Celebrating the 250th anniversary of his birth, Sony Music Entertainment presents four major reissues devoted to Ludwig van Beethoven in it’s series of Classical Masters. Among the treasures in these new budget-priced sets are the complete symphonies, string quartets and violin sonatas performed by illustrious musicians of the past century. The Italian violinist Uto Ughi studied with Enesco, was signed by EMI while still in his teens and went on to become a major RCA artist in the 1980s and 90s. In 1978, he recorded Beethoven’s 10 Violin Sonatas with Lamar Crowson, whom none less than Alfred Brendel described as “one of the finest chamber music pianists of our day”. The set was acclaimed on it’s release in Italy on LPs but has been largely unavailable since then, making this first release on four albums particularly enticing to the many admirers of these two superb musicians.
Sonata for violin & piano No. 10 in G major (“The Cockcrow”), Op. 96
Sonata for violin & piano No. 7 in C minor (“Eroica”), Op. 30/2
Sonata for violin & piano No. 9 in A major (“Kreutzer”), Op. 47
Sonata for violin & piano No. 5 in F major (“Spring”), Op. 24
Sonata for violin & piano No. 8 in G major, Op. 30/3
Sonata for violin & piano No. 6 in A major, Op. 30/1
Sonata for violin & piano No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23
Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 12/3
Sonata for violin & piano No. 2 in A major, Op. 12/2
Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in D major, Op. 12/1