A cheerful birthday present
Aleksey Igudesman has transformed five well-known pieces by Beethoven into humorous violin duets.
The Moonlight Sonata with fine pizzicati, the harmoniously spiced up Turkish march (Turkish alla Ludwig), an intimate Elise (For a Lease), the first movement of the Spring Sonata with a virtuoso piano score (the moderately difficult passages are distributed fairly between the two voices) and the beginning of the 5th Symphony ("Banananaa") extended in five-four time into a Latin, jazz and swing piece - Aleksey Igudesman has reworked five "Beethoven hits" into a witty duet. "With this delicious menu ... our musical taste buds are guaranteed to get their money's worth," writes Patricia Kopachinskaja in the foreword.
Aleksey Igudesman: Beethoven & more, 5 violin duets, UE 33 658, € 17.95, Universal Edition, Vienna
