Beethoven : Ein neuer Weg

1. Sonata no. 16, Op. 31 no. 1 - I. Allegro vivace
2. Sonata no. 16, Op. 31 no. 1 - II. Adagio grazioso
3. Sonata no. 16, Op. 31 no. 1 - III. Rondo. Allegretto
4. Sonata no. 17, Op. 31 No. 2 'The Tempest' - I. Largo
5. Sonata no. 17, Op. 31 No. 2 'The Tempest' - II. Adagio
6. Sonata no. 17, Op. 31 No. 2 'The Tempest' - III. Allegretto
7. Sonata no. 18, Op. 31 No. 3 - I. Allegro
8. Sonata no. 18, Op. 31 No. 3 - II. Scherzo. Allegretto vivace
9. Sonata no. 18, Op. 31 No. 3 - III. Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso - Trio
10. Sonata no. 18, Op. 31 No. 3 - IV. Presto con fuoco
11. Six Variations op. 34 - Thema. Adagio. Cantabile
12. Six Variations op. 34 - Variation I
13. Six Variations op. 34 - Variation II. Allegro ma non troppo
14. Six Variations op. 34 - Variation III. Allegretto
15. Six Variations op. 34 - Variation IV. Tempo di Minuetto
16. Six Variations op. 34 - Variation V. Marcia. Allegretto
17. Six Variations op. 34 - Variation VI. Allegretto - Coda - Adagio molto
18. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Introduzione col Basso del Thema. Allegretto vivace
19. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Thema
20. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation I
21. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation II
22. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation III
23. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation IV
24. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation V
25. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation VI
26. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation VII. Canone all’ottava
27. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation VIII
28. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation IX
29. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation X
30. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation XI
31. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation XII
32. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation XIII
33. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation XIV. Minore
34. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Variation XV. Maggiore. Largo - Coda espressivo
35. Fifteen Variations and a Fugue op. 35, ‘Eroica Variations’ - Finale alla Fuga. Allegro con brio.

The year 1802 was a decisive one for Beethoven: in the autumn, he wrote the ‘Heiligenstadt Testament’, in which he clearly expressed his awareness of the outcome of his inexorably increasing deafness. At almost the same time, he told his friend Krumpholz that, ‘not satisfied’ with his ‘work so far’, he was planning to embark on ‘a new path’. It so happens that the works here, skilfully grouped together by Andreas Staier, correspond precisely to that new direction.