Description
Viviane Chassot performs Beethoven's Violin Concerto in her own arrangement based on the piano version of the Violin Concerto, Op. 6. What might Ludwig van Beethoven's music have sounded like had the modern concert accordion existed in his time? This intriguing question lies at the heart of Viviane Chassot's new album. For many years, the Swiss accordionist has been one of the leading ambassadors of her instrument. Combining exceptional virtuosity with stylistic refinement and a highly individual musical voice, she has continuously expanded the accordion's repertoire far beyond its traditional boundaries. At the centre of this recording is Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61--one of the greatest concertos ever written. Only a few months after its premiere, Beethoven himself created an authorised arrangement for piano and orchestra (Op. 61a), fundamentally reworking the solo part and enriching it with a spectacular new cadenza. It is this version that forms the basis of Viviane Chassot's own arrangement for accordion. The concerto is complemented by a carefully chosen selection of Beethoven's shorter piano works, which unfold on the accordion as exquisite musical miniatures. The selected Bagatelles, Op. 33 combine wit, elegance and poetic intimacy. The Minuet in E-flat major, WoO 82, the brilliant Six Variations on a Swiss Song, WoO 64, the charming Seven Landler, WoO 11, and the universally beloved Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59, Fur Elise, reveal Beethoven's intimate and improvisatory side.
