Maurizio Zaccaria - Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 12, 15, 19, 20 & 27 (2018)

Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-flat major, Op. 26, in 1800–1801, around the same time as he completed his First Symphony. The structure of the sonata is unconventional in that the piece opens with a relatively slow movement in the format of theme and variations. The third movement incorporates a funeral march, clearly anticipating the watershed of the Eroica Symphony that Beethoven wrote in 1803–1804. This is the only movement from his sonatas that Beethoven arranged for orchestra, and was played during Beethoven's own funeral procession in 1827.

While not as famous as its immediate predecessor, Piano Sonata No. 14, No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 was known as 'Pastoral' or 'Pastorale', and published in 1801. The sonata is in D major, and follows the typical four-movement form of the classical sonata. The Piano Sonata No. 19 in G minor, Op. 49, No. 1, and Piano Sonata No. 20 in G major, Op. 49, No. 2, are short sonatas, published in 1805 (although the works were actually composed a decade earlier in 1795-1796).

Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90 was written in the summer of 1814 – Beethoven's late Middle period. Beethoven's previous piano sonata, popularly known as 'Les Adieux', was composed almost five years prior to Op. 90. Beethoven's autograph survives and is dated August 16. The sonata was published almost a year later, in June 1815. The piece consists of just two movements with performance instructions in German.

TRACKLIST

01. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26 "Funeral March": I. Andante con variazioni
02. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26 "Funeral March": II. Scherzo. Molto allegro
03. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26 "Funeral March": III. Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un eroe
04. Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26 "Funeral March": IV. Allegro
05. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 "Pastoral": I. Allegro
06. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 "Pastoral": II. Andante
07. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 "Pastoral": III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace
08. Piano Sonata No. 15 in D Major, Op. 28 "Pastoral": IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo
09. Piano Sonata No. 19 in G Minor, Op. 49 No. 1: I. Andante
10. Piano Sonata No. 19 in G Minor, Op. 49 No. 1: II. Rondo. Allegro
11. Piano Sonata No. 20 in G Major, Op. 49 No. 2: I. Allegro ma non troppo
12. Piano Sonata No. 20 in G Major, Op. 49 No. 2: II. Tempo di menuetto
13. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90: I. Mit lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
14. Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90: II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen