Sonatas for violin and piano: No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23 [23:40]; No. 5 in F major, Op. 24 [24:13]; No. 8 in G major, Op. 30 No. 3 [16:47]
Ivo Stankov (violin), Ivan Donchev (piano)
rec. no details of date or location supplied
GEGA NEW GR 18 [60:52]
The violin sonatas by Beethoven bar No. 10 are relatively early works and
the Bulgarian duo Ivo Stankov and Ivan Donchev play all three sonatas here
with a light touch - youthful could be the collective header for the disc.
The first movement of the A minor sonata is playfully lyrical and the interplay
in the development between the violin and the piano’s left and right
hand is gracious. The Andante scherzoso with its fugal writing is
utterly elegant and in the tricky Rondo finale both players radiate
hundreds of joules of energy. Is the piano too loud occasionally? Maybe
a mite but it is hard to tell whether this is due to the playing or the
recording balance.
The Spring sonata was published at the same time as its predecessor
in 1801 and here we meet Beethoven at his sunniest. Accordingly the playing
is also on the sunny side of the street. The Allegro is joyful and
energetic and full of light. It is tempting to unbutton the overcoat even
though we are at the end of October and the days grow shorter as I write
this. The Adagio is just as warm and inward as Beethoven would have
liked it. The ultra-short Scherzo just whirls past like a bewildered
early butterfly on the first day of spring. The concluding Rondo
is played with such infectious joie de vivre that one can imagine
even Beethoven raising one of his rare smiles.
The G major sonata, the third in the Op. 30 set, was published in May 1803
and is dedicated to Tsar Alexander I of Russia. The playing of the first
movement is light and lively. The minuet second movement is marked molto
moderato e grazioso and ‘grazioso’ is indeed the buzz-word
in Stankov and Donchev’s reading. This is one of Beethoven’s
loveliest movements. The last one, Allegro vivace, is rather boisterous
with scherzo character - even though Beethoven doesn’t say
so - and it is played with tongue-in-cheek.
The recording is good, even though - at least on my equipment - the piano
is reproduced more smoothly and beautifully than the violin. Strangely enough
I got the opposite impression when playing some parts of the disc on my
portable equipment, a Sony Walkman with high-end headphones.
Never mind, this is a refreshing disc and I hope to hear more of this duo
- why not more Beethoven?
Göran Forsling
A refreshing disc … I hope to hear more of this duo.
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