Here violinist Rachel Podger and pianist Christopher Glynn offer a performance of Beethoven violin sonatas on historical instruments; Podger plays a 1718 Stradivarius strung with gut, and Glynn a terrific 1840 Érard. The latter is worth one's attention in itself with its variety of shades and its gorgeous, xylophone-like lower register. True, the instrument dates from several decades after Beethoven's compositions, but it's still recognizably a fortepiano; it's something of an ideal version of the instruments Beethoven ...
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Here violinist Rachel Podger and pianist Christopher Glynn offer a performance of Beethoven violin sonatas on historical instruments; Podger plays a 1718 Stradivarius strung with gut, and Glynn a terrific 1840 Érard. The latter is worth one's attention in itself with its variety of shades and its gorgeous, xylophone-like lower register. True, the instrument dates from several decades after Beethoven's compositions, but it's still recognizably a fortepiano; it's something of an ideal version of the instruments Beethoven would have heard. It fits especially well with these Beethoven interpretations by Podger and Glynn. By 2022, when this album appeared, there were already various historical-instruments versions of these sonatas on the market, but this one is distinctive, and in a crowded Beethoven marketplace, it hit classical best-seller charts. The overall atmosphere, unlike with many historical-instrument readings, is quiet and intimate. Podger is better known for Baroque music, but she strikes a...
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