Strong passion is an ever-present element of Beethoven’s music, it is seen in creative works of the composer not only since his Sonata Pathétique, as Beethoven himself named to the publisher the piece that he wrote. “As a composer of piano music Beethoven demonstrated might, scale and ability to touch the hearts”, - spluttered the Vienna press. It was at the same time that Beethoven started to notice first signs of deafness and was terrified realizing the imminent catastrophe. “I want, if that is possible, to confront my destiny, although I know that at certain moments I will be a most unhappy creature”, the composer wrote. The C minor scale in which the the Pathétique sonata was written was regarded at that time as “lamenting”, “sorrowful”, and also considered to be “fierce” and “rampant”, pathetic as such. In many of his other outstanding compositions Beethoven also preferred to use C minor scale: remember the violin sonata No.7, the piano concerto No.3, the Fifth symphony or the last sonata of the great composer. 

In piano sonatas Beethoven keenly experimented with means of expression and the pathbreaking formal structure. The first of the two sonatas, subtitled “quasi una fantasia” (by the way, the other fantasia-like piece is the famous Moonlight Sonata) is distinguished with the fact that its three, or possibly four movements flow one into another without breaks: thus, in its musical structure sonata reminds of an ample fantasy.

Beside the two sonatas by Beethoven Kateryna Titova performing at the piano during today’s concert will treat us with a virtuoso performance of an ingenious paraphrase of Mozart’s Rondo alla Turca which slipped the pen of an outstanding pianist Arcadi Volodos. Born in Ukraine, Kateryna began her high musical education in Dresden and continued in Manchester and Imola. The pianist with bright individuality is a winner of many grants from reputable funds, touring with concerts worldwide, and recorded several discs of piano and chamber music.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Piano sonata No.13 E-flat major, op. 27 No.1 (1800-01)
I. Andante - Allegro - Andante
II. Allegro molto e vivace
III. Adagio con espressione
IV. Allegro vivace  

Piano sonata No.8 C minor op. 13 “Pathétique” (1797-99)
I. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
II. Adagio cantabile
III. Rondo. Allegro  

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Arcadi Volodos
Rondo alla Turca from Piano Sonata A major KV 311