Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata with Natasha Loges and Andrew McGregor
Natasha Loges chooses her favourite recording of Beethoven's Violin Sonata No 9 in A, Op 47, 'Kreutzer', plus Andrew McGregor reviews the new Riccardo Muti set with William Mival.
9.30 Building a Library
Natasha Loges chooses her favourite recording of Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata
Beethoven's Violin Sonata in A major, Op.47, more commonly known simply as the Kreutzer Sonata, is one of the most technically challenging pieces in the violin repertoire. Leo Tolstoy immortalised the work in his notorious and daring 1889 novella The Kreutzer Sonata, which was promptly censored by the Russian authorities and, a year later, prohibited in newspapers in the USA.
Beethoven composed his Kreutzer Sonata in 1803 and originally dedicated it to his friend and leading virtuoso of the day, George Bridgetower. They premiered the work together in May 1803 at Vienna's Augarten Theatre, allegedly sight-reading the entire work. Shortly afterwards, the two men fell out and Beethoven changed the dedication to the French violin pedagogue, composer and conductor, Rudolphe Kreutzer. It is said that Kreutzer himself hated the sonata and refused to play it. The dedication, however, has remained.
It is a lengthy three-movement work in which a serene Andante with variations is bookended by two fiery outer movements.
10.45
William Mival joins Andrew to review the new 91-CD box set, Riccardo Muti: The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings.
11.20
Record of the Week
Andrew recommends an outstanding new release.
Last on
Music Played
![]()
Percy Grainger
Irish Tune from County Derry 'Danny Boy'
Performer: Angela Hewitt.- Hyperion.
![]()
Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 6 in D major 'Le Matin' - I. Adagio - Allegro
Ensemble: Il Giardino Armonico. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.- Haydn 2032, Vol. 10: Les heures du jour.
- Alpha.
![]()
Erik Satie
Carnet d'esquisses et de croquis: No. 18, Petit prelude de "La mort de Monsieur
- Satie: Piano Music, Vol. 4.
- BIS.
- 18.
![]()
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590 "Prussian No. 3" - IV. Allegro
Ensemble: Doric String Quartet.- Mozart: String Quartets, Vol. 1 – The Prussian Quartets.
- Chandos.
- 4.
![]()
Elizabeth Maconchy
Concertino for Bassoon and String Orchestra: I. Moderato
Performer: Laurence Perkins. Ensemble: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: William Goodchild.- Voyage of a sea-god.
- Hyperion.
- 1.
![]()
André Cardinal Destouches
Semiramis: Chaconne, Dieu charmant de Cythere & Quelle turbillon de feux
Singer: Éléonore Pancrazi. Singer: Choeur du Concert Spirituel. Singer: Mathias Vidal. Singer: Emmanuelle de Negri. Ensemble: Les Ombres. Director: Sylvain Sartre.- Destouches: Semiramis.
- Château de Versailles Spectacles.
- 10.
![]()
Maurice Ravel
Piano Trio in A Minor, M. 67: II. Pantoum
Performer: Alexander Sitkovetsky. Performer: Isang Enders. Performer: Qian Wu. Ensemble: Sitkovetsky Trio.- Ravel & Saint-Saëns: Piano Trios.
- BIS.
- 2.
![]()
Morfydd Owen
Gweddi y Pechadur
Performer: Andrew Matthews-Owen. Singer: Natalya Romaniw.- Taliesin's Songbook.
- Tŷ Cerdd.
- 21.
![]()
Alfred Schnittke
Choral Concerto (4th mvt)
Choir: Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Conductor: Kaspars Putniņš.- Schnittke & Pärt: Choral Works (2).
- BIS.
- 4.
![]()
Gioachino Rossini
William Tell - Overture
Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Muti.![]()
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17 'Little Russian': i. Andante sostenuto - Allegro vivo
Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Muti.![]()
Ottorino Respighi
Pini di Roma. i. Pini della Via Appia
Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Muti.![]()
Giuseppe Verdi
Requiem: Dies Irae, Tuba Mirum & Mors Stupebit
Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Muti.![]()
Johannes Brahms
Two Rhapsodies (Op. 79): No 1 in B minor & No 2 in G minor
Performer: Garrick Ohlsson.- Brahms: Piano Sonatas & Rhapsodies.
