Pianist and barrister Paul Wee has made recordings devoted to the virtuoso repertoire of the 19th century, earning him the highest praise from the specialist press. He also tackled Beethoven with Franz Liszt's transcription of the Heroica Symphony, a recording named "Editor's Choice" by Gramophone, which wrote: Â« Paul Weeproves himself a master of these treacherously demanding transcriptions, sweeping aside the technical challenges topresent these great works with consummate musicianship. Â» It was therefore only a matter of time before he turned hisattention to the pinnacle of piano literature: Beethoven's late sonatas.While Sonata Op. 101 is the least known of this select group, it nonetheless opens Beethoven's third and most prophetic creative period. It is followed by Sonata Op. 106, the "Hammerklavier", an immense work in every sense of the word which, as the author of the liner notes put it, "makes such demands., that it is as if a new set of auditory equipment was required." As for the last three sonatas, worked on at the same time and conceived as a triptych, Beethoven knew that they would constitute his three final utterances in the genre of the sonata. To quote the author of the introductory text once again, "the closingpages of Op. 111 escape earth's orbit forever, leaving the listener behind."

Tracklist:

Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101~I. Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung (Allegretto, ma non troppo)
Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101~II. Lebhaft. MarschmÃ¤ÃŸig (Vivace alla Marcia)
Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101~III. Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll (Adagio, ma non troppo, con affetto)
Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101~IV. Geschwinde, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossenheit (Allegro)
Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106 "GroÃŸe Sonate fÃ¼r das Hammerklavier"~I. Allegro
Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106 "GroÃŸe Sonate fÃ¼r das Hammerklavier"~II. Scherzo. Assai vivace
Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106 "GroÃŸe Sonate fÃ¼r das Hammerklavier"~III. Adagio sostenuto (Appassionato e con molto se
Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106 "GroÃŸe Sonate fÃ¼r das Hammerklavier"~IV. Largo - Allegro risoluto - Fuga a tre voci, co
Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109~I. Vivace, ma non troppo - Adagio espressivo
Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109~II. Prestissimo
Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109~III. Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung (Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo)
Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110~I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo
Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110~II. Allegro molto
Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110~III. Adagio ma non troppo - Fuga. Allegro ma non troppo
Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111~I. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato
Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111~II. Arietta (Adagio molto semplice e cantabile)

UPC: 7318599927657
Label: Bis
Release Date: 11.21.25
Format: CD

Paul Wee - Beethoven: The Late Pno Sons (CD)