Fortepiano & Violin Sonatas

[Gurn Blanston]

I have been looking for a long time for a complete cycle of the Fortepiano & Violin Sonatas on authentic instruments. And in an entirely unlooked for encounter on eBay last week, I ran across a set which I was fortunate enough to win at auction.

The 3 disk set is on Cypres (CYP 1640). It is Cyril Huvé on an 1815 Schantz fortepiano and Jorja Fleezanis on an 1800 Storioni violin. Both instruments sound marvelous, but the real story for me is that the playing is superbly virtuosic and the character and tempo are supreme.

In America I have seen it on Amazon.com, but nowhere else. In England or Europe, I don't know. In any case, strongly recommend (something I almost never do!)

Cheers,


[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 11-14-2006).]

[Cetto von Cronstorff]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
I have been looking for a long time for a complete cycle of the Fortepiano & Violin Sonatas on authentic instruments. And in an entirely unlooked for encounter on eBay last week, I ran across a set which I was fortunate enough to win at auction.

The 3 disk set is on Cypres (CYP 1640). It is Cyril Huvé on an 1815 Schantz fortepiano and Jorja Fleezanis on an 1800 Storioni violin. Both instruments sound marvelous, but the real story for me is that the playing is superbly virtuosic and the character and tempo are supreme.

There's also a fine set with Johannes Leertouwer on violin and Julian Reynolds on piano (a wonderful 1845 Rosenberger) on the GLOBE label. But of course all HIP recordings are totally outclassed by Thomas Zehetmair's and Malcolm Frager's recording of the sonatas op. 24 and op. 47.

BTW, after 1800 the term 'Fortepiano' rarely appears anymore. It was replaced by the word 'Pianoforte'.

[Gurn Blanston]

Originally posted by Cetto von Cronstorff:
There's also a fine set with Johannes Leertouwer on violin and Julian Reynolds on piano (a wonderful 1845 Rosenberger) on the GLOBE label. But of course all HIP recordings are totally outclassed by Thomas Zehetmair's and Malcolm Frager's recording of the sonatas op. 24 and op. 47.

BTW, after 1800 the term 'Fortepiano' rarely appears anymore. It was replaced by the word 'Pianoforte'.

That sounds like a set I will look for, although my success rate in finding Globe recordings, especially when they are not new releases, has been very poor indeed. I have come away with the feeling that they only burn a few copies and then put the masters away. For good

I knew about the historical use of "fortepiano", but looking back from today, we use the term to distinguish an actual period instrument (or reproduction, as the case may be) from a modern one. "Pianoforte" does nothing to help that cause, even though, as you say, at least by the last of Beethoven's 10 it was the term of choice.

Cheers,

[HaydnFan]

I went to a concert of fortepiano and violin (with gut strings) sonatas last week....Mozart's Sonata in B-flat (317d) (I think...), Mozart 6 Variations on a French Song (374b), and Beethoven's No. 4 in A minor (Op.23).

The performance was not all that great but I did enjoy the pieces which I had never heard before.