This re release of Beethoven: Violin Sonatas 4, 5 & 7 continues Viktoria Mullova and Alasdair Beatson’s acclaimed exploration of Beethoven’s violin sonatas on period instruments. Recorded in 2020, the album pairs Mullova’s 1750 Guadagnini violin, strung with gut, with Beatson’s fortepiano by Paul McNulty, offering performances grounded in historical practice. The programme brings together the dramatic Sonata in A minor, Op. 23, the lyrical “Spring” Sonata, Op. 24, and the sharply characterised Sonata in C minor, Op. 30 No. 2. Heard together, these works reveal Beethoven’s expanding dialogue between violin and piano.
★★★★★ “[Mullova] using an exquisitely subtle range of vibrato, from a gloriously pure senza to gentle inflections that both sooth and insinuate” – BBC Music Magazine
★★★★★ “Mullova’s playing, its strength and power resting on many years’ association with Beethoven and his music, strikes spark off not only her piano support but also the sonic purity of her surroundings and the constant, still challenging invention of each score. Her tone is rich but not creamy, and never lapses into mere beauty for its own sake. Among recent recordings of such familiar repertoire, this one must surely rank among the finest” – Gramophone