Date and Time
Fri, 25th Apr, 2025 - Sun, 27th Apr, 2025 at 19:00 - 16:00
Daniel Tong at 50
This immersive weekend offers the unique experience to hear all of Beethoven’s major chamber works with piano – violin sonatas, cello sonatas and piano trios – in six concerts, performed by three of Britain’s leading chamber players.
Beethoven was a brilliant pianist as well as a composer, and performed all of his piano parts himself until deafness prevented him from playing in public for the last part of his career. Therefore, through these works, an insight is glimpsed into Beethoven’s unique and groundbreaking genius as it emerged through his chosen instrument and his own fingers at the keyboard. From the magnificent Op. 1 piano trios with which he announced himself to the Viennese public, through the Spring and Kreutzer sonatas to the Ghost and Archduke trios, every aspect of Beethoven’s musical persona is on show.
Daniel Tong has been playing Beethoven’s works since he was a teenager, and gave his first cycle of the violin sonatas a quarter of a century ago. He has recorded these works for SOMM Recordings, and the cello sonatas (alongside Robin Michael) and a disc of Beethoven’s solo piano sonatas for Resonus Classics. His book on the Beethoven violin sonatas is published in 2025. Daniel is the pianist in the London Bridge Trio and director of the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival. Joining him for this weekend will be two long-time musical partners, the violinist Sara Trickey, member of the Rosetti Ensemble and regular concerto soloist around the UK, and Robin Michael, principal cellist in Les Siecles and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique.
Step into the world of Beethoven for the entire weekend, or join us for individual events. The afternoon concerts are complemented by two illustrated talks from the players.
FRIDAY EVENING 7.00 pm
Beethoven – Trio in E flat Op.1 No. 1 (1794-95) [28′]
Beethoven – Cello Sonata in F Op.5 No. 1 (1796) [24′]
– interval –
Beethoven – Violin Sonata in D Op.12 No. 1 (1798) [20′]
Beethoven – Trio in C minor Op.1 No. 3 (1794-95) [28′]
SATURDAY COFFEE 11.30 am
Beethoven – Violin Sonata in A Op.12 No. 2 (1798) [16′]
Beethoven – Violin Sonata in E flat Op.12 No. 3 (1798) [18′]
Beethoven – Trio in G Op.1 No. 2 (1794-95) [29′]
SATURDAY AFTERNOON 4.00 pm
Beethoven – Cello Sonata in G minor Op.5 No. 2 (1796) [29′]
Beethoven – Violin Sonata in A minor Op.23 (1800) [20′]
– interval –
Beethoven – Violin Sonata in F ‘Spring’ Op.24 (1800-01) [23′]
Beethoven – Trio in D ‘Ghost’ Op.70 No. 1 (1808) [26′]
This concert will be preceded at 3.00 pm by a complimentary illustrated talk – “Beethoven the Composer-Pianist. Trios and Sonatas from the 1790s”.
SATURDAY EVENING 7.00 pm
Beethoven – Violin Sonata in C minor Op.30 No. 2 (1801-02) [30′]
Beethoven – Cello Sonata in A Op.69 (1807) [27′]
– interval –
Beethoven – Violin Sonata in G Op.30 No. 3 (1801-02) [20′]
Beethoven – Trio in E flat Op.70 No. 2 (1808) [29′]
SUNDAY COFFEE 11.30 am
Beethoven – Violin Sonata in A Op.30 No. 1 (1801-02) [25′]
Beethoven – Violin Sonata in A ‘Kreutzer’ Op.47 (1802-03) [35′]
SUNDAY AFTERNOON 4.00 pm
Beethoven – Violin Sonata in G Op.96 (1812 rev. 1814-15) [30′]
Beethoven – Cello Sonata in C Op.102 No. 1 (1815) [16′]
– interval –
Beethoven – Cello Sonata in D Op.102 No. 2 (1815) [20′]
Beethoven – Trio in B flat ‘Archduke’ Op.97 (1810-14) [42′]
This concert will be preceded at 3.00 pm by a complimentary illustrated talk – “The development of Beethoven’s ‘late style’. Op. 69, Op. 96, Op. 97 and Op. 102”.
Our Haywain bar will be open at 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm prior to our afternoon and evening concerts.
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available to purchase on Saturday and Sunday from the Haywain from 11.00 am.
A light lunch of vegetarian soup and roll will be available Saturday and Sunday at 1.00 pm – prior booking essential.
Please bring your confirmation email to the event. All concerts will take place in the Great Barn.
Concerts are free to full time students and carers.