello and the booming bass
of the piano, while the pianist's right hand supplies a bristling
sixteenth-note
accompaniment.
Variation XI (7:48), marked Adagio, is the most extended slow movement
of all three sets of variations.
Variation XII (11:05), the finale, is the most carefree. Beethoven
transforms the theme into a lively dance in triple meter. After
some odd excursions into foreign keys (11:30) the mirth returns
and the work ends in appropriately triumphant style.
12 Variations in F major
on "Ein Mädchen oder ein Weibchen"
from Mozart's The Magic Flute, Op. 66
Composed: during Beethoven's visit to Berlin in 1796, or just after.
The Magic
Flute was Beethoven's favorite opera.
First performance: unknown.
Published: 1798, Vienna.
LISTENING GUIDE
More complex, angular and daring than the G major variations, this
set also
begins with the piano stating the Theme and the cello supporting
in the middle register.
Variation I (0:31), as in the G major variations, is for piano solo,
but this
time in a technically treacherous, jumping style.
Variation II (1:01) is a sweeping and virtuosic statement for the
cello in the
instrument's high register.
Variation III (1:30) Long, sustained notes in the cello act as foils
for a
virtuosic display in the left hand of the piano.
Variation IV (1:58) is a dialogue, the cello making sustained, lugubrious
statements answered by a gently dancing figure in the piano.
Variation V (2:34) breaks the calm and features two distinct motifs:
a
rollicking arpeggio and a hammering dotted rhythm played in unison.
Variation VI (3:05) The pianist takes over and shows off the right
hand. The
cello makes occasional comments.
Variation VII (3:32) features meandering scales in the piano and
suggestive
comments from the cello.
Variation VIII (4:14) is an all-staccato piece which steadily increases
in
intensity to the finish.
Variation IX (4:42) is composed entirely of leaping eighth-notes
phrased
across the main beats, creating a playful, syncopated dance.
Variation X (5:17), marked Adagio, darkens the mood, moving into
the key of F minor. The piano states a noble version of the theme,
and the cello repeats it starkly, recalling a funeral march.
Variation XI (6:31) As if descending to the underworld, the cello
sings a dour tune in its lowest register. A tragic-sounding coda
(7:13) leads to:
Variation XII (7:37), a joyous finale, full of life and vigor. At
the end of
this variation a brilliant, extended coda is added (8:16).
An unexpected jolt (8:27) sets a chromatic passage in motion which
arrives at the unlikely key of D major, where the theme is briefly
stated. A quirky
modulation (8:43) brings back the home key, and the coda builds
to its climax
(8:56) before evaporating to nothing at the conclusion.
Between the Sonatas: The Variations of 1801
7 Variations in Eb major
on "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen"
from Mozart's The Magic Flute, WoO 46
Composed: 1801, Vienna.
First performance: unknown.
Published: 1802, Vienna.
LISTENING GUIDE
This set of variations is the most serious of the three, and is
the one that
most fully captures the spirit of a Mozart opera. The sober nature
of the
Theme dictates the tone for the entire work. The cello also has
an increased
role, this time sharing the theme with the piano.
Variation I (0:51) is a lively canon for both instruments with some
spiky
dissonances.
Variation II (1:32) is an interesting mixture of staccato and legato
scales,
some brilliant, some lyrical.
Variation III (2:16) places a genteel and elegant melody over a
steadily
pulsating accompaniment. The variation turns boisterous by the end.
Variation IV (3:08) is written in the somber key of E-flat minor.
The piano
begins high and descends, and the cello enters in the low register
and remainsthere for the entire variation. There is a dramatic moment
in the exotic- sounding key of C-flat major near the end (4:04).
Variation V (4:20) is the only humorous one in the work and is marked
at a
faster tempo. Triplets shoot like bullets between the instruments.
Repeated
notes in the left hand of the piano bubble nervously (4:38).
Variation VI (4:56), marked Adagio, is an ornate song with moments
of great tenderness.
Variation VII (7:24), the finale, is jumpy and happy, except for
a
surprisingly angry coda in Beethoven's signature stormy key, C minor
(7:45).
