Beethoven: Complete Sonatas For Cello & Piano

CD1

1. Sonata for cello & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1 - Adagio sostenuto - Allegro
2. Sonata for cello & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1 - Rondo. Allegro vivace
3. Sonata for cello & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 5/1 - Adagio sostenuto ed espressivo – Allegro molto più tosto presto
4. Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2 - Rondo: Allegro
5. Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2 - Allegro ma non tanto
6. Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2 - Scherzo, Allegro molto
7. Sonata for cello & piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5/2 - Adagio cantabile - Allegro vivace

CD2

1. Sonata for cello & piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1 - Andante - Allegro vivace
2. Sonata for cello & piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1 - Adagio - Allegro vivace
3. Sonata for cello & piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102/1 - Allegro con brio
4. Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2 - Adagio con molto sentimento d'affetto
5. Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2 - Allegro - Allegro fugato
6. Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2 - Twelve Variations on "See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes" from Handel's Judas Maccabaeus, WoO 45
7. Sonata for cello & piano No. 5 in D major, Op. 102/2 - Seven Variations on "Bei Männern, welche Liebe Fühlen" from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, WoO 46
8. Twelve Variations on "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" from Mozart's Die Zauderflöte, Op. 66

Universally recognised as the finest cellist of his generation, Gautier Capuçon has a firm reputation as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.  He is a regular performer with the Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony, NHK Symphony, and at festivals such as Verbier and Lugano, and has won several awards at the ECHOS and the Victoires de la Musique.

Following on from last year’s live recording of the Shostakovich cello concertos, this album sees Gautier return to the studio with his friend and recital partner of many years, Frank Braley, in a programme of Beethoven’s Sonatas for Cello and Piano.  In addition the album includes Beethoven’s wonderful variations on three different themes – two on arias from Mozart’s opera Die Zauberflöte, and the other from Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus.  This is the first new recording of the complete Beethoven cello works for some time and is a long-awaited release.