This album presents Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas Op. 31 Nos. 1–3, performed by Marios Papadopoulos. Written in 1802 and marking the start of Beethoven’s so-called “middle period,” these works reflect a bold new com- positional direction. The G major Sonata combines wit and lyricism, its expansive Adagio grazioso forming the expressive core. The D minor Sonata, known as the “Tempest,” contrasts dramatic intensity with inward reflection across its three movements. The E flat major Sonata, “The Hunt,” is notable for its rhythmic vitality and four-movement structure. Recorded in July 2022, this album commences Papadopoulos’s Beethoven sonata cycle re release series with Signum Records.
Marios Papadopoulos is Founder and Music Director of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and has enjoyed an international career as both pianist and conductor since his London debut in 1975. He has collaborated with leading artists including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Maxim Vengerov, Martha Argerich and Lang Lang, and has appeared with major orchestras worldwide. A noted interpreter of the German Classical repertoire, he has directed complete cycles of the Mozart and Beethoven piano concertos and conducted all nine Beethoven symphonies. His extensive discography includes acclaimed Beethoven sonatas and works by Mozart, Mussorgsky, Franck, Stravinsky and Shostakovich.