Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata

Dynamic duo Roberto Cani and Inna Faliks perform this iconic work on what was supposed to be a recording session, and ended up being our first public concert in over a year, for a small group of vaccinated, distanced and delighted attendees. You won’t want to miss this exuberant and passionate return to the stage!

Program
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata No. 9 in A, the "Kreutzer"

Air date
Sunday, June 27 at 3:00pm (PDT)
The video link will be live on our home page here.

The "Kreutzer" Story
Originally, this sonata was written for Beethoven's friend and colleague, mulatto violinist and composer George Bridgetower. The score contained this waggish inscription (translated from German): "Mulatto sonata composed for the mulatto Bridgetower, the craziest mulatto composer". As the story goes, Beethoven and Bridgetower had a falling out (allegedly over disparaging remarks made by Bridgetower about a woman friend of Beethoven's) and Beethoven ultimately withdrew the inscription. He dedicated the final version of the piece to violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer, who was living in Paris at the time. Said Beethoven of Kreutzer, "I prefer his modesty and natural behavior to all the exterior without any interior, which is characteristic of most virtuosos." When Kreutzer finally received the manuscript, he looked at it and declared it impossible to play. He said, "Beethoven does not understand the violin", and he never once performed it in public - the sonata that today bears his name.