LDV111-2

32 BEETHOVEN ∙ COMPLETE SONATAS AND VARIATIONS FOR CELLO AND PIANO Formally, the last two sonatas are rather pared-down. The Fourth, composed in the summer of 1815, places the two instruments on an equal footing. At the head of the manuscript, Beethoven writes ‘Freie Sonate’ (Free sonata). What is the ‘freedom’ he is referring to? Gary Hoffman: ‘Freie Sonate’ . . . I’ve always thought that was just a definition of the form. I’d also point out that, once they’ve reached their full maturity, composers revisit earlier forms. The structure of the sonata is Baroque, in two movements, like an – unconscious? – homage to the old masters. And I also see in this title a philosophical idea. For the score is made up of fragments of themes that never come to fruition. They’re like unfulfilled promises, constrained by time and the circumstances of life . . . Is this Beethoven realising that life must finally remain unfulfilled and that it’s impossible to understand everything? David Selig: This Fourth Sonata is perhaps the most ‘modern’ of all in terms of language. The introduction to the second movement reminds me of the late piano sonatas and string quartets. Every time we play it, we set off down a path of mystery. The finale, with its contrapuntal form, is not without humour, a humour that I too would describe as ‘philosophical’.