Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Piano and Violin Tasmin Little & Martin Roscoe

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1:
• 1 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1: I. Allegro con brio 09:40
• 2 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1: II. Andante con moto 01:22
• 3 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1: III. Variazione I 01:18
• 4 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1: IV. Variazione II 01:25
• 5 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1: V. Variazione III. Minore 01:04
• 6 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1: VI. Variazione IV. Maggiore 02:19
• 7 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1: VII. Rondo. Allegro 04:51
• Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2:
• 8 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2: I. Allegro con brio 08:03
• 9 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2: II. Adagio cantabile 09:23
• 10 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2: III. Scherzo. Allegro 03:34
• 11 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2: IV. Finale. Allegro - Presto 05:11
• Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96:
• 12 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96: I. Allegro moderato 11:16
• 13 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96: II. Adagio espressivo 07:28
• 14 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96: III. Scherzo. Allegro 01:51
• 15 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96: IV. Poco Allegretto 09:00
• Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12 No. 2:
• 16 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12 No. 2: I. Allegro vivace 06:31
• 17 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12 No. 2: II. Andante più tosto Allegretto 05:11
• 18 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12 No. 2: III. Allegro piacévole 05:01
• Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23:
• 19 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23: I. Presto 07:15
• 20 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23: II. Andante scherzoso più Allegretto 08:12
• 21 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23: III. Allegro molto - Adagio - Tempo I 05:23
• Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24, "Spring":
• 22 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24, "Spring": I. Allegro 10:17
• 23 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24, "Spring": II. Adagio molto espressivo 05:55
• 24 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24, "Spring": III. Scherzo. Allegro molto 01:15
• 25 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24, "Spring": IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo 06:52
• Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3:
• 26 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3: I. Allegro assai 06:41
• 27 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3: II. Tempo di Menuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso 07:29
• 28 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3: III. Allegro vivace 03:37
• Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1:
• 29 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: I. Allegro 07:48
• 30 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: II. Adagio molto espressivo 07:10
• 31 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: III. Tema 00:46
• 32 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: III. Variazione I 00:46
• 33 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: III. Variazione II 00:50
• 34 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: III. Variazione III 00:47
• 35 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: III. Variazione IV 00:56
• 36 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: III. Variazione V. Adagio 01:45
• 37 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: III. Variazione VI. Allegro, ma non tanto 02:10
• Violin Sonata No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 12 No. 3:
• 38 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 12 No. 3: I. Allegro con spirito 08:17
• 39 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 12 No. 3: II. Adagio con molta espressione 06:41
• 40 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 12 No. 3: III. Rondo. Allegro molto 04:08
• Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, "Kreutzer-Sonate":
• 41 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, "Kreutzer-Sonate": I. Adagio sostenuto - Presto 14:23
• 42 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, "Kreutzer-Sonate": II. Tema 02:35
• 43 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, "Kreutzer-Sonate": II. Variazione I 02:08
• 44 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, "Kreutzer-Sonate": II. Variazione II 02:01
• 45 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, "Kreutzer-Sonate": II. Variazione III. Minore 02:52
• 46 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, "Kreutzer-Sonate": II. Variazione IV. Maggiore 05:57
• 47 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, "Kreutzer-Sonate": III. Finale. Presto 08:46
• Total Runtime 03:58:10

Info for Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Piano and Violin

After a ‘sublime’ (BBC Music) complete set of Schubert’s violin sonatas with Piers Lane [CHAN 10850(2)], Tasmin Little joins Martin Roscoe in this recording of the complete violin sonatas by Beethoven.

In all, Beethoven wrote ten sonatas for piano and violin, and seems not to have entertained ideas for other works in this genre. All but one may be regarded as early works: only Op. 96, in G major, which was composed almost a decade after the last of the other nine, does not fall into this category. As a group, then, the violin sonatas do not offer a conspectus of Beethoven’s stylistic development such as we find in the string quartets, piano sonatas, symphonies, and even cello sonatas. But each work is a masterpiece in its own right, original, full of vitality, idiomatic for both the pianist and violinist who are equal-ranking participants in the ensemble, and executed with consummate compositional skill.

"one is very much aware of two distinct personalities, each with plenty to say about this music. There's even a sense of friendly rivalry - and all to the good. Little's expressive style is generous and extrovert, Roscoe's at times more inward looking…this is an impressive achievement, and beautifully recorded." (BBC Music Magazine)

"[Little and Roscoe] come across as being very attuned to one another, taking a notably cajoling approach ot the first movement of Op 30 No 3…the particular brand of fantasy in the Kreutzer suits Little and Roscoe particularly well and from its Bachian solo-violin opening onwards there's a real fire to the first movement" (Gramophone Magazine)

"Roscoe and Little seem inspired by the greatness and variety of this music. Neither artist has done anything finer on disc." (Sunday Times)

Tasmin Little, violin
Martin Roscoe, piano

Tasmin Little
In 2008, Tasmin Little was the subject of a television documentary by the prestigious South Bank Show, which followed her ground-breaking project "The Naked Violin".