- Hyperion.
Record Review
DISCS PLAYED & REVIEWED ON RECORD REVIEW:
Saturday 3rd July 2021
9.00am
Love songs – music by Grainger, Liszt, Schumann, R. Strauss, etc
Angela Hewitt (piano)
Hyperion CDA68341
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68341
Haydn 2032, Vol. 10: Les heures du jour (Haydn Symphonies 6-8, Mozart Serenata Notturna)
Il Giardino Armonico
Giovanni Antonini (conductor)
Alpha ALPHA686
https://outhere-music.com/en/albums/Haydn-2032-Vol-10-Les-heures-du-jour-ALPHA686
Satie Vol. 4: relâche/Cinéma
Noriko Ogawa (Erard piano 1890)
BIS BIS2335 (Hybrid SACD)
https://bis.se/performers/ogawa-noriko/satie-relache-cinema-piano-music-vol-4
Mozart: Prussian Quartets
Doric String Quartet
Chandos CHAN 20249(2) (2CDs)
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%2020249
Voyage of a Sea-God – Music by Prokofiev, Bax, Saint-Saëns, etc
Laurence Perkins (bassoon)
Michael Hancock (piano)
Amy Thompson, Matthew Kitteringham & Catriona McDermid (bassoon)
Eira Lynn Jones (harp)
Susie Mészáros (viola)
Michael Escreet (double bass)
Carducci Quartet
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
William Goodchild (conductor)
Hyperion CDA68371/2 (2 CDs)
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68371/2
9.30am – Building a Library – Natasha Loges on Beethoven Kreutzer Sonata
Recommended Recording:
Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin)
Fazil Say (piano)
Naïve V5146
Other recommendations:
Viktoria Mullova (violin)
Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano)
Onyx ONYX4050
https://onyxclassics.com/release/kreutzer-sonata-beethoven-violin-sonatas-3-9/
Gidon Kremer (violin)
Martha Argerich (piano)
DG 4767256
10.15am – New Releases
Destouches: Semiramis
Eleonore Pancrazi (Sémiramis/mezzo-soprano)
Emmanuelle De Negri (Amestris/soprano)
Matthias Vidal (Arsane/tenor)
Choeur du Concert Spirituel
Les Ombres
Sylvain Sartre (director)
Château de Versailles Spectacles CVS038 (2 CDs)
Ravel & Saint-Saëns: Piano Trios
Sitkovetsky Trio
BIS BIS2219 (Hybrid SACD)
https://bis.se/orchestras-ensembles/sitkovetsky-trio/ravel-saint-saens-piano-trios
Taliesin's Songbook – music by Elwyn-Edwards, Bowden, Mathias, Owen, Williams, etc
Andrew Matthews-Owen (piano)
Rebecca Evans, Susan Bullock, Elin Manahan Thomas, & Natalya Romaniw (soprano)
Elgan Llŷr Thomas (tenor)
Gareth Brynmor John (baritone)
Catrin Finch (harp)
Tŷ Cerdd TCR031
https://www.tycerdd.org/taliesins-songbook
Schnittke & Pärt: Choral Works (2)
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Kaspars Putnins (conductor)
BIS BIS2521 (Hybrid SACD)
https://bis.se/conductors/putnins-kaspars/schnittke-part-choral-works-2
10.40am – Reissues: William Mival on The Complete Recordings of Riccardo Muti
The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings
Riccardo Muti (conductor)
Warner Classics 9029500834 (91 CDs)
https://www.warnerclassics.com/release/riccardo-muti-complete-recordings
11.20am – Record of the Week
Brahms: Piano Sonatas & Rhapsodies
Garrick Ohlsson (piano)
Hyperion CDA68334
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68334
Broadcast
- Sat 3 Jul 202109:00BBC Radio 3
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive Radio 3 audio archive of programmes about composers and their works.
Browse previous episodes of the Record Review Podcast
All episodes since 2010, listed alphabetically by composer surname.
Why the music we love as teens stays with us for life
Cognitive neuropyschology can explain why we return to old favourites again and again.
