Dumay, Pires: Beethoven – Complete Violin Sonatas (3 CD, FLAC)

Performer: Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 3
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Size: 988 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Disc 1
01. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in D, Op.12 No.1 – 1. Allegro con brio
02. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in D, Op.12 No.1 – 2. Tema con variazioni (Andante con moto)
03. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in D, Op.12 No.1 – 3. Rondo (Allegro)
04. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.2 in A, Op.12 No.2 – 1. Allegro vivace
05. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.2 in A, Op.12 No.2 – 2. Andante più tosto allegretto
06. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.2 in A, Op.12 No.2 – 3. Allegro piacevole
07. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.4 in A minor, Op.23 – 1. Presto
08. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.4 in A minor, Op.23 – 2. Andante scherzoso, più allegretto
09. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.4 in A minor, Op.23 – 3. Allegro molto
10. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.3 in E flat, Op.12 No.3 – 1. Allegro con spirito
11. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.3 in E flat, Op.12 No.3 – 2. Adagio con molt’espressione
12. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.3 in E flat, Op.12 No.3 – 3. Rondo (Allegro molto)

Disc 2
01. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.8 in G, Op.30 No.3 – 1. Allegro assai
02. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.8 in G, Op.30 No.3 – 2. Tempo di minuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso
03. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.8 in G, Op.30 No.3 – 3. Allegro vivace
04. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.5 in F, Op.24 – “Spring” – 1. Allegro
05. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.5 in F, Op.24 – “Spring” – 2. Adagio molto espressivo
06. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.5 in F, Op.24 – “Spring” – 3. Scherzo (Allegro molto)
07. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.5 in F, Op.24 – “Spring” – 4. Rondo (Allegro ma non troppo)
08. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.9 in A, Op.47 – “Kreutzer” – 1. Adagio sostenuto – Presto
09. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.9 in A, Op.47 – “Kreutzer” – 2. Andante con variazioni
10. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.9 in A, Op.47 – “Kreutzer” – 3. Finale (Presto)

Disc 3
01. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.10 in G, Op.96 – 1. Allegro moderato
02. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.10 in G, Op.96 – 2. Adagio espressivo
03. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.10 in G, Op.96 – 3. Scherzo (Allegro)
04. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.10 in G, Op.96 – 4. Poco allegretto
05. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.6 in A, Op.30 No.1 – 1. Allegro
06. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.6 in A, Op.30 No.1 – 2. Adagio
07. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.6 in A, Op.30 No.1 – 3. Allegretto con variazioni
08. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.7 in C minor, Op.30 No.2 – 1. Allegro con brio
09. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.7 in C minor, Op.30 No.2 – 2. Adagio cantabile
10. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.7 in C minor, Op.30 No.2 – 3. Scherzo (Allegro)
11. Sonata for Violin and Piano No.7 in C minor, Op.30 No.2 – 4. Finale (Allegro)

# Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in D major, Op. 12/1
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay

# Sonata for violin & piano No. 2 in A major, Op. 12/2
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay

# Sonata for violin & piano No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay

# Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 12/3
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay

# Sonata for violin & piano No. 8 in G major, Op. 30/3
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay

# Sonata for violin & piano No. 5 in F major (“Spring”), Op. 24
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay

# Sonata for violin & piano No. 9 in A major (“Kreutzer”), Op. 47
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay

# Sonata for violin & piano No. 10 in G major (“The Cockcrow”), Op. 96
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay

# Sonata for violin & piano No. 6 in A major, Op. 30/1
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay

# Sonata for violin & piano No. 7 in C minor (“Eroica”), Op. 30/2
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
with Maria-Joao Pires, Augustin Dumay

Top-level playing!

This set of Beethoven violin sonatas is aces all around, deserving more credit than Edith Eisler’s derisive “musings” above. I hear absolutely none of the “stridency” she claims, none of the “loud”, none of the “heavy-handedness”, “chaotic”, “excessiveness”, and so forth…

This is a set of violin sonatas with spunk, gusto, enthusiasm, richly recorded with Dumay’s violin sounding warmly rosiny (i.e., realistic) and Pires’s piano sounding appropriately bell-like. Again, nicely realistic. The two play as if they’ve lived with this music all their lives. The interaction is amazing – and dead accurate!

No, this may not be the ideal set of violin sonatas for those who prefer their Beethoven on the “soothing” and/or “passive” side (characterless is more like it). This is Beethoven playing with FEELING, with a sinewy presence and a winning approachability. The musical layers are peeled away which allows the myriad invention to shine brightly.

It’ll draw the listener in for sure, but, well, it’s Beethoven. Interactive is Beethoven’s middle name. If the music isn’t invigorating then the performers have fallen down on the job. No chance of that here. Bravo Dumay/Pires!!