This ambitious project, which boldly embraced the internet and offered up a free downloadable recital of works for solo violin, achieved phenomenal success after its release in 2008 and was widely hailed as 'revolutionary' and 'inspiring'. It included an on-going series of workshops and concerts around the UK, and created an extraordinary volume of media interest in newspapers, on television, radio and the internet. Within days of the release of The Naked Violin there were over 6000 international websites linked to Tasmin's site, all talking about the pioneering aspect of the download and her ability to promote the value of music to all corners of society. Tasmin received the 2008 Classic FM Gramophone Award for Audience Innovation for this project at the Dorchester, London, on September 25th 2008.

Tasmin has played with many of the world's greatest orchestras in a career that has taken her to every continent. In addition to her regular solo performances, she has play/directed orchestras such as Royal Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, London Mozart Players, English Chamber Orchestra, Norwegian Chamber, European Union Chamber Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia. In 2007/08 she joined the London Mozart Players as soloist and director in a tour of the UK which also featured her UK conducting debut.

Tasmin’s performances in the 2011/12 season took her back to the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam for a performance of Dritte Musik by Rihm, and she gave three concerto performances in London at the South Bank, Cadogan Hall and the Barbican. She returned to China, Singapore, Dublin and Philadelphia, made her debut in Dubai in December and in March 2012 she gave the World Premiere of the completed version of Roxanna Panufnik’s Four World Seasons with the London Mozart Players. This live National broadcast on BBC Radio 3 was opening concert of the Music Nation weekend, marking the beginning of the cultural events leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Forthcoming performances in 2012/13 include her debuts with St Louis Symphony and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and her return to Warsaw for two performances of the Brahms violin concerto, return performances in Perth and Tasmania, her second curation of a 3-day festival of chamber music at London’s Kings Place, a celebrity recital in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall with Martin Roscoe, performances in London’s South Bank Centre and five recording projects for Chandos Records.

In 2011, Tasmin made her seventeenth appearance at the BBC Promenade Concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, London, in a performance of the Elgar Violin Concerto with Sir Andrew Davis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. In 2012, she will appear twice at the Proms, in a performance of Delius violin concerto with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko, and at the “Musical Marvels” Wallace and Gromit Prom with Nicholas Collon and the Aurora Orchestra. She continues to champion seldom-performed repertoire and has received critical acclaim as one of the few violinists to have mastered Ligeti's challenging violin concerto. Her 2003 tour with the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle, during which she performed the concerto at the Proms, Berlin Philharmonie, the Salzburg Festival, New York's Carnegie Hall and Philadelphia's Kimmel Center, received unanimous critical acclaim ('the technical command was glorious' ­ The Guardian; 'very beautiful' ­ Berliner Morgenpost; 'a major violin talent' ­ Philadelphia Inquirer; 'a formidable soloist' ­ New York Times). In 2007 she returned to the work with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

In 2006, Tasmin was Artistic Director of her hugely successful 'Delius Inspired' Festival, which was broadcast for an entire week on BBC Radio 3 in July. An exciting range of events, ranging from orchestral concerts and chamber music to films and exhibitions, also reached 800 school children in an ambitious programme designed to widen interest in classical music for young people. She was Artistic Director of Spring Sounds Festival from 2008 until 2010. In April 2012, to celebrate the 150th year since Delius' birth, Tasmin, as a leading exponent of this composer's music, was invited to appear on BBC Radio 3 "Composer of the Week" featuring Delius, where she discussed the life and music of the composer.

Her discography reflects her wide-ranging repertoire and includes twenty-five recordings, ranging from Bruch and Brahms to Karlowicz and Arvo Pärt. Her recording of all the four Delius Violin Sonatas with Piers Lane won the prized Diapason d'Or. In March 2009 she released the disc 'Partners in Time', her follow-up to The Naked Violin, and in Autumn 2010 her long-awaited recording of the Elgar violin concerto was released on the Chandos label to unanimous critical acclaim. The recording celebrated the 100th anniversary of the concerto’s premiere and included a re-creation of a special version of the accompanied cadenza. Tasmin won the much-coveted "Critic's Choice" award for the Elgar disc at the May 2011 Classic BRIT Awards Ceremony.

Tasmin Little is an Ambassador for The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts, is a Fellow of the Guildhall of Music and Drama, is President of ESTA (European String Teachers Association), an Ambassador for Youth Music, and has received Honorary Degrees from the Universities of Bradford, Leicester, Hertfordshire and City of London. In 2009, she received a prestigious Gold Badge Award for services to music.

She plays a 1757 Guadagnini violin and has, on kind loan from the Royal Academy of Music, the 'Regent' Stradivarius of 1708.

In June 2012, Tasmin Little was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Birthday Honours List, for services to music.

Booklet for Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Piano and Violin