Saleem Abboud Ashkar
BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATAS – SALEEM ABBOUD ASHKAR
Beethoven’ s status as one of the most important composers of all time is undisputed, the advances in compositional style and form, and a more radical musical sound-world, despite the fact that he battled with profound deafness for much of his career, are all well-known. We explore these aspects of Beethoven’ s work in the medium he composed for the most – the solo piano.
Northern Sinfonia has performed the complete Beethoven symphonies in two weeks and all the piano concerti in one season, and both the Lindsays and the Belcea Quartet have performed a complete cycle of string quartets. Over several seasons we present the most ambitious of Beethoven’ s cycles with the complete Piano Sonatas. The 32 sonatas were composed between 1795 and 1822 with almost all being written after the point that Beethoven’ s hearing began to deteriorate. It is unlikely that they were conceived as a set and it was not until after Beethoven’ s death that the sonatas were performed in a cycle, by the influential pianist Hans von Bülow. It was Bülow who described the works as“ The New Testament of Music” with Bach’ s‘ The Well-Tempered Clavier’ being“ The Old Testament”. Whether planned as a cycle or not, what is clear is that each sonata is in itself a masterpiece and they all regularly feature in the piano recital repertoire.
To take on a cycle of such challenging and intense works takes courage and ambition and an artist who has a complete affinity with the composer. We are delighted to welcome Palestinian-Israeli pianist Saleem Abboud Ashkar, already a master interpreter of Beethoven’ s work, to take us on this epic musical journey. Championed by Daniel Barenboim, Saleem made his Carnegie Hall debut aged 22 and has performed with the world’ s leading orchestras and conductors in all the finest concert halls. His interpretation of Beethoven is magical and has been critically acclaimed, Germany’ s leading newspaper commenting on Saleem as“ A formidable musician … who has a mixture of warmth and clarity, intensity and freshness that simply grabs you: Pure Beethoven joy.” Die Welt.
In this first season, Saleem Abboud Ashkar presents the first two recitals in Hall Two featuring the popular‘ Moonlight’ Sonata and his E flat major‘ Les Adieux’.
Book tickets early. This is a cycle not to be missed.
10 Ticket Office: 0191 443 4661