Beethoven by Arrangement, Volume One
Although a violist himself, Beethoven left nothing for the viola — except for the fragment of a sonata recorded here for the first time. So his contemporaries and successors have 'helped' him fill the gaps: it was Karl Xaver Kleinheinz (1765-1832) who arranged the String Trio, Op. 8, gaining Beethoven's reluctant approval; and a later musician, Friedrich Hermann (1828-1907), transformed the Septet, Op. 20, into an ambitious viola sonata. And now Paul Silverthorne, Principal Viola of the London Symphony Orchestra, expands the repertoire with his own transcription of the Horn Sonata, Op. 17.
Paul Silverthorne, viola
David Owen Norris, piano
Listen To This Recording:
- Viola Sonata in A major: fragment
- I. Allegro moderato
- II. Poco adagio, quasi Andante
- III. Rondo: Allegro molto
- I. Marcia. Allegro
- II. Adagio
- III. Menuetto. Allegretto
- IV. Adagio – Scherzo: Molto Allegro – Adagio – Scherzo – Adagio
- V. Allegretto alla Polacca
- VI. Tema con Variazioni. Andante quasi Allegretto
- VII. Marcia. Allegro
- I. Adagio – Allegro con brio
- II. Adagio cantabile
- III. Tempo di Menuetto
- IV. Tema con Variazioni. Andante
- V. Scherzo. Allegro molto e vivace
- VI. Andante con moto alla Marcia – Presto
Horn Sonata in F major, Op. 17 (1800)
Notturno in D major, Op. 42 (1803)
Grand Duo in E flat major (Septet), Op. 20 (1798t9)
MusicWeb International :
‘Silverthorne’s playing on the Amati viola is impassioned and completely in-style. […]
Lively and touching Beethoven voiced for the piano and viola. Viola players and the world’s curious Beethovenians will need to have this.
—Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International
Fanfare Magazine :
‘Silverthorne, […], playing a colorful, extremely beautiful sounding (and naturally recorded) Blümel fortepiano, a Viennese instrument from the 1860s, play extremely well. There are no surprises in their lively interpretations, but they are well attuned to the style and make much of its variety of articulation.’
—Paul Orge, Fanfare Magazine May/June 2013