BEETHOVEN, L. van: Piano Sonata No. 18, "La Chasse" (Behind the Notes - Boris Giltburg Introduces Piano Sonata No. 18)
Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-Flat Major, Op. 31, No. 3, "La Chasse"
Composer: Beethoven, Ludwig van
Giltburg, Boris
Catalogue Number: NVF1318
UPC: 730099631815
The two previous trilogies in Beethoven's sonata cycle - the three sonatas, Op. 2 and the three sonatas, Op. 10 - both had the third sonata in the group as their focal point and climax. Whether this is the case in our Op. 31 is less certain. On the one hand, Sonata No. 18 is the only one in the opus to be written in four movements, like most of Beethoven's Grandes Sonates (Opp. 7, 22, 26 and 28). On the other, the Sonata is so easy-going, so light-spirited, so full of sunshine, that it feels much more like a release after Tempest's dark tension than a further intensification.
Boris Giltburg is lauded worldwide as a deeply sensitive, insightful and compelling interpreter, with critics praising his impassioned approach to performance. This project to record all of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas is a personal exploration for Giltburg, driven by curiosity and his profound respect for the composer.
