COMPOSERS: Beethoven
LABELS: Teldec Das Alte Werk
WORKS: Clarinet Trio in B flat, Op. 11; Allegro and Minuet, WoO 26; Horn Sonata, Op. 17
PERFORMER: Hermann Baumann (horn), Anner Bylsma (cello), etc
CATALOGUE NO: 3984-21708-2 ADD 1969
These must surely have been the first ever recordings of Beethoven on period instruments. By present-day standards, the fortepiano sounds a little clattery, the horn’s stopped notes are unconvincingly incorporated into the melodic line, and there is some wayward tuning. But the sense conveyed by these (mostly Dutch) musicians of pioneering discovery, and of sheer enjoyment of some delightful music from Beethoven’s early years, remains undimmed. A pity, though, that much of the original documentation has been dropped, including even the list of instruments. Anthony Burton
Beethoven: Clarinet Trio in B flat, Op. 11; Allegro and Minuet, WoO 26; Horn Sonata, Op. 17
These must surely have been the first ever recordings of Beethoven on period instruments. By present-day standards, the fortepiano sounds a little clattery, the horn’s stopped notes are unconvincingly incorporated into the melodic line, and there is some wayward tuning. But the sense conveyed by these (mostly Dutch) musicians of pioneering discovery, and of sheer enjoyment of some delightful music from Beethoven’s early years, remains undimmed. A pity, though, that much of the original documentation has been dropped, including even the list of instruments. Anthony Burton
Our rating
4
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:29 pm