Beethoven Sonata audio comparison

Sonata for Violin and Piano versus Sonata for Orchestra in C minor

I made a Spotify Playlist that juxtaposes each movement of Beethoven’s original Opus 30 No 2 with our (Garrett Schumann and mine) orchestration. Beethoven REimagined was recently released by Naxos Records (click here to purchase/stream), and features this Sonata for Orchestra, A Fidelio Symphony, and Gabriel Prokofiev’s Beethoven9: Symphonic Remix.

One of the reasons I became a conductor (and composer) is that I love the sound and palette of the orchestra. What makes Kremer and Argerich’s interpretation and performance so deep is their incredible ability for phrasing and color. They are able to get a huge variety of sounds, articulations, shapes, subtle tempo fluctuations, direction, abrupt shifts of character and more, just from their two instruments. They are completely in sync and inspiring. This specific performance is one of the reasons I wanted to orchestrate this Opus 30 No 2, because they make it sound so symphonic and grand in scope and imagination.

Among other phrasing choices, you’ll note the drastic difference in tempos between the Kremer/Argerich version and the orchestral version I performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (especially at the upper end). This shift was on purpose because A) I was emphasizing the dramatic weightiness of this piece as an orchestral concept and B) for practical purposes there are some things that are not possible at quick speeds with an entire orchestra that are possible with chamber music.

I hope you enjoy the comparison. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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