HYBRID MUL TICHANNEL Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) very development of a musical genre has studied between the end of 1792 and its own point of departure. In Ludwig van the beginning of 1794. They were written Piano Sonata No.1 in F minor, Op.2, No.1 E Beethoven’s piano sonatas, this consists of between 1790 (sketches for No. 1) and 1795, 1 Allegro 3. 55 2 Adagio 4. 45 the three Sonatas Op. 2, with which he and received their first performance in the 3 Menuetto (Allegretto) 4. 03 immediately created an exclamation mark. presence of the dedicatee in September 4 Prestissimo 4. 57 As Beethoven’s first works in this genre, they 1795 at the palace of Prince Carl von must naturally undergo an artistic compari- Lichnowsky. However, in no way can Opus Piano Sonata No.2 in A, Op.2, No.2 5 Allegro vivace 6. 52 son with the contributions made by his near 2 be considered the first attempt of an as 6 Largo appassionato 6. 19 contemporaries Mozart and Haydn. And yet unsure pupil; rather, it is a work bursting 7 Scherzo (Allegretto) 3. 02 they must not shrink from this. with power and self-confidence, written by 8 Rondo (Grazioso) 7. 02 After all, in these works already, a young man who was attempting to carve Piano Sonata No.3 in C, Op.2, No.3 Beethoven took the Classical form of the his own niche in the market as a major com- 9 Allegro con brio 10. 19 10 Adagio 7. 06 How to introduce new trends 11 Scherzo (Allegro) 3. 16 piano sonata to unprecedented heights. The poser. In these independent works, which 12 Allegro assai 5. 30 listener senses his endeavours to set new already differ so greatly among themselves, standards for the genre. Consequently, the Opus 2 conveys the greatest individual- Mari Kodama – piano Sonatas Op. 2 are the interface between tra- ity – a feature of all the piano sonatas by dition and the new “awakening”, the hinge, Beethoven to follow. No work is in any as it were, between old and new. Because way similar to the next. The first sonata is Recording venue: Concertboerderij Valthermond, the Netherlands. 4/2008. apart from being rooted in the tradition of written in F minor, and is of a concise and Recording producer: Wilhelm Hellweg Balance engineer: Jean-Marie Geijsen Haydn and Mozart, as far as composition is strictly dramatic character. On the other Recording engineer: Daan van Aalst Editing: Ientje Mooij concerned, Beethoven forces his way with hand, the A-major Sonata plays around Piano: Steinway & Sons D-274 his three sonatas into the 19th century, in a with the orchestral and frivolous possibili- Piano-tuner during recording: Michel Brandjes manner that is impossible to ignore. ties of the instrument. And the third sonata, Total playing-time: 67. 22 The Sonatas Op. 2 are dedicated to written in C major, is a virtuoso work and Joseph Haydn, with whom Beethoven excels in the concertante parts. However, the four-movement form is common to all piece enough diverse content to have filled form itself becomes the process. free of traces of Beethoven’s humour. sonatas, in which the fast first movements 20 pieces.” The slow movement of Op. 2/1 in a The intensity of the expression of the are followed by a slow and a dance move- One could consider the first movement varied verse form borrows, albeit with a slow movement is profound, and large ment. In the movements (composed in of the F-minor Sonata as a study for a sonata few adaptations, the main theme from his parts are full of subdued passion, to which sonata form), one notices that, frequently, movement. Here, Beethoven employs a con- early C-major Piano Quartet, consequently certainly also the main theme contributes, the themes have been compiled simply of densing technique in exemplary manner, in continuing the musical tradition. which appears three times and contains basic musical material, such as broken triads, which individual thematic phrases are con- The third movement emerges as “a spe- reminders of the Baroque. scales, etc., which although slightly arbitrary, stantly split off and stripped down to their cific dismantling of the traditional, innocent After this rather ponderous piece, a new at the same time makes them seem very smallest elements. The consequence of this types of dance movement” (Mauser). In keep- type of movement appears for the first time easy to remember. For the most part, the reduction or, if one so prefers, resolution, is ing with a famous quote, one could also say: in Beethoven’s piano sonatas: the Scherzo. sections of the form themselves are laid an increasingly stronger “dynamication” of “Haydn’s wit in Beethoven’s hands”, which Far removed from an old-fashioned dance out in a highly recognizable style. Besides, the course