The name of French virtuoso-composer Rodolphe Kreutzer remains best known for the dedication of Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47, and for the grimly fundamentalist Leo Tolstoy novel named for that work. The CD booklet notes (in English and French) by Bruce R. Schuenemann for this Naxos release tell more about Kreutzer and include the entertaining sidelight that Kreutzer probably never performed Beethoven's sonata, which was unsuitable to his style. Nevertheless, these concertos, the last three Kreutzer ...
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The name of French virtuoso-composer Rodolphe Kreutzer remains best known for the dedication of Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47, and for the grimly fundamentalist Leo Tolstoy novel named for that work. The CD booklet notes (in English and French) by Bruce R. Schuenemann for this Naxos release tell more about Kreutzer and include the entertaining sidelight that Kreutzer probably never performed Beethoven's sonata, which was unsuitable to his style. Nevertheless, these concertos, the last three Kreutzer wrote (they date from 1806 or later), show the influence of Beethoven, and they're quite attractive works. Virtuosity is matched to structure in the outer movements, with double-stopping and the like reserved for significant thematic junctions; there is little in the way of Paganini-like fireworks. The slow movements, beginning with unison or simply chordal statements like Beethoven's Violin Concerto, have long, serious melodies. For sheer musical interest these pieces outdo the...
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