The "Heroic Period" Sonata
of 1808
Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
One of the greatest works in the cello literature, the A major sonata
was
composed by Beethoven in the midst of one of his most phenomenally
prolific periods. The new prominence of the cello, the sweeping
use of the instrument's range, and the long, singing lines all herald
the full flowering of the cello's role in the duo sonata.
Composed: sketches appear in 1807 amongst those for the Fifth Symphony.
Completed in Vienna in the spring of 1808. Beethoven was 38.
Dedicated to: Baron Ignaz von Gleichenstein, an amateur cellist
and one of
Beethoven's closest friends and advisers from 1807-1810. Gleichenstein
helped to organize a consortium of sponsors who offered Beethoven
a guaranteed annual stipend to remain in Vienna. It is thought that
the dedication of the sonata was a gesture of thanks to Gleichenstein.
After the agreement was signed, Beethoven asked Gleichenstein to
help him find a wife.
First performance: not documented. A year after the work was completed,
Beethoven complained that the sonata "had not yet been well
performed in
public." The first record of a performance is from 1812 when
the sonata was
played by Beethoven's pupil Carl Czerny and Joseph Linke, the cellist
who
would later give the first performance of the Op. 102 sonatas. Linke
was the
cellist of the Razumovsky Quartet, which premiered many
of Beethoven's quartets.
Published: 1809, Leipzig.
Other works from this period: the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, the
Fourth Piano Concerto, the Choral Fantasy, and the Piano Trios,
Op. 70.
LISTENING GUIDE
Allegro ma non tanto: After presenting the noble
theme alone, the cello rests on a low note while the piano continues
to a cadenza (0:21). The music is then repeated with the roles reversed,
the cello playing an ascending cadenza marked dolce. The mood is
rudely broken (0:58) by a ferocious version of the theme in minor
that quickly dissipates to allow for the entrance of the second
subject (1:19), a beautiful combination of a rising scale (cello)
against a falling arpeggio (piano). The cello and piano continue
trading motifs, each repeating what the other has just played. A
heroic closing theme (2:08) is the culmination of the section and
a brief, contemplative recollection of the opening motif (2:50)
leads to the repeat of the exposition.
The development (6:03) explores even more incredible worlds, turning
mysterious (6:14), rhapsodic (6:25), stormy (6:40), soaring (7:01),
and
mystical (7:24) before reaching the recapitulation, where the cello
plays the
theme in its original form against triplet decorations in the piano.
The coda
(10:18) is thoughtful, and an extended chromatic buildup leads to
a heroic
statement of the theme. After some dreamy, languishing music almost
dies away, Beethoven finishes this great movement with a surprise
forte.\
The extraordinary Scherzo: Allegro molto is the only appearance
of a scherzo (meaning "joke") in all five sonatas. The
music begins on the upbeat, and the 3-1 rhythm never ceases, even
in the happier trio section (0:58). Although there are many clever
exchanges, the incessant, manic energy leaves the distinct impression
that this scherzo is no joke.
A short Adagio cantabile, a beautiful song for both instruments,
relieves the
nervousness of the scherzo. A moment of hesitation (1:20) leads
to the quiet, almost surreptitious appearance of the final Allegro
vivace. The theme, though happy like its predecessors in the earlier
sonatas, is more lyrical and has greater emotional depth. It introduces
a movement in which the composer employs virtuosity not as an end
in itself, but as a means of creating internal excitement. The second
subject (2:09) presents a difference of opinion between cello and
piano, the cello singing a short phrase, the piano responding with
percussive eighth-notes. The development section is mostly wild,
with flying scales and pounding octaves. Approaching the recapitulation,
Beethoven employs the basic materials of the movement: the rhythmic
eighth-note accompaniment is combined with chromatic gropings for
the main theme (5:05). The coda (6:40) is full of thoughtfulness
and pathos. There is a senseof reflection amidst excitement, of
Beethoven yearning to be understood yetwith satisfaction denied.