of the music. One could also call finally in Op. 2/2 also is officially acknowl- movement, it provides emotional relaxation, Beethoven upgrades the slow movement, it an inevitable push forwards, a constantly edged with the title of “scherzo”. even when the middle part of the Scherzo and rapidly transforms the rather Baroque- forward-oriented impulse. It cannot be In the Finale, the listener encounters a slides away to the remote and mysterious type minuet and trio (Op. 2/1) of the third a coincidence, that Beethoven began his sonata form, in which the exposition lacks key of G-sharp major. movement into a fully-fledged scherzo (Op. piano sonatas in this manner! And sure a real, contrasting theme, and in which the The Finale is a huge rondo movement, 2/2). In the last movements, sonata-move- enough, he also uses these open, forward- main theme alternates with episodes, and a worthy precursor of final movements to ment elements are combined with rondo spinning dynamics in the second theme, as such behaves as a potential sonata rondo. come, such as those in Op. 22 and Op. 90. forms. As far as expansion is concerned, all meaning that once again the “dynamication” Compared to the deadly seriousness The disposition of the Piano Sonata movements exceed the dimensions used of the exposition (in which the themes are of the F-minor work, the A-major Sonata in C, Op. 2, No. 3 differs greatly to that of until that time. All movements also present normally only “established” and not “devel- Op. 2/2 is bright and lively, in accordance its predecessors. Here, Beethoven was an extraordinary diversity of musical char- oped”) leads to a fundamental expansion with its key. Playful ease and, in modera- thinking on a large scale, and gave his full acters, about which Beethoven himself of the treatment in the development of all tion, pianistic virtuosity define its character. attention to the virtuoso and concertante later wrote as follows: “When I took a look structural elements of the movement. For In the Allegro vivace, the sonata movement effects. In contrast to the rather chamber- at my first manuscripts, a few years after I Beethoven, the form of the sonata move- form is enormously extended; here too, the music-like approach of No. 1 and No. 2, had written them, I wondered whether I was ment is not so much a model to be filled thematic disposition is particularly concise, the numerous figures, octave and chord not crazy to have incorporated in one single with musical life, as a “work in progress”: the as was also the case in No. 1, though not passages, as well as scales – particularly in the first movement – could have been composition. and she makes a lovely, liquid sound… piano festivals. taken straight from a Piano Concerto. The Franz Steiger playing of a distinctive sensitivity…It all Her chamber-music activities include first and second themes (at the entrance of English translation: Fiona J. Stroker-Gale adds up to a genuinely fresh, and refreshing concert tours with Mstislav Rostropovich, which Beethoven deliberately irritates the ari Kodama was born in Osaka, Japan view…” Since then, she has given concerts and this summer (June 2003) sees the open- listener) are allotted well-nigh equal status Mand began playing the piano at the in Europe, USA, Singapore and Japan, where ing of her own festival in San Francisco, in during the course of the movement and the age of three with her mother. Her family she made her orchestral debut in Tokyo which she is playing with the Trio Plus from Coda is a true cadenza, which ends with a moved to Europe when she was six. Eight under Raymond Leppard in Ravel’s Piano Vienna. Mari Kodama has also worked trill, as is customary in a concerto move- years later she entered the Conservatoire Concerto in G. with pianists Tatiana Nikolaeva and Alfred ment! Virtuosity and pure pianistic brilliance National Superieur de Paris aged 14, where Major orchestras with which Mari Brendel. – even if only for the benefit of the expres- she studied piano with Germaine Mounier Kodama has performed include the Highlights of recent seasons include sion. After such a beginning to the work, the and chamber music with Genevieve Joy- slow movement has to come up with a high Dutilleux. Three years later, she obtained Mari Kodama level of expression – and that is precisely the premier prix and completed her studies Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, London recitals at Mostly Mozart Festival (Lincoln what it does. William Kinderman described with honours (cycle de perfectionnement) Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Center), the Bard Music Festival (playing the Adagio as one of the “most moving at the age of 19.