ACCENT presents the complete recordings of Beethoven's works for piano and violin in a 4-CD box set, recorded in 2008/09 by Hiro Kurosaki and Linda Nicholson
on period instruments.
The order 'piano and violin' may come as a surprise: Even though Beethoven's ten violin sonatas mark the final turning point towards equal
rights for the two instruments, the composer still explicitly described them as 'sonatas for piano and violin'.
The special feature of this complete recording: Linda Nicholson and Hiro Kurosaki did not simply use instruments of historical design, but rather the specific historical Viennese instruments from Beethoven's time for each of the sonatas. Through this careful selection of instruments, the two musicians come as close as possible to Beethoven's sound.
This project allows the consideration of otherwise neglected early works for this instrumentation, which thus also acquaint us with some rarities from the composer's
pen that are worth hearing.
Linda Nicholson is one of the foremost keyboard players specialising in the performance of baroque, classical and early romantic music on instruments of the period. After studying at London University (B.Mus.) and the Royal College of Music (piano with Kendall Taylor, harpsichord with Ruth Dyson) she won the first two international competitions held for the fortepiano, namely the Concours International du Pianoforte in Paris and the Festival of Flanders Competition in Bruges. Since then she has gained an international reputation, performing in major festivals and concert series throughout Europe and the Far East. Her broad repertoire encompasses solo works, chamber music and concertos.
Hiro Kurosaki studied in Vienna with Franz Samohyl at the Hochschule fr Musik und darstellende Kunst and attended masterclasses with Nathan Milstein. As a prizewinner in two important competitions, the ?Henryk Wieniawski? in Poland, and the ?Fritz Kreisler? in Vienna, his career quickly developed and he gave concerts as soloist with, amongst others, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Vienna Symphony, and the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg. Since becoming interested in historical performing practice on original instruments Hiro Kurosaki has collaborated with some of the most outstanding musicians in the field, such as Ren Clemencic, Sigiswald Kuijken, John Eliot Gardiner and Bruno Weil. He has performed as concertmaster and soloist with Les Arts Florissants, the Clemencic Consort, London Baroque, the Cappella Coloniensis, and Concerto Kln, touring worldwide and making many award-winning recordings.
"The wiry, plangent sound of Kurosaki's 1801 violin is perfectly complemented by the percussive but singing tone of Linda Nicholson's Viennese fortepiano, especially effective in the powerful C minor Sonata Op 30 No 2." - The Observer [on Vol. 4]
