Gergely Devich & Fülöp Ránki Presented by Liszt Academy

Sonatas written for cello and keyboard instruments before Beethoven fell into two categories: in the first version, based on Baroque practice, the keyboard player had a mere accompanying role, while in the second, the roles were reversed, and the cellist simply doubled the bass notes of the chordal parts. The original title of his first two sonatas, created by Beethoven in his mid-twenties (Two Grand Sonatas for the Harpsichord or Pianoforte with a Violoncello obbligato) suggested that the compositions, designated as opus 5, followed the latter direction. However, the cello part he wrote was more than just a simple accompaniment; here, for the first time, the two instruments became equal partners. The composer continued and further developed this new revolutionary approach with the works written in his middle and late creative periods: with his Cello Sonata No. 3 that was written more than ten years later and which is one of the most popular of the five, as well as with the last two works from 1815, which, by the way, were dedicated to the Hungarian Countess Anna Mária Erdődy. The artists who envisioned the Beethoven evening are both students of the Doctoral School of the Liszt Academy and outstanding personalities of the young generation of musicians. Chamber music takes up a role in their lives; besides having played together before, they also represent this genre in other ensembles.