Janine Jansen and Denis Kozhukhin
Many musicians are commemorating the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death at the Concertgebouw this year. For instance, the Belcea Quartet is performing all of his string quartets, and Ronald Brautigam is taking a deep dive into the piano oeuvre of this giant. Janine Jansen and Denis Kozhukhin, seasoned chamber music partners, are also paying tribute to the Viennese classic: all of his violin sonatas will be performed over three evenings. 'A perfect pair,' says Bachtrack about the Netherlands' most celebrated violinist in combination with one of its favorite chamber music partners. Together, the violinist and pianist have already toured many venues worldwide and surprised their listeners with musical highlights. Now it is Beethoven's turn.
Beethoven's Violin Sonatas 8, 5 and 9
Beethoven's two most famous violin sonatas, the Spring Sonata and the Kreutzer Sonata , share this program with the Eighth Violin Sonata , a very fine transitional work to a new style. The fresh and refined Spring Sonata soon became one of Beethoven's most popular works. The contrast with the Ninth , dedicated to the violinist Rudolph Kreutzer—who, incidentally, never played it—is enormous. Beethoven himself called this sonata 'almost a violin concerto'. Due to its broad scope and high technical demands, this work leaves the classical form far behind. With the Ninth Violin Sonata, a new musical era begins for Beethoven.