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Cover: Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonatas Opp. 10 · Op. 53 "Waldstein", Op. 54 · Op. 57 "Appassionata"

Ludwig van Beethoven

Piano Sonatas Opp. 10

Op. 53 "Waldstein", Op. 54 · Op. 57 "Appassionata"

Paavali Jumppanen, piano

ODE 1268-2D · 2 CDs · March 2015

Buy / listen

Track listing

19 tracks · 115:09

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

CD 1

Ludwig van Beethoven

  1. Sonata in C minor, Op. 10 No. 1 16:53
  2. 1 I Allegro molto e con brio 5:19
  3. 2 Adagio molto 7:51
  4. 3 III Finale: Prestissimo 3:44
  5. Sonata in F major, Op. 10 No. 2 15:56
  6. 4 I Allegro 8:34
  7. 5 II Allegretto 3:58
  8. 6 III Presto 3:24
  9. Sonata in D major, Op. 10 No. 3 23:10
  10. 7 I Presto 6:30
  11. 8 Largo e mesto 10:10
  12. 9 III Menuetto & Trio: Allegro 2:54
  13. 10 IV Rondo: Allegro 3:36

CD 2

Ludwig van Beethoven

  1. Sonata in C major, Op. 53 ?Waldstein? 24:34
  2. 1 I Allegro con brio 10:39
  3. 2 II Introduzione: Adagio molto 4:22
  4. 3 III Rondo: Allegretto moderato - 7:40
  5. 4 IV Prestissimo 1:53
  6. Sonata in F major, Op. 54 10:39
  7. 5 I In Tempo d'un Menuetto 5:08
  8. 6 II Allegretto - più Allegro 5:31
  9. Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 ?Appassionata? 23:56
  10. 7 I Allegro assai 9:51
  11. 8 II Andante con moto 6:28
  12. 9 III Allegro ma non troppo - Presto 7:37

About this recording

This double-CD release is a second volume in pianist Paavali Jumppanen's ongoing recording cycle of the Beethoven piano sonatas.

This new release contains six piano sonatas: three early Op. 10 sonatas (published in 1798) and three sonatas written between 1804-06 (Opp. 53, 54 & 57). Piano Sonata Op. 53 Waldstein, completed after the 3rd Symphony, was described by Wilhelm von Lenz, an early biographer of Beethoven, as a "heroic symphony for piano." Piano Sonata Op. 57 Appassionata is undoubtedly Beethoven's darkest and most aggressive work. The Sonata has been compared to Dante's Inferno and Shakespeare's bloodthirsty Macbeth.

Paavali Jumppanen is an internationally esteemed pianist, a versatile performer equally at home as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, and a recitalist. His vast repertoire spans piano literature from Bach to the Avant-garde. Jumppanen has spent several years performing the works of Viennese Classics, in particular Beethoven. His performances of the complete cycles of Beethoven's and Mozart's Piano Sonatas as well as Beethoven's concertos and chamber music have won critical acclaim.

Jumppanen has collaborated with numerous contemporary composers and premiering many solo and chamber works for the piano. He has worked personally with esteemed composers including Pierre Boulez, William Duckworth, Henri Dutilleux, as well as composers of his native Finland. On the DG recording project of the complete works by Pierre Boulez, Jumppanen recorded the piano sonatas upon the composer's request.

Jumppanen's first instalment in the Beethoven cycle received thrilling reviews and, among others, the ‘Choc' Award from the French music magazine Classica.

Read Paavali Jumppanen's blog to learn about his approach to ornamentation, repeats, editions, and interpretation on his Beethoven Piano Sonatas recordings. (www.paavalijumppanen.com)

Features

Sleeve notes in English and Finnish

Press

His rhythmically astute yet flexible fingerwork, lean yet well-modulated sonority and stylish intelligence serve all tree Op 10 Sonatas as well as the catalogue's reference versions (...). The 'Waldstein' holds much to admire, such as the first movement's crystal-clear left-hand articulation and the pianist's uncompromising observance of the Rondo's controversial long pedal markings (...). His organic drive and dynamism keep the 'Appasionata's' Allegro assai vibrantly afloat. The Andante con moto seamlessly unfolds by virtue of the pianist's assiduous tempo relationships between variations (...). The pianist's insightful bookletnotes and Ondine's state-of-the-art sound deserve more than a token mention.

Jed Distler, Gramophone, June 2015

There's no doubting the brilliance of the pianism on display here, nor that Jumppanen vividly conveys the impetuousness of Beethoven's writing, especially in the Op. 10 series (...). His performances offer much food for thought.

Recording: *****

Misha Donat, BBC Music Magazine, July 2015

The artists

Paavali Jumppanen

One of the most fascinating pianists from Finland, Paavali Jumppanen is equally at home on the stage as a soloist or chamber musician. His vast repertoire spans much of the classical piano literature, including Bach, Mozart, and the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas, as well as contemporary music and avant-garde. His close collaboration with composer Pierre Boulez has resulted in the much acclaimed recordings of the composer's complete Piano Sonatas for Deutsche Grammophon, hailed by The Guardian "the best recorded disc of Boulez's piano music so far."

Full biography

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