Yuko Hisamoto: Beethoven Zyklus Vol. 1

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Hisamoto’s music flows with natural ease, free from any exaggeration. Yet, the principal themes assert themselves with clarity, and the meticulously crafted textures bring even the smallest motifs into sharp relief.

— Yuko Hisamoto’s performance vividly reveals the characteristics and expressive essence of early Beethoven’s music, leaving no trace of ambiguity. Her deep familiarity with the works of Mozart and Haydn allows for a truly remarkable Beethoven interpretation.
    The greatest feature of Hisamoto’s performance is that it is genuinely pleasant to listen to. This must be the very sound that resonated with the refined tastes of late 18th-century Viennese music patrons. While the distinctive tone of the renowned Viennese Bösendorfer piano plays a role, the true essence lies in Hisamoto’s interpretation and pianistic approach.
    At some point, we as listeners and performers alike have become accustomed to focusing on how Beethoven’s works break away from traditional forms, highlighting their innovative spirit, virtuosity, and dramatic intensity—elements less present in Mozart or Haydn. Without much reflection, we have come to equate performances described as “stunning Beethoven,” “overwhelmingly dramatic expression,” or even “deeply rooted in Romantic lyricism” with great or passionate interpretations.
    Hisamoto’s Beethoven makes us realize just how much of the essential beauty of the music we may have overlooked with such a perspective. — Akira Hirano (Musicologist)

Yuko Hisamoto’s Complete Beethoven Piano Sonata Concert Series. A live recording of the first concert in the series, held on November 7, 2023, at Suntory Hall Blue Rose.

Ludwig van Beethoven:

• Sonata für Klavier Nr. 1 f-moll, op. 2-1
• [1] I. Allegro
• [2] II. Adagio
• [3] III. Menuetto, Allegretto
• [4] IV. Prestissimo
• Sonata für Klavier Nr. 5 c-moll, op .10-1
• [5] I. Allegro molto e con brio
• [6] II. Adagio molto
• [7] III. Finale, Prestissimo
• Sonata für Klavier Nr. 4 Es-Dur, op. 7
• [8] I. Allegro molto e con brio
• [9] II. Largo, con gran espressione
• [10] III. Allegro
• [11] IV. Rondo, Poco allegretto e grazioso
• Sonata für Klavier Nr. 8 c-moll, op. 13 "Pathetique"
• [12] I. Grave -Allegro di molto e con brio
• [13] II. Adagio cantabile
• [14] III. Rondo, Allegro

Yuko Hisamoto, piano

Instrument: Bösendorfer 280VC Pyramid Mahogany

Recorded at Suntory Hall Blue Rose, November 7, 2023 (Yuko Hisamoto: Beethoven Zyklus Vol. 1).