Susanna Ogata and Ian Watson join forces to record the complete Sonatas for Fortepiano and Violin of Beethoven, Ludwig van in four instalments. The first CD features Beethoven's Fourth Sonata, Op. 23 in A minor, as well as the revolutionary ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata, his ninth, Op. 47 in A major – a blazing landmark in violin virtuosity and classical music repertoire. Beethoven’s music and persona pushed the existing forms and instruments to their absolute limit. Using period instruments for which the music was originally written, Watson and Ogata reveal not only the clarity of Beethoven’s extraordinary musical structure, but also an amazing palette of colours. In doing so, this duo aims to recreate the white-hot intensity of the moment these striking sonatas were written and first performed.
