Ludwig van Beethoven - Violin Sonatas Nos. 4 & 5 (Julian Leaper; John Lenehan)

Information

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

• Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23
• Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 "Spring"

Julian Leaper, violin

John Lenehan, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Quartz Music

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Beethoven’s ten violin sonatas, mostly composed between 1797 and 1803 with the exception of Op. 96 completed around 1815, showcase the young composer’s formidable creativity and evolving style. Spanning his early Op. 12 sonatas through the dramatic “Kreutzer” Op. 47, the set demonstrates remarkable invention, expressive range, and emotional depth, with particularly intense slow movements. Unlike his more evenly spaced cello sonatas, string quartets, and symphonies, these violin works reveal a concentrated burst of youthful energy. This recording, Volume 2 of Julian Leaper’s interpretation of Beethoven’s complete violin sonatas, captures the nuances and dynamic contrasts of this seminal repertoire.

Julian Leaper began his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in 1978, learning violin with Emanuel Hurwitz and piano with Hamish Milne, winning several performance and chamber music prizes, including the Gerard Heller Award. Further training followed with Alberto Lysy at the Yehudi Menuhin Academy in Gstaad, and later in London. He debuted in the Purcell Room with a British music program and has since appeared as leader and soloist with major British orchestras and chamber ensembles. His repertoire spans Brandenburg Concertos, The Four Seasons, and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. He has also recorded extensively for film and TV, including Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Downton Abbey. He performs on an 1860 J.B. Vuillaume violin.

John Lenehan (b. 1958) is a versatile pianist and composer whose career spans solo performance, chamber music, composition, and arranging. He has appeared internationally with leading orchestras, making notable débuts with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic at Philharmonic Hall in 2010/11. His wide-ranging repertoire champions composers such as Alkan, Ireland, and Glass, and his imaginative recital programs often integrate jazz and film projection. Lenehan’s extensive discography includes award-winning recordings, such as Michael Nyman’s Piano Concerto and the complete piano works of John Ireland. As a composer-arranger, he has collaborated with Nigel Kennedy, Julian Lloyd Webber, Tasmin Little, and Emma Johnson

High Resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz