Even by Beethoven’s own extraordinary standards, Op.57 is one of his most striking and original works. Its intense emotion led to the unattributed nickname Appassionata around 1838, but the name really only tells part of the story. The visceral power, the tragic atmosphere and the many unique structural features all combine with that intensity to make the Appassionata arguably Beethoven’s greatest and most-admired piano sonata. It is followed here by Les Adieux, Beethoven’s personal and programmatic account of the departure, absence, and return of his friend and patron, Archduke Rudolph, who left Vienna with the rest of the Emperor's entourage when Napoleon’s army invaded Austria in 1809. Finally, the Piano Sonata op.101 brings us into the world of Beethoven’s late works, with its special blend of grandeur and intimacy. The great fugal development in the final movement challenges the performer’s command of counterpoint to the extreme, while building towards the clamactic unveiling of the newly expanded piano’s low E.

Martin Roscoe is a versatile musician and one of Britain’s most prolific recitalists who features regularly on BBC Radio 3. His enduring popularity and solid reputation are built on a deeply thoughtful musicianship that is allied to an easy rapport with audiences and fellow musicians alike. He has recorded the complete piano music of Nielsen and Szymanowski, as well as this series for of the first complete Beethoven piano sonatas from Barry Cooper’s new edition, published by ABRSM.

Martin is currently a Professor of Piano at the Guildhall School of Music, London, Artistic Director of Ribble Valley International Piano Week and Beverley Chamber Music Festival.

“One of the truly great recordings of the Waldstein Sonata [...] perfect musical judgement and a formidable technique from Martin Roscoe” – BBC Radio 3 (Vol.2: Waldstein, DXL 1162)