Their second duo album on Signum Classics, Viktoria Mullova and Alasdair Beatson perform Beethoven’s Sonatas 6, 1 and 8. Just as in previous recordings, they use a copy of an 1805 Walter (a Viennese fortepiano) by Paul McNulty; together with violin strung with gut, these instruments are what Beethoven’s music craves, giving a rich texture and distinct colours between the registers.
★★★★ “‘Optimistic, ebullient and inexhaustibly inventive’ is how the pianist Alasdair Beatson describes the three Beethoven sonatas on this disc – and that is exactly how they come across in these performances with the violinist Viktoria Mullova. The sense of rustic abandon they create in this work is infectiously gleeful.” – The Guardian
★★★★★ Recording ★★★ Performance “Their dazzling playing captures all the music’s wit and brilliance” – BBC Music Magazine