On ‘Oscillations’ the highly-talented Israeli born pianist Einav Yarden contrasts pieces by Beethoven and Stravinsky, two major figures from completely different musical eras. Both composers however shared the same passion for the piano, and considered it to be an indispensible tool in the art of composition. The recording features Beethoven’s Sonatas opus 14 No. 2, and Opus 10 No. 2, and the same composer’s 11 Bagatelles, alongside Stravinsky’s only solo Sonata and several of his piano miniatures.

Einav Yarden juxtaposes two composers who are rarely heard on disc together, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971). For Beethoven, the piano was a central instrument, and he wrote five piano concertos, 32 sonatas, numerous variation works, bagatelles, and individual pieces. Although Igor Stravinsky’s piano compositions are limited to three works for piano and orchestra, the Sonata of 1924, some early pieces, etudes, barely a dozen individual pieces, and a few works for two pianos, the piano was key also to Stravinsky. “Every note I wrote,” said Stravinsky, “was tried out on this instrument, every interval singly tested, heard again and again.”