Beethoven, Schumann, Franck Renaud Capuçon & Martha Argerich

• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856): Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 105:
• 1 Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 105: I. Mit leidenschaftlichem Ausdruck 07:48
• 2 Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 105: II. Allegretto 03:59
• 3 Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 105: III. Lebhaft 04:56
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 "Kreutzer":
• 4 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 "Kreutzer": I. Adagio sostenuto - Presto 13:45
• 5 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 "Kreutzer": II. Andante con variazioni 16:05
• 6 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 "Kreutzer": III. Finale (Presto) 08:39
• César Franck (1822 - 1890): Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8:
• 7 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8: I. Allegretto ben moderato 06:30
• 8 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8: II. Allegro 08:04
• 9 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8: III. Recitativo - Fantasia (Ben moderato) 07:28
• 10 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8: IV. Allegretto poco mosso 05:59
• Total Runtime 01:23:13

Info for Beethoven, Schumann, Franck

French violinist Renaud Capuçon enjoys international renown as a soloist and chamber musician, is artistic director of several festivals and is also known for his commitment to promoting and supporting younger artists and for commissioning compositions. Now he signs a contract with Deutsche Grammophon and the first album on the yellow label is not long in coming: a duo album with three of the most beautiful sonatas for violin and piano - accompanied by the pianist Martha Argerich. The two are now a seasoned duo and have been playing on the stages of international festivals and concert halls for 20 years.

The concert heard here was recorded live in April 2022 at the Easter Festival in Aix-en-Provence. It was dedicated to the American pianist Nicholas Angelich, a friend and colleague who had died only a few days earlier. The programme includes three great works for violin and piano: Schumann's Sonata No. 1 op. 105, Beethoven's Sonata No. 9 op. 47 ("Kreutzer") and Franck's Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major. "It's a real live recording," says Capuçon, "you rarely get something like this in the studio. Of course it's an honour for me to play these pieces with Martha, but at the same time it feels natural. She coaxes things out of me like no one else."

Renaud Capucon, violin
Martha Argerich, piano

Renaud Capuçon
Born in Chambéry in 1976, Renaud Capuçon studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris with Gérard Poulet and Veda Reynolds. He was awarded first prize for chamber music in 1992 and first prize for violin with a special distinction from the jury in 1993. In 1995 he won the Prize of the Berlin Academy of Arts. Then he studied with Thomas Brandis in Berlin, and later with Isaac Stern. Invited by Claudio Abbado in 1997, he continued his musical experiences as konzertmeister of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester during three summers with Pierre Boulez, Seiji Ozawa, Daniel Barenboim, Franz Welser-Moest and of course Claudio Abbado. In 2000 he was nominated “Rising Star” and “New talent of the Year” (French Victoires de la Musique), in 2005 “Soliste instrumental de l’année”, also by the French Victoires de la Musique, and in 2006 “Prix Georges Enesco” (Sacem).

He is playing with: Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Munich Bayerische Rundfunk, DSO Berlin, Bamberger Symphoniker, Hessischer Rundfunk, NDR Hamburg and WDR Köln orchestras, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Phiharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Washington National Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, Lyon, Monte-Carlo, and Toulouse Orchestras, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Moskow Radio Tchaikovsky Orchestra, Danish Royal Orchestra, Swedish Radio Orchestra, London Symphony, Academy of St-Martin-in-the-Fields, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, City of Birmingham Symphony, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Firenze Maggio Musicale Orchestra, Milano Scala Philharmonic, Rome Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Lausanne and Zurich Chamber Orchestras, under Marc Albrecht, Christian Arming, Lionel Bringuier, Semyon Bychkov, Myung-Whun Chung, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Thomas Dausgaard, Christoph von Dohnanyi Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Ivan Fischer, Bernard Haitink, Daniel Harding, Gunther Herbig, Kristjan, Paavo and Neeme Järvi, Philippe Jordan, Emmanuel Krivine, Kurt Masur, Ludovic Morlot, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, David Robertson, Dennis Russel-Davis, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Leonard Slatkin, Tugan Sokhiev, Robert Ticciati… In 2011 he toured USA with the China Philharmonic and Long Yu, played in China with the Guangzhou and Shanghai Symphonies and Claus Peter Flor and gave integrals of Beethoven Sonatas with F. Braley in Europe, Singapore and Hong-Kong.

Renaud Capuçon plays chamber music with Martha Argerich, Hélène Grimaud, Nicholas Angelich, Frank Braley, Yefim Bronfman, Myung-Whun Chung, Yuri Bashmet, Katia and Marielle Labèque, Mischa Maisky, Truls Mork, Maria Joao Pires, Mikhail Pletnev, Antoine Tamestit, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Maxim Vengerov. He is invited by prestigious festivals: London Mostly Mozart, Edinburgh, Berlin, Ludwigsburg, Rheingau, Lucerne, Montreux, Lockenhaus, Verbier, Gstaad, Salzburg, Schwarzenberg, Jerusalem, Stavanger, Canarias, San Sebastian, Aix-en-Provence, Roque d’Anthéron, Menton, Saint-Denis, Strasbourg, Hollywood Bowl, Tanglewood…

Discography for EMI Classics: Mendelssohn and Haydn trios and the Triple Concerto by Beethoven with Martha Argerich, Schubert recital, Berlioz/Saint-Saëns/Milhaud/Ravel with Daniel Harding and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Ravel chamber music with Gautier Capuçon and Frank Braley, duos with his brother; Dutilleux Concerto with the Radio France Philharmonic under Myung-Whun Chung (« Grand Prix Académie Charles Cros », « Choc de la Musique », « Diapason d’Or », « Fonoforum/Sterne des Monates »), Saint-Saëns chamber music, Brahms Trios with Gautier Capuçon and Nicholas Angelich (Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik), Schubert Trout, Mendelssohn/Schumann concertos with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Harding, Brahms Sonatas with Nicholas Angelich (Gramophone/Editor’s Choice-Scherzo/Excepcional-Diapason d’Or-Choc/Monde de la Musique), Brahms Double Concerto with Gautier Capuçon and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester (Gramophone/Editor’s Choice) and Brahms Quartets with Gautier, Gérard Caussé and Nicholas Angelich, Mozart Concertos and Sinfonia Concertante with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Louis Langrée and Antoine Tamestit, Beethoven/Korngold concertos with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Beethoven Sonatas for violin/piano with Frank Braley, Fauré chamber music with N. Angelich, G. Capuçon, M. Dalberto, G. Caussé and Ebène Quartet.

Renaud Capuçon plays the Guarneri del Gesù “Panette” (1737) that belonged to Isaac Stern, bought for him by the Banca Svizzera Italiana (BSI). In June 2011 he is appointed “Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite” by the French Government.

Booklet for Beethoven, Schumann, Franck