Performing and recording the complete set of Beethoven’s sonatas for fortepiano and violin had been a dream of ours for years. They constitute a cornerstone of the repertoire, and we knew — from our years of experience with earlier music and our study of the historical sources — that historical instruments, and the historical playing techniques that go with them, would shed new light on these masterpieces. Performances of these pieces on historical instruments are rare. There are serious obstacles to performing them in concert: you need top-notch fortepianos, and an intimate but vibrant chamber-music performance space. And the pieces, difficult in any case, are even more so on period instruments; modern instruments are far more forgiving.

Renowned not only as a prominent interpreter of 17th, 18th and 19th century violin music, Elizabeth Wallfisch. She is also a concertmaster and music director. Her impressive, and extensive discography offers a window onto her expansive musical world from the Early to Late Baroque Italian, French German, Bohemian and English violinist-composers.

David Breitman is equally at home with the fortepiano and the modern piano, and enjoys both solo and ensemble playing. Along with this collection of the violin sonatas with Elizabeth Wallfisch he has also recorded Beethoven’s cello sonatas with Jaap ter Linden.