Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
24 Variations en ré majeur sur l'air de Vincenzo Righini "Venni Amore", WoO 65
32 Variations en do mineur sur un thème original, WoO 80
6 Variations en ré majeur sur un thème original, op. 76 "Marche Turque"
7 Bagatelles, op. 33
11 Nouvelles Bagatelles, op. 119
Allegretto en do mineur, WoO 53

Michael Korstick, piano

Around the same time that Michael Korstick caused a sensation with the first and, to date, only recording of all Beethoven piano concertos (555 447-2), these recordings were also made. They shed light on the life of the "Titan" from the opposing perspectives of fashionable accessories and clever miniatures. These two aspects interweave in reverse chronological order: the Variations in C Minor from 1806 serve as the prelude, while the 24 variations on Righini’s Venni Amore from 1791 conclude the portrait. In between, musical snapshots of the Bagatelles Op. 33 (1802) and Op. 119 (1822) frame the variations on an original theme, Op. 76 (1809), which would later become the Turkish March. In every piece, from the smallest vignette to the most intricate keyboard trick, the boundless imagination of one who set out to instill fear is at work.