The ABF-Association Beethoven France et Francophonie looks for you for special CDs:

The ABF - Association Beethoven France et Francophonie works with labels that publish cds of rare works and world premiere recordings of Ludwig van Beethoven's works:

• 1 CD of transcriptions of the 5th and the 7th Symphonies for piano four hands

• 1 CD of the 6th Symphony transcribed for string sextet

• 1 CD 'Beethoven and the Flute'

• 8 CDs from Monument Records

• 4 CDs from Raptus Records

• 4 CDs from Inedita 'Beethoven Rareties'

• 1 CD of flute from 'La Traversière'

• 1 complete recording of Beethoven's piano concertos from Lorcom

ABF - Association Beethoven France presents:

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Beethoven et la Flûte / Beethoven and the Flute
Laurence Stricker, flute, and Suzel Ginisty, piano

• Sonata for Flute and Piano, opus 17;

• Variations, opus 107;

• Sonata opus 6, from the sonata for piano four hands – World Premiere;

• Sonata, WoO A4.

Booklet in French and English.

ABF, Jean-François Bouvery and Sarkis Paloyan presents:

The 5th Symphony and the 7th Symphony transcribed for piano 4 hands
Two world premieres - Recorded in 2003.

• The Fifth Symphony, transcribed for Piano Four Hands (Edited by Durand: transcription by Watts);

• Seventh Symphony, transcribed for Piano Four Hands (Edited by Schirmers: no name for the transcription).

The piano that is used is a magnificent Gaveau dated 1937.

Pianists: Jean-François Bouvery and Sarkis Paloyan

ABF and the Kölner Streichsextett presents:

The Sixth Symphony transcribed for String Sextet
World Premiere - Recorded in 2003.

In the time in which Beethoven lived, the symphonies were readily transcribed, which allowed the work to be performed by smaller groups, even sometimes a single instrument, mostly the piano.

Thus, Michael Gotthardt Fischer (1773-1829) realized an adaptation of the 6th symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven for string sextet.

The Köllner Streichsextett, a renowned formation and recognised in Germany, enable us to discover this work with subtlety.  It is remarkable to note at which point every instrument, violin, viola and cello, takes its correct part, or that of the winds, and the tuttis are very rare.

What is remarkable, with this type of transcription,  is the refinement of the work and the quotation of those voices which we hear  little or sometimes not at all in the orchestra, especially because the violins are too numerous.

Accompanying the sixth of Beethoven we find  a work by Augusto Valente “Six to midnight”, decidedly more modern.

ABF - Association Beethoven France and Raptus Records present:

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Beethoven - Piano trio opus 63 (and piano trio opus 1 no. 3)
World premiere, recorded in 2003.

Opus 63 was "the unobtainable work" of Beethoven. Never recorded until this day, it is a warm performance, accomplished by the Trio Osiris, which we now offer you.

If the authenticity of the Piano Trio, adaptation of the string quartet opus 4, is opened for discussion, it is a forgotten fact explained in the discography, that no existing source indicates that Beethoven ever disowned the work. Form your own opinion, and complete your disc collection with the unpublished work!

Trio Osiris: Peter Brunt, violin; Larissa Groeneveld, cello; Ellen Corver, piano.

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Beethoven - Oboe Concerto (Hess 12) and other world premieres
World premiere, recorded in 2002.

This CD collects the concerto for oboe Hess 12 and other world premieres:

- Concerto for Oboe Hess 12, reconstructed by Jos van der Zander;
- Rintterballet, Hess 89 (version for piano);
- Allegro for piano, Hess 69;
- Fugue for quartet, Hess 238 no 1 (exercise with Albrechtsberger);
- Allegro for piano, Hess 66;
- Écossaise, WoO 23 (version for piano);
- Twelve miniatures from a sketch book (exercises for piano);
- The Battle of Victoria, Hess 97 (original piano version).

Rotterdam Chamber Orchestra directed by Conrad van Alphen
Raphael String Quartet
Piano: Peter Kranen

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15 Irish Folksong Arrangements sung by Frank Patterson, tenor.
Difficult to find elsewhere apart from the ABF – Association Beethoven France et Francophonie

This disc collects recordings made in 1970 during the bicentenary of the birth of Beethoven.  The 15 arrangements of Irish songs are accompanied by a piano trio and sung with spirit by a renowned tenor.
A lovely compilation of his little known works which will honour your CD collection.

