Beethoven - Fantasies for piano

Monument Records is pleased to present a new Beethoven piano sonata subtitled: Sonata quasi una fantasia, Biamonti 213.

This remarkable work has languished in the Kafka Sketchbook in the British Library for more than a century. It is a three movement Sonata and was pulled from the sketchbook by Dutch musicologist Willem Holsbergen and presented with its two sister sonatas with the same subtitle, Opus 27, Nos. 1 and 2, which is the famous Moonlight Sonata. An added bonus is the rarely heard Fantasy in G minor, Op. 77 which makes this recording a truly unique exploration of Beethoven's use of the fantasy form in the piano genre.

These selections are brought to life by the pasionate performance of Steven Beck.

Beethoven - Military Music for Piano

This entire CD was recorded on the 1827 Jakesch Forte-piano in the collection of the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies in San Jose, California. This remarkable piano has both a Bassoon pedal and a Turkish pedal. Historically, the Turkish pedal was developed to play Military Music giving the performance the added dimension of tambourines, drums and bells.

The featured work is Beethoven's own piano version of Wellingtons Seig, Hess 97. Included on the CD is a march from the Ruins of Athens. Also included on this CD are performances of two sets of variations that Beethoven wrote on: God Save the King, WoO 78 and Rule Britannia, WoO 79.

Of the 12 works on this CD, 7 are world premiere recordings.

This recording is given added luster by the impeccable talents of Steven Beck.

Monument records regularly produce CDs of Beethoven's music. Steven Beck is the pianist. Here are three, created in 2001.

"Early Dance Music" presents:

- the music of Ritterballett for piano Hess 89 (WoO 1);
- the 12 minuets for piano Hess 101 (WoO 7);
- the 12 dances for piano Hess 101 (WoO 8)...

"Dance Music for Piano" includes dances and minuets: Hess 5 (WoO 13), WoO 10, WoO 11, WoO 15, Hess 102, Hess 67, Hess 68, Biamonti 74, Biamonti 66...

The CD "Cameos for Piano" compiles almost 40 of Beethoven's works for piano.

It would be fastidious to list them all. Let is just be know that you can hear the 1822 version of the famous "Für Elise", and that half of these recordings are "World's first recordings".

It's certain that you will find works previously unknown to you...

Masters of the Classical Keyboard

This is a collection of rare gems by some famous, and some not so famous, composers of the Classical period. It contains the first recording of 12 Ecossaises, WoO 16 published under Beethoven's name that had been lost for nearly two centuries and L'Adieu au Piano, K-H Anh 37.

Other works include an Adagio by Steibelt, a Rondo by Diabelli and a marvelous two movement Sonata by Dussek. There are works by Haydn, Albrechtsberger and Neefe, who were all teachers of Beethoven.

Of the 13 works on this CD, 11 are world premiere recordings.

This wonderful recording was done by the master pianist Steven Beck on a reproduction 1795 fortepiano from the Beethoven Center in California.

This cd contains the complete works for piano four-hands:

- 8 variations for piano four-hands in C major on a theme by Count Waldstein, WoO 67;
- 6 Variations for piano four-hands in D major on "Ich denke dein," WoO 74;
- 3 Marches for piano, four-hands, Opus 45;
- Gavotta, Allegro and Marzia lugubre for piano four-hands, WoO Anhang 8;
- 9 German dances for piano four-hands, WoO Anhang 9;
- Sonata for piano four-hands in D major, Opus 6;
- Fugue for piano four-hands in B flat major (arrangement from Grosse Fuge for string quartet), Opus 134.

Patricia Pagny and Emanuele Arciuli
Stradivarius 1997

Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher have played four-handed piano together for twenty years. And that can be heard, in the harmony and complicity, which the two pianists express.

Max Reger had a particular affection for the variations and here, he rediscovers the ancients whom he esteemed so much.

On the CD you will find the Grand Fugue opus 134 of Beethoven, transcribed for four hands by the same composer, but also the Variations and fugue on a theme (of the bagatelle for piano opus 119, no. 11) of Beethoven by Max Reger.

Also on this CD: The fugue of Mozart KV 426 and the Variations and fugue of Max Reger on a theme (of the sonata KV 331) of Mozart.

An original, remarkable and surprising disc

Andreas Grau and Götz Schumacher
Collegno Edition - 2003

Here is a cd which collects the piano works of Beethoven written between 1782 (12 years) and 1792 (22 years):

• Sonata in F major "Kurfürsten Sonata", WoO 47/2;
• Sonata (unfinished) in C major "Eleonorem Sonata", WoO 51;
• Rondo in B flat major, Anhang 6;
• Sonata in E flat major, "Kurfürsten Sonata", WoO 47/1;
• Rondo (Allegretto) in C major, WoO 48;
• Rondo (Allegretto) in A major, WoO 49;
• Sonata in D major "Kurfürsten Sonata", WoO 47/3…