One of the last pianists of the great Russian school, Elisabeth Leonskaja brings her talents to bear on Beethoven's magnificent and challenging last three piano sonatas at the Gulbenkian Foundation's 2018 Pianomania festival in Lisbon.
From 1795 to 1822, Beethoven produced one of the most significant bodies of solo keyboard works in the Western musical tradition. His 32 piano sonatas trace his artistic development over the course of his career and represent a formidable challenge for pianists, demanding absolute mastery of their instrument and an impeccable command of a wide range of styles. Sometimes referred to as "the last three sonatas", Sonata Nos. 30, 31, and 32 were composed from 1820 to 1822, the composer's last intense creative period before his death in 1827.
Photo: Elisabeth Leonskaja © Julia Wesely