• Put round the bright wine, WoO 154, no. 6;
• Dermot and Shelah, WoO 152, no. 14;
• Sad and luckless was the season, WoO 153, no. 6;
• Come, draw we round a cheerful ring, WoO 152, no. 8;
• The return to Ulster, WoO 152, no. 1;
• The pulse of an Irishman, WoO 154, no. 4;
• Sunshine, WoO 153, no. 13;
• Thou emblem of Faith, WoO 152, no. 11;
• Since greybeards inform us, WoO 153, no. 4;
• The farewell song, WoO 154, no. 3;
• The soldier's dream, WoO 152, no. 9;
• Morning a cruel turmoiler is, WoO 152, no.21;
• No more, my Mary, I sigh for slendour, WoO 153, no. 18;
• Once more I hall thee, WoO 152, no. 3;
• The morning air plays on my face, WoO 152, no. 2.

Frank Patterson, tenor
The Music Group of London: D. Parkhouse, piano, H. Bean, violin, E. Croxford, cello

Ferdinand Ries's two Sonatas for Piano opus 1,
pupil of Beethoven, works dedicated to Beethoven
Two world premieres

• Sonata for piano in C major, opus 1-1 (1806);

• Sonata for piano in A minor, opus 1-2 (1803-1804).

ABF - Association Beethoven France and Monument Records present:

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Beethoven: The Forgotten Works for String Quartet.

This extraordinary CD presents 23 works of which 20 have never been recorded.

The featured work is Beethoven's "Brilliant" String Quartet in A major, Biamonti 382.

It also includes 13 Counterpoint Studies written by Beethoven for his teacher Albrechtsberger and the rare String Quartet version of the world famous "Andante Favori," WoO 57 and a dozen other remarkable rare, never before heard, works.

All of these special pieces are performed by the Covington String Quartet who has been receiving extraordinary praise for thier recent performances in the US.

This is a delightful, refreshing CD from begining to end.

Beethoven - Fantasies for Piano

Monument Records is pleased to present a new Beethoven piano sonata subtitled: Sonata quasi una fantasia, Biamonti 213. This remarkable work has languished in the Kafka Sketchbook in the British Library for more than a century. It is a three movement Sonata and was pulled from the sketchbook by Dutch musicologist Willem Holsbergen and presented with its two sister sonatas with the same subtitle, Sonatas Op. 27, Nos. 1 and 2, which is the famous Moonlight Sonata. An added bonus is the rarely heard Fantasy in G minor, Op. 77 which makes this recording a truly unique exploration of Beethoven's use of the fantasy form in the piano genre.

These selections are brought to life by the pasionate performance of Steven Beck.

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Master of the Classical Keyboard

This is a collection of rare gems by some famous, and some not so famous, composers of the Classical period. It contains the first recording of 12 Ecossaises, WoO 16 published under Beethoven's name that had been lost for nearly two centuries and L'Adieu au Piano, K-H Anh 37.

Other works include an Adagio by Steibelt, a Rondo by Diabelli and a marvelous two movement Sonata by Dussek. There are works by Haydn, Albrechtsberger and Neefe, who were all teachers of Beethoven.

Of the 13 works on this CD, 11 are world premiere recordings.

This wonderful recording was done by the master pianist Steven Beck on a reproduction 1795 fortepiano from the Beethoven Center in California.

Beethoven - Military Music for Piano

This entire CD was recorded on the 1827 Jakesch Forte-piano in the collection of the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies in San Jose, California. This remarkable piano has both a Bassoon pedal and a Turkish pedal. Historically, the Turkish pedal was developed to play Military Music giving the performance the added dimension of tambourines, drums and bells.

The featured work is Beethoven's own piano version of Wellingtons Seig, Hess 97. Included on the CD is a march from the Ruins of Athens. Also included on this CD are performances of two sets of variations that Beethoven wrote on: God Save the King, WoO 78 and Rule Britannia, WoO 79.

Of the 12 works on this CD, 7 are world premiere recordings.

This recording is given added luster by the impeccable talents of Steven Beck.

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Beethoven - Cameos for Piano

The CD "Cameos for Piano" compiles almost 40 of Beethoven's works for piano.

It would be fastidious to list them all. Let is just be know that you can hear the 1822 version of the famous "Für Elise", "Letzter musikalischer gedanke", WoO 62, the work that Beethoven composed on his death bed and more. Half of these recordings are World Premieres.

It's certain that you will find works previously unknown to you...

Steven Beck, piano

Beethoven - Early Dance Music

"Early Dance Music" presents:

• World Premiere: the music of Ritterballett for piano Hess 89 (WoO 1);
• World Premiere: the 12 minuets for piano Hess 101 (WoO 7);
• the 12 dances for piano Hess 101 (WoO 8).

Steven Beck, piano

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Beethoven - Dance Music for Piano

"Danse Music for Piano" includes dances and minuets:

• WoO 10, WoO 11, WoO 13, WoO 14 et WoO 15;
• two german dances, Hess 67;
• on german waltze, Hess 68;
• two minuets, Biamonti 66 and 74;
• one minuet without catalog number, 'Little Minuet', from the Kafka Sketchbook.

World premieres: WoO 13, WoO 15, Biamonti 66 and Biamonti 74, and the Little Minuet.

Beethoven - Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus
Piano version

This transcription for piano of the ballet "The Creatures of Prometheus" was composed by Beethoven himself.

Beethoven composed this work in 1801, with the choreographer Salvatore Viganò (1769-1821), and he made the transcription a few months after. It is curious to note that the piano version was published three years before the orchestral complete version.

This work for piano is the longest work that Ludwig van Beethoven composed for this instrument

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ABF - Association Beethoven France and Inedita present:

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Beethoven - Rareties - Vol 2.

Inedita specialise in editions of rare works. The second volume of the works by Ludwig van Beethoven include a version of the concertos for piano WoO 4, reconstructed by Roberto Diem Tigani (world premiere). The booklet explains the choices made and why this new reconstruction was necessary.

Also on the CD, the complete Romances for violin: opus 40 and opus 50, but also the Romance cantabile Hess 13. Finally, you will rediscover the Contredanses for orchestra, WoO 14.

A little gem, indispensable in your CD collection.

Maurizio Paciariello, piano - Marco Rogliano, violin - Maurizio Bignardelli, flute - Alessandro Mura, bassoon - The Sassari Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Roberto Diem Tigani.

Beethoven - Rareties - Vol 3.
World Premiere: Macbeth Overture

• World Premiere: Macbeth, Ouverture reconstructed from the sketchs by Albert Willem Holsbergen, Biamonti 454;
• Word Premiere: Rondo in B flat major WoO6 for Piano and Orchestra, Original Beethoven's manuscript, new critical edition by Roberto Diem Tigani;
• Piano Concerto in D major op. 61a.

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Beethoven - Rareties - Vol 4.
The unfinished concerto for piano, Hess 15

This CD contains the unfinished concerto for piano and orchestra of 1815 and the rare dances in their orchestral version:

• Unfinished concerto for piano and orchestra, Hess 15, world premier; the rough draught of the concerto was made in 1815 by Beethoven, who composed 182 bars; the score of the first movement was finalised by Nicholas Cook and Kelina Kwan;
• Gratulationsmenuett, WoO 3;
• Mödlinger Tänze, WoO 17;
• Musik zu einem Ritterballet, WoO 1.

A success equal to our hopes. Bravo!

Orchestra Sinfonica di Sassari Roberto Diem Tigani Piano: Maurizio Paciariello.

Beethoven - Rareties - Vol 5.
World Premiere: Piano Trio WoO Anhang 3

• Trio in D major Anhang 3;
• Trio in E flat major WoO 38;
• Allegretto in B flat major WoO 39;
• Trio in B flat majior Op. 11;
• Allegretto in E flat Major (Hess 48).

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ABF - Association Beethoven France and La Traversière present:

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Eight violin sonatas transcribed for flute

The transcriptions for the flute of the sonatas for violin and piano of Beethoven were edited many times, mostly in the nineteenth century.

These two CDs collect the first eight sonatas (over ten in total), performed by Alain Marion on flute and Denis Pascal on piano:

• Opus 12, nos. 1 to 3;
• Opus 23;
• Opus 24, "Spring";
• Opus 30, nos. 1 to 3.

These works are astonishing and the flutists will appreciate them. Alain Marion plays like a genius.

Alain Marion, flute
Denis Pascal, piano

ABF - Association Beethoven France and Lorcom present:

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An exceptional collection of the concertos for piano of Beethoven

This realisation by Lorcom (therefore there is also an edition available on DVD) has been recognised as exceptional by both critics and the public alike.

Our opinion: here is great Beethoven!

The performance is strong and sensitive, bewitching. In addition, François-Réné Duchâble treats us to a cadenza of his own composition.

The three CDs and one DVD are gathered in a superb box set. The booklet presents the five concertos for piano and orchestra as well as the performers. Bravo!