After a series of repeatedly unsuccessful attempts to reach the
home key (7:22), A major is finally attained, as the eighth-note
melody accelerates to frenzied sixteenths. The ending is triumphant,
as Beethoven hammers his point home, the cello repeating the first
bar of the theme over and over again with the piano pounding out
the eighth-note accompaniment ("I will not give up!").
The Late Sonatas of 1815
Sonatas Op. 102 Nos. 1 and 2
Composed: Vienna, July - August 1815, at the age of 44. They are
the last
works Beethoven wrote for piano and a solo instrument.
Dedicated to: Countess Marie von Erdödy, a long-time patron
of Beethoven and a good amateur pianist. Many of Beethoven's works
were played at her house concerts, and she remained loyal to Beethoven
in his later years when his music was losing its widespread public
appeal.
First performance: summer, 1815, at the country estate of the countess.
Joseph Linke was the cellist and the countess played the piano.
Published: 1817, Bonn.
Other works from this period: very few. These sonatas are regarded
as
Beethoven's only significant works from the year 1815.
LISTENING GUIDE
Sonata No. 4 in C major, Op. 102 No. 1
Beyond the heroic struggles of his middle period, and by this time
almost
completely deaf, Beethoven looked to the future in his last two
cello sonatas.
As in the A major sonata, the cello begins alone, but in an entirely
new
world. Whereas the A major theme is solid and firmly grounded in
the cello's lower register, this one breathes an unearthly air,
and the entire Andante seems to float somewhere beyond reality.
The writing is contrapuntal, with independent voices of equal importance
moving gently against each other. The thematic material is once
again more complex: the decorative elements Beethoven once applied
in his early period are now fused seamlessly into the larger structure.
Long trills (1:20) function not merely as ornaments but as orchestration,
adding inner intensity to the sound.
The demonic and anguished Allegro vivace (2:27) shatters the hypnotic
serenity, Beethoven using every possible device to contrast with
the previous music. Not only dynamics, rhythm and texture are changed
but also tonality: the rest of the movement is no longer in the
sonata's main key of C major but in the relative A minor.
(In the op. 5 sonatas, both introductions and subsequent movements were
in the same key). This movement is written in a style new to Beethoven's
cello works. In his late period, Beethoven drastically varied the
length of his movements. Some of his shorter movements, while having
all the structural requirements, are devoid of transitions - Beethoven
simply stops writing one kind of music and begins writing another,
as if manners and civility had ceased to matter. This happens near
the outset of the Allegro where Beethoven uses a surprise F-sharp
(2:45) to stop the motion dead in its tracks.
Out of nowhere the second subject appears - soothing, quiet, but
only for a
moment. Turmoil returns and the feisty movement is at the double
bar before one realizes it (3:40). A very brief development section
contains two ideas: a contrapuntal one (5:04) followed by a brief
chorale, leading to the stormy recapitulation (5:31). An abrupt
"get out and stay out!" ending concludes the movement.
(An interesting comparison is the first movement of the Op. 95 Serioso"
Quartet.)
Beethoven was fascinated by the stars and is reported to have composed
in his head while contemplating the mysteries of the universe. Certainly
the slow-motion Adagio evokes an other-worldly atmosphere. The movement's
timeless feeling is gently punctuated by fleeting scales, as distant
as comets. The mystery soon turns to brooding, with a turbulent
modulation (0:34) moving through several keys before coming to an
inconclusive halt. At this moment, a different kind of music emerges
(1:17), deeply tender in a way that is unique to Beethoven. He then
proceeds to create something unexpected and of inspired beauty:
the sonata's opening theme reappears (1:55), but this time so warmly
that its first incarnation seems only a dream. Phrases repeat over
and over, as if asking for something in prayer. After this deeply
confessional episode, the Allegro vivace begins in a humorous way
(2:43), and we are off on a frisky and sometimes funny adventure,
full of fantasy and invention. There are inexplicable starts and
stops (3:36) which must have sounded very strange to listeners in
Beethoven's time (as indeed they still do). There is a fugato passage
(3:56) and, at the end, a brilliant coda that shows he had not lost
interest in using virtuosic feats to create excitement. After a
brief unwinding, a surprise finish recalls the end of the F major
sonata.
Sonata in D major, Op. 102
No. 2 (1815)
This final sonata bears similarities to one of the composer's late
string
quartets, Op. 130. Both works employ baroque elements, such as the
continuous sixteenth-note patterns found in Vivaldi and Bach. Beethoven's
application of this style is powerful: in the opening Allegro con
brio he uses the figurations like weapons, firing them off here
and there, like a frightened soldier in the dark (0:33). (Schubert
may well have heard and copied Beethoven's opening five notes in
his "Death and the Maiden" quartet of 1826, which also
includes baroque-style passage work). Although showing strength
and confidence, this movement contains odd tentative moments, for
example the vague and distracted-sounding transition to the second
subject (0:40). In the development (3:13), there is feverish wandering,
madness and confusion. No longer composing music that was easy to
understand, Beethoven gradually came to be regarded as a mad genius.
The next movement, especially, offers an extraordinary contrast
to the
heavenliness of the previous sonata. As with the Op. 5 sonatas,
Beethoven took a giant step forward with the second of the set.
Indeed, the haunting Adagio con molto sentimento d'affetto is the
most profound music in the entire cycle, the deathly opening evoking
images of funerals. Beethoven uses thickly-written hords in the
piano to create a muddy, rumbling sound (he could be called the
first tone-painter of the piano). After the suspenseful opening,
a dirge
begins (0:53), the pianist's left hand sounding like the slow falling
of
horses' hooves. A new theme and a change to D major recall better
times
(2:27). The return of the opening music (4:29) is more complex harmonically.
A skipping, dotted rhythm introduces a vision of a dance of death
- the smiling skull, the skeletal horse, the black hood.
The transition to the finale (6:05) contains moments of supreme
intimacy. The magical modulation to B-flat major (6:17) takes the
listener to a place beyond the pain of all that preceded, seeing
the light of heaven for a brief moment.
An unexpected dip downwards to C-sharp minor (7:14) brings back
the sensation of a cold grave. However, Beethoven unexpectedly starts
to play games (7:56), ntroducing the finale in much the same way
as he did in his previous sonata. In the final movement, the Allegro
fugato (9), Beethoven takes the piano and cello sonata to new realms.
Reaching the pinnacle of integration, the two instruments join together
to create a dancing fugue full of dissonance even in its cheerful
sections. Completely baffling to listeners in Beethoven's own time,
the movement still shocks the ear. This fugue, victorious in its
conquest of a new language, looks forward to the music of the twentieth
century, and is a fitting conclusion to Beethoven's towering literature
for piano and cello.
ABOUT THIS RECORDING
The Joan and Irving Harris Concert Hall • The Aspen Music Festival
Harris Hall is imbued with the spirit of the Aspen Music Festival and of Joan
and Irving Harris. The Aspen Music Festival is emotionally charged, guided by administrators and faculty who are visionary and passionate. The Harris's are people whose devotion to culture is for them a way of life. The opportunity to record in this stimulating environment proved valuable beyond words.
When we first played in Harris Hall we immediately felt that it had the ideal
acoustics for recording Beethoven. Built from wood, with a high ceiling, it
has a resonance which is warm, clear and brilliant. The air at 8000 feet is
crisp, even in the summer, and seems to contribute to the incisiveness of the sound. Frequently, we would arrive at the hall and set up just after a concert had concluded, the hall still buzzing with the excitement of a performance.
Recording at night when the world is quiet is our preference, and to emerge
from the hall at 4am, bathed in the blinding, cool moonlight, was in itself an
inspiring experience. We are indeed fortunate musicians to have had the best of all worlds in which to record the best of our music.
We often thought how much Beethoven would have loved Aspen. His well-
documented walks in the country, during which so many musical ideas came to him, could easily have been made in the gorgeous mountains surrounding the village. What masterpieces this incredible setting might have inspired!
- David Finckel and Wu Han
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