Instruments get their voice

This week cellist Raphael Wallfisch and violinist Sara Bitlloch join Donald Macleod to talk about Beethoven’s early chamber music from 1795 to 1811, including beloved works such as the ‘Razumovsky’ quartets, the ‘Kreutzer’ violin sonata, and the ‘Ghost’ and ‘Archduke’ piano trios.

Today they look at Beethoven’s innovation of giving chamber music instruments equal roles, blurring the lines between the lead and the accompaniment.

Beethoven’s quintets show him expanding his sound world. In his Opus 29, the shorter-breathed elements of his early quartets give way to a more spacious lyricism, creating an effect of almost orchestral richness and weight.

We’ll also hear from Beethoven’s first set of string quartets, the Opus 18, as well as his second cello sonata.

Sonatina in C major for mandolin and piano WoO44 No 1
Duilio Galfetti, mandolin
Diego Fasolis, fortepiano

String Quartet in C minor Op 18 No 4 (3rd movement)
Belcea Quartet

Violin Sonata in A major Op 30 No 1 (3rd movement)
Isabelle Faust, violin
Alexander Melnikov, piano

Serenade in D major Op 8 (1st and 2nd movements)
Trio Zimmermann

Cello Sonata No 2 in G minor Op 5 (1st movement)
Adrian Brendel, cello
Alfred Brendel, piano

String Quintet in C major Op 29 (4th movement)
Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Produced by Iain Chambers for BBC Wales