Beethoven: Sonatas for Piano and Violin Vol. 2 Michael Foyle & Maksim Štšura

• Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): Sonata No. 3 in E flat Major Op. 12, No. 3:
• 1 Beethoven: Sonata No. 3 in E flat Major Op. 12, No. 3: I. Allegro con spirito 06:29
• 2 Beethoven: Sonata No. 3 in E flat Major Op. 12, No. 3: II. Adagio con molta espressione 05:43
• 3 Beethoven: Sonata No. 3 in E flat Major Op. 12, No. 3: III. Rondo: Allegro molto 04:45
• Sonata No. 8 in G Major Op. 30, No. 3:
• 4 Beethoven: Sonata No. 8 in G Major Op. 30, No. 3: I. Allegro assai 04:30
• 5 Beethoven: Sonata No. 8 in G Major Op. 30, No. 3: II. Tempo di Minuetto ma molto moderato e grazioso 07:08
• 6 Beethoven: Sonata No. 8 in G Major Op. 30, No. 3: III. Allegro vivace 03:39
• Sonata No. 6 in A Major Op. 30, No. 1:
• 7 Beethoven: Sonata No. 6 in A Major Op. 30, No. 1: I. Allegro 06:09
• 8 Beethoven: Sonata No. 6 in A Major Op. 30, No. 1: II. Adagio molto espressivo 06:40
• 9 Beethoven: Sonata No. 6 in A Major Op. 30, No. 1: III. Allegretto con variazioni 08:30
• Sonata No. 7 in C minor Op. 30, No. 2:
• 10 Beethoven: Sonata No. 7 in C minor Op. 30, No. 2: I. Allegro con brio 07:59
• 11 Beethoven: Sonata No. 7 in C minor Op. 30, No. 2: II. Adagio cantabile 07:59
• 12 Beethoven: Sonata No. 7 in C minor Op. 30, No. 2: III. Scherzo. Allegro & Trio 03:38
• 13 Beethoven: Sonata No. 7 in C minor Op. 30, No. 2: IV. Finale: Allegro & Presto 05:21
• Total Runtime 01:18:30

Info for Beethoven: Sonatas for Piano and Violin Vol. 2

The year 1802 proved to be a year of true challenge for Beethoven, as he finally realized that his decline into deafness was irreversible. However, in this year Beethoven composed some of his most radiant and life-affirming works in that period. Possibly as part of the determination to push the boundaries of his art in pursuit of solace and fulfillment, Beethoven demonstrates a remarkable stylistic shift between the Op. 12 and the Op. 30 Sonatas (written in 1801–2, published in 1803). While the former set was dedicated to Salieri in a nod of appreciation towards his education, the latter was dedicated to Tsar Aleksandr I of Russia, celebrated upon his visits to Vienna in the first part of the 19th Century for his wide-reaching reformist attitude.

Michael Foyle, violin
Maksim Štšura, piano

Michael Foyle
Praised for playing of ‘compelling conviction’ (The Daily Telegraph) and performances ‘full of sparkling detail, with tonal beauty and incisive rhythmic clarity, balancing wit and poetry’ (The Strad), Michael Foyle launched his career by winning The Netherlands Violin Competition in 2016. His performance of Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No.1 with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra led to an immediate invitation to give his debut recital in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

His London debut followed with a recital at the Wigmore Hall (‘superlative’ – Seen and Heard International) and since then he has performed recitals in the UK’s most prestigious venues, including Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Buckingham Palace, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Bridgewater Hall and Usher Hall, regularly being broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

In 2018-19 he released his debut CDs, ‘The Great War Centenary - Debussy, Janacek and Respighi Sonatas’ on Challenge Records and ‘Lutoslawski and Penderecki: Complete Violin and Piano Works’ on Delphian Records, both to critical acclaim (‘vividly and beautifully conceived and executed – BBC Music Magazine, ‘richly detailed and impassioned performances’ - The Daily Telegraph, ‘a dream debut, 10/10’ – Luister, ’an extraordinary release, played phenomenally’ – Stretto). In 2020-21, he is releasing the Complete Beethoven Sonatas with pianist Maksim Stsura to mark the composer's bicentenary.

Michael now pursues a busy solo career, recently performing concertos with the English Chamber Orchestra at Cadogan Hall (Prokofiev No.1), the Polish Baltic Philharmonic in Gdansk (Elgar), Youth Symphony Orchestra of Russia in Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory (Brahms) and a return to the Rotterdam Philharmonic (Korngold). He gives recitals at festivals worldwide, including St. Magnus International Festival, New York Chamber Music Festival, Grachtenfestival Amsterdam, Cervantino Festival (Mexico) and Evgeny Mravinsky Festival (St. Petersburg).

Also a passionate collaborator, Michael has recently performed with the likes of Michael Collins, Rafael Payare, Trevor Pinnock, London Conchord Ensemble and the Brodsky Quartet. With duo pianist Maksim Stsura, he has given over 200 recitals. He has performed premieres of solo and chamber works by over 30 living composers, while invitations to perform as Guest-Concertmaster with orchestras such as BBC Symphony and The Halle have seen him working with conductors including Semyon Bychkov, Mark Elder, Oliver Knussen, Sakari Oramo and Vasily Petrenko.

Alongside his performance work, Michael became Professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2016, the youngest violinist appointed in the institution’s 200-year history. In October 2021 he will also join the violin faculty of the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne.

Michael was born in Scotland in 1991 and, as a teenager, won the BBC Young Musician of the Year Tabor Award and led the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. He studied at the Royal College of Music and Royal Academy of Music in London with Maureen Smith and Daniel Rowland, and then at the Vienna Konservatorium with Pavel Vernikov. He also received masterclasses from James Ehnes and Maxim Vengerov. During this time, Michael won the Royal Overseas League String Competition, the Salieri-Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition and Beethoven Society of Europe Competition, and was selected for the Park Lane Group, City Music Foundation, Kirckman Concert Society, Making Music Young Concert Artists and Live Music Now.

He plays a Gennaro Gagliano violin (1750) on loan.

Booklet for Beethoven: Sonatas for Piano and Violin Vol. 2