BEETHOVEN – KOROLIOV SERIES XX HDCD (2CD)

DESCRIPTION
Although Beethoven’s opus numbers extend to op. 135, there were no more piano sonatas after op. 111. There is, though, a variation cycle lasting almost an hour on a simple theme by Anton Diabelli. This astonishing cycle takes the listener into such distant moods, that even after the first variation it doesn’t matter what the theme is, it is all so unmistakably Beethoven. Also on this disc, two cycles of «simple» piano pieces entitled «Bagatelles». Small, unimportant things, trivialities, which make you think involuntarily of much later romantic composers. And finally, the usually so self-critical Beethoven allocated his penultimate opus number (op. 134) to a «simple» piano score of the «GroSSe Fuge» op. 133! Just listen to the first few seconds of the «Große Fuge» with Ljupka Hadzigeorgiewa and Evgeni Koroliov. Succumb to the charm and allure of these two musicians, who lead us selflessly and confidently through this perplexing hiatus in musical history.

Tracks:
Disc 1
1. Fugue for piano, 4 hands in B flat major (arr. from Grosse Fuge for string quartet), Op. 134 (15:11)
Bagatelles (11) for piano, Op. 119
2. Allegretto (02:28)
3. Andante con moto (01:04)
4. à l’Allemande (02:05)
5. Andante cantabile (01:54)
6. Risoluto (01:11)
7. Andante – allegretto (01:46)
8. Allegro ma non troppo (01:16)
9. Moderato cantabile (01:46)
10. Vivace moderato (00:55)
11. Allegramente (00:17)
12. Andante ma non troppo (01:58)
Bagatelles (6) for piano, Op. 126
13. Andante con moto. Cantabile e compiacevole (03:43)
14. Allegro (03:11)
15. Andante. Cantabile e grazioso (03:02)
16. Presto (03:41)
17. Quasi allegretto (03:02)
18. Presto – andante amabile e con moto (04:31)

Disc 2
Variations (33) on a waltz by Diabelli, for piano in C major («Diabelli Variations»), Op. 120
1. Thema. Vivace (00:57)
2. Var. I. Alla Marcia maestoso (02:01)
3. Var. II. Poco allegro (00:56)
4. Var. III. L’istesso tempo (01:52)
5. Var. IV. Un poco più vivace (01:13)
6. Var. V. Allegro vivace (00:58)
7. Var. VI. Allegro ma non troppo e serioso (01:50)
8. Var. VII. Un poco più allegro (01:19)
9. Var. VIII. Poco vivace (01:43)
10. Var. IX. Allegro pesante e risoluto (01:44)
11. Var. X. Presto (00:38)
12. Var. XI. Allegretto (01:24)
13. Var. XII. Un poco più moto (01:09)
14. Var. XIII. Vivace (01:14)
15. Var. XIV. Grave e maestoso (04:43)
16. Var. XV. Presto scherzando (00:37)
17. Var. XVI. Allegro (01:03)
18. Var. XVII (01:13)
19. Var. XVIII. Poco moderato (02:45)
20. Var. XIX. Presto (00:58)
21. Var. XX. Andante (02:43)
22. Var. XXI. Allegro con brio (02:04)
23. Var. XXII. Allegro molto alla «Notte e giorno faticar» di Mozart (00:47)
24. Var. XXIII. Allegro assai (00:53)
25. Var. XXIV. Fughetta. Andante (03:03)
26. Var. XXV. Allegro (00:51)
27. Var. XXVI (01:08)
28. Var. XXVII. Vivace (00:52)
29. Var. XXVIII. Allegro (00:53)
30. Var. XXIX. Adagio ma non troppo (01:29)
31. Var. XXX. Andante, sempre cantabile (01:56)
32. Var. XXXI. Largo molto espressivo (05:49)
33. Var. XXXII. Fuga. Allegro – poco adagio (03:03)
34. Var. XXXIII. Tempo di Menuetto moderato (ma non tirarsi dietro) (03:24)