Would birthday celebrations seem necessary to honour Beethoven as well, the most broadly studied, played, discussed, but perhaps also the most significant of all time? The two hundred fiftieth anniversary of his birth does, however, provide the opportunity to shed a new light on certain among his masterworks, thanks as well to the superb new Barenreiter edition under the editorship of Jonathan Del Mar. Which is why I chose humbly to devote my new solo album with Hortus to the great genius of Bonn, playing the three sonatas from my life. For me each has its own emotional and musical meaning, related to a part of my mind and bearing the recollection of unforgettable experiences. These three works are representative of the three ‘styles’ of Beethoven (a term often misused but nevertheless appropriate). In numerous passa [...]