Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonatas (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his 10 violin sonatas between 1797 and 1812. The Sonatas No. 1 to No. 9 were written between 1797 and 1803 before almost ten years passed until his Opus 96. The composer premiered all his early piano works himself, which might be why he called them “Sonatas for Pianoforte and Violin”. In the spirit of W. A. Mozart’s redefinition of the genre, who elevated the violin from its previously only accompanying role, and in spite of today’s common designation as “violin sonatas,” both instrumental parts in Beethoven’s sonatas are on an equal musical footing.

In 2020 – the anniversary year surrounding Beethoven’s 250th birthday – the Korean violinist Clara-Jumi Kang and her partner on the piano, Sunwook Kim, took on this special cycle of chamber music works. Kang first worked on one of Beethoven’s sonatas, the Fifth, at the tender age of eight and can already look back on an extremely successful international career. With Sunwook Kim, she has an exceptionally experienced Beethoven interpreter at her side, whose recordings of the piano sonatas, among others, have received high accolades around the globe. Together they have developed an inspiring and very personal reading of Beethoven’s Sonatas, of which this complete recording bears impressive witness.

Tracklist:
01. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1: I. Allegro con brio (09:20)
02. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1: II. Tema con variazioni. Andante con moto (07:27)
03. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1: III. Rondo. Allegro (04:48)
04. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12 No. 2: I. Allegro vivace (06:29)
05. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12 No. 2: II. Andante, più tosto allegretto (05:24)
06. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12 No. 2: III. Allegro piacevole (05:37)
07. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 12 No. 3: I. Allegro con spirito (08:42)
08. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 12 No. 3: II. Adagio con molta espressione (06:33)
09. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 12 No. 3: III. Rondo. Allegro molto (04:26)
10. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23: I. Presto (07:56)
11. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23: II. Andante scherzoso, più allegretto (09:04)
12. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23: III. Allegro molto (05:32)
13. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 “Spring”: I. Allegro (09:56)
14. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 “Spring”: II. Adagio molto espressivo (06:00)
15. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 “Spring”: III. Scherzo. Allegro molto (01:14)
16. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 “Spring”: IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo (06:38)
17. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: I. Allegro (07:36)
18. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: II. Adagio (07:12)
19. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1: III. Allegretto con variazioni (08:22)
20. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2: I. Allegro con brio (07:54)
21. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2: II. Adagio cantabile (09:17)
22. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2: III. Scherzo. Allegro (03:34)
23. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2: IV. Finale. Allegro (05:24)
24. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3: I. Allegro assai (06:40)
25. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3: II. Tempo di minuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso (08:22)
26. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3: III. Allegro vivace (03:42)
27. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”: I. Adagio sostenuto – Presto (15:01)
28. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”: II. Andante con variazioni (16:20)
29. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”: III. Finale. Presto (09:17)
30. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96: I. Allegro moderato (11:37)
31. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96: II. Adagio espressivo (06:11)
32. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96: III. Scherzo. Allegro (02:12)
33. Clara-Jumi Kang & Sunwook Kim – Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96: IV. Poco allegretto (09:26)