poster for 2005 Beethoven: Center of Gravity 3
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Disc 3 begins with the last of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, the transcendent Opus 111 Sonata in c minor. This work takes both the piano sonata genre and the instrument itself to new heights. Similarly, the Piano Quintet in f minor of Johannes Brahms—one of Beethoven’s most prominent musical heirs—pushed the boundaries of the piano quintet genre. Though employing just a five instruments, the thematic material and emotive breadth of this work are truly symphonic in scale.