Beethoven "moonlight" Sonata, Iii "presto Agitato"

The pianist Claudio Arrau fully deserves the epithet "legendary": a sovereign technical command, a deep patience and a gravitation towards weighty matters, enriched by his study with 'philosopher pianists' such as Busoni and Martin Krause.

The English born soloist Solomon (the only name he ever used in his professional life) was fortunate in having found success in two separate careers as a pianist. From the age of eight until his early teens, he was one of the most celebrated child prodigies of his era, a national phenomenon in England right up until the time of the First World War. He developed a distaste for his instrument, however, and on the advice of conductor Sir Henry Wood, he gave up music for several years.

When it comes to the great English pianists of the twentieth century, none was greater than Solomon. Born Solomon Cutner, he was a child prodigy who worked himself into a nervous breakdown by the age of 15.

Valery Afanassiev, 1972 Gewinner des "Queen Elizabeth Wettbewerbs", ist berühmt für seine tiefen, philosophischen Interpretationen. Auf seinem Debüt-Album für Sony Classical widmet er sich den drei berühmtesten Beethoven-Sonaten "Pathétique", "Mondschein" und "Appassionata", die er im Beethovensaal in Hannover auf einem Steinway eingespielt hat. Bei dieser Aufnahme war es ihm besonders wichtig, die verborgenen Details der Stücke herauszuarbeiten.

'Over and above the purely musical aspect that makes Beethoven one of the greatest composers of all time, what stands out for me is the lesson of a moral being: insofar as Beethoven sets himself immensly high standards, immense rigour and courage - in his life, in everything he undertakes, in the authenticity of even the slightest of his artistic gestures - his attitude must rub off on his interpreter. That's why I think that, for me, Beethoven has represented not only one of the most profound lessons in music, but also a lesson in life.' Abdel Rahman El Bacha

The events of Beethoven's life are the stuff of Romantic legend, evoking images of the solitary creator shaking his fist at Fate and finally overcoming it through a supreme effort of creative will. His compositions, which frequently pushed the boundaries of tradition and startled audiences with their originality and power, are considered by many to be the foundation of 19th century musical principals. Born in the small German city of Bonn on or around December 16, 1770, he received his early training from his father and other local musicians.

Born Stephen Bishop in California (1940), the American pianist studied under Lev Schorr and Myra Hess before embarking on an international career in the early 1960s, giving a memorable concert at London's Wigmore Hall. A gifted musician, he accumulated successes on tour as well as on record where his performances for the Philips label received standing ovations, including the complete Mozart piano concertos, at the turn of the 1970s. His extensive repertoire led him to approach the contemporary field, including Michael Tippett's Piano Concerto which he created between those of Richard Rodney Bennett and John Tavener. Married to Martha Argerich, this son of Yugoslav emigrants adds to his name that of his mother, Kovacevich, before using only name of Croatian origin. Stephen Kovacevich then devoted himself to conducting. He founded the Australian Chamber Orchestra (1985-1990) and then conducted the Irish Chamber Orchestra.

Maria João Pires Acclaimed as one of the greatest interpreters of Mozart, Portuguese pianist Maria-João Pires is an artist who combines exquisite stylistic refinement with a serious effort to plumb the intellectual complexities and spiritual depths of music. Refusing to conform to the traditional image of a concert virtuoso, Pires emphasizes the spiritual dimensions of music, always searching for hidden meanings which may elude the analytical performer. This remarkable reverence toward works of music, clearly manifested in her performances of Mozart, was made explicit by her remark that, as a performer, she acts as a channel for the composer's ideas. Interestingly, Pires views both the composer and the performer as conduits for a transcendent force. However, while approaching the work of music with immense awe, Pires is acutely aware of its formal structure, finding a certain transparency in the most intricate formal constructions. In her performances of Romantic masters, particularly Chopin and Schumann, Pires masterfully reconciles her passionate experience of the music with an admirable appreciation for the inner logic of the work she is interpreting. Reflecting her vast emotional range, her tone, as critics have observed, encompasses a dizzying variety of intensities, from an almost imperceptible lightness to an imposing monumentality, with a rich scale of intervening nuances.