Sergei Edelmann

Posted: Monday | 12.19.11

Beethoven: Three Piano Sonatas

Beethoven:

Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 7

Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ‘Moonlight’

Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 ‘Appassionata’

Performed by Sergei Edelmann

Several great artists such as Andras Schiff and Daniel Barenboim have recently performed the complete 32 piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven at a series of concerts repeated in major cities world-wide. This is an undertaking that shows the listener not only the great genius of the composer, but also the abilities of the interpreter to effectively communicate Beethoven’s masterpieces.

The latest recording by the Ukrainian pianist Sergei Edelmann features just three of Beethoven’s sonatas for solo piano: No. 4 in E flat major opus 7, and two of his best known works, Sonatas No.14 in C# minor opus 27 No.2 known as the ‘Moonlight’, and 23 in F minor opus 57 ‘Appassionata’.

Born in Lvov, Ukraine in 1960, Sergei Edelmann was taught to play by his father, Alexander Edelmann, a renowned pianist and teacher who had links with Vladimir Horowitz and Sviatoslav Richter. His BMG Classics/RCA Red Seal CDs feature recordings of both Mendelssohn Concertos and the Strauss Burlesque, and his series of solo recordings of Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, and Prokofiev, have gathered enthusiastic critical acclaim.

Following closely after the opus 2 set of three sonatas which were written by Beethoven in 1796, the next in the series, Op. 7, stands alone, and bears the designation ‘Grande Sonate’. It was composed around the same time as the first two piano concertos. The two Sonatas which make up Beethoven’s Op. 27 were composed in 1801. The opus 57 Sonata was written in around 1805. The title ‘Appassionata’ is thought to have been added to the work by the publisher.

Here is Sergei Edelmann in F. Schubert’s Impromptu op.90