Book Tickets

Beethoven Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2 No. 1
Beethoven Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2 No. 3 
Beethoven Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2 No. 2
Beethoven Sonata No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 7, ‘Grand Sonata’

Kirill Gerstein piano

Beethoven’s cycle of piano sonatas stands as a monumental reminder that the composer was always looking forward. That started with a gradual move away from the classicism of Haydn and Mozart, a process evident to a fascinating degree in Beethoven’s first four sonatas. For this revealing recital at the Sheldonian Theatre, the ‘simply ravishing’ (Abendzeitung) Kirill Gerstein charts Beethoven’s initial steps towards a more dynamic, personal style, from the uncommon keys and bold modulations of the first sonata to the eloquent pauses and hints of mystery in the